Conductance, electrical
Glossary Definition
for 16-19
Description
The electrical conductance of a component in an electric circuit is a property of a component that describes how the electric current in the component is related to the electrical potential difference (voltage) across it. The greater the electrical conductance, the larger the current for a given potential difference, and the smaller the potential difference, for a given current.
Electrical conductance is usually represented by the symbol G.
Electrical conductance is defined, for some component, by the equation
G = IV
where V is the electrical potential difference across the component and I the corresponding electric current.
Discussion
Conductance is simply the reciprocal of resistance.
SI unit
siemens, S
Expressed in base units
kg-1 m-2 s3 A2
Other commonly used unit(s)
mho (1 mho = 1 Ω-1 = 1 S)
Mathematical expressions
Conductance is related simply to resistance as
G = 1R
The conductance of a component is related to the electrical conductivity, σ, of the material from which the component is made, by
G = σ AL
where A is the component’s cross-sectional area and L is its length.
