Which Side of the LED Does the Resistor Go On?
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Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: General Mobile Electronics Questions and Answers
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=6932
Printed Date: May 31, 2024 at 9:18 PM
Topic: Which Side of the LED Does the Resistor Go On?
Posted By: audiophyle247
Subject: Which Side of the LED Does the Resistor Go On?
Date Posted: December 20, 2002 at 7:17 PM
I am installing LED lights in my door handles to illuminate the power window switches so I can see them @ night. I have all the correct LED's & resistors. My question is which side of the LED does the resistor go on? The Positive side of the light? Or the Negative side of the light? Please help me out.
Replies:
Posted By: beerstud136
Date Posted: December 20, 2002 at 9:46 PM
not sure, but im guessing positive, since an LED is usually negative gorund... logic would say if the current is traveling through the positive wire, you would want the current to pass through the resistor before the LED
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Posted By: CharlzO
Date Posted: January 18, 2003 at 5:31 PM
Yes, it goes on the positive. I'm positive :)
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: January 19, 2003 at 1:16 AM
Actually, it matters not, as it is a series circuit. The voltage drop across the components must equal the total voltage of the circuit, in this case 12v, and the voltage (electromotive force) does not care where the voltage is dropped. However, since the current flows from the negative battery terminal (cathode on the LED) to the positive terminal (anode on the LED), if you really wanted to believe there is a proper place for the drop to occur, (as previously stated, there isn't one) then you should put the resistor in the negative (cathode) lead of the LED.
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It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
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