🔍 Key Concepts

• Power (wattage) rating of a resistor and what it represents • Relationship between power, voltage, current, and resistance (P = I²R and P = V²/R) • What happens when the actual power dissipated in a resistor is greater than, equal to, or less than its rating

💭 Think About

• Think about a resistor that is forced to dissipate more power than it is safely designed for. Which wattage rating situation makes that most likely? • Compare each choice to the phrase "required for the circuit". In which option is the resistor working closest to or beyond its limit? • Ask yourself: if a resistor is rated much higher than needed, does that make overheating more or less likely?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear on what "required for the circuit" means: it’s the minimum safe power rating, not a suggestion. • For each option, compare the resistor’s rating to the required power and decide if it’s under-rated, exactly rated, or over-rated. • Remember that a resistor fails from overheating when the actual power > resistor’s wattage rating for a period of time. Check which option makes that condition most likely.