What happens to some electrical energy that passes through resistors?

When electrical energy passes through resistors, a significant portion of that energy is converted into thermal energy due to the resistive properties of the material. This phenomenon is known as Joule heating, or resistive heating, and occurs because as electric current flows through a resistor, the collisions between the moving electrons and the atomic structure of the resistor generate heat.

This transformation of energy into heat is an important concept in electronics and power systems since it helps understand how resistors function in circuits, contributing to power dissipation. While resistors can also cause some energy to be transformed into light if they are particularly hot or designed as resistive light sources, a standard resistor's primary effect is to dissipate energy in the form of heat.

Stored energy, such as that in capacitors or batteries, does not occur in resistors, nor do they amplify signals. Hence, the conversion of electrical energy into heat when it passes through resistors is a defining characteristic of their operation in electrical circuits.