Electrical energy dissipation in resistors

Steps:

• Identify the function of a resistor: it opposes current flow in an electrical circuit.
• Recall that power dissipated in a resistor is given by P = I²R or P = V²/R, where energy is converted from electrical form.
• Understand that this dissipated energy appears as heat, increasing the thermal (internal) energy of the resistor and surroundings.
• Conclude the primary energy transfer is from electrical to internal energy.

Why C is correct:

• By Joule's law, electrical energy is transformed into internal (thermal) energy via heating in the resistor.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Resistors do not store or convert energy chemically; that's for batteries or electrochemical cells.
• B: Kinetic energy transfer occurs in mechanical systems like friction, not in passive electrical components like resistors.
• D: Potential energy to electrical happens in generators or batteries, not during resistor operation.

Final answer: C