Because Ohm was a physicist, not an electronics engineer. Ohm's Law states: "The potential difference (voltage) across an ideal conductor is proportional to the current through it. The constant of proportionality is called the "resistance", R. " This is what he would have said - or something very similar (or not at all similar if he said it in German :-) He might equally have said: "The current through an ideal conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference accross it." The first came from the net and the second from an old "O Level" physics book. The equations which we have later adopted to make convienient use of his law are all equally valid representations of the same thing. It is usually written as V=IR (or E=IR) because (I believe) before computers, the other two ways of writing it down would have taken up two lines. Only since computers have we had the / symbol. Hope this helps.....Mike. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Regan" To: Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2004 3:13 PM Subject: [EE]: Why isn't Ohm's Law written I=V/R? > Does anyone know why Ohm's law is writtem V=IR (E=IR) > instead of I=V/R? Of course I know they're equivalent. > I just wondered why - if I is the dependent variable and V > and R are the independent variables - it's basic form > isn't I=V/R. > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList > mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu --- Outgoing mail is certified as Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.657 / Virus Database: 422 - Release Date: 13/04/2004 -- http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads