High Voltage Low Current vs Low Voltage High Current

Hello!

What's the difference between a high voltage and a low current and a low voltage and a high current?

If a component has a voltage rating of say 10V, is it possible to pump 500v through it with a really low current?

Your question makes no sense - EXACTLY what component are you talking about, and why would you want to do this?.

There's no generic answer.

I'm with nige on that one too.
Generally speaking overcurrent for a very short time sometimes can be tolerated as it takes time for a device to heat up, however overvoltage can break down dieelectric barriers or cause a flashover which is instant, it depends to every extent on the component.

I'll have to agree with Dr pepper!

most of the time, we can go beyond the current limit, provided it's for a very short time, and that the device/component have enough time to cool down.

On the other side, overvoltages are much more critical. if a component break at 15V, it most probably will break at 15.5V, and there is no way preventing this, even with the best cooling in the world.

Hope this helps

Atomic_Sheep said:

What's the difference between a high voltage and a low current and a low voltage and a high current?

If a component has a voltage rating of say 10V, is it possible to pump 500v through it with a really low current?

Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by"difference" besides the obvious.

Voltage appears across a component, not through it. Current goes through a component.

So, I've measured pA at 100 V and less. Do you consider that high or low? How about pA at 10 kV. A bit wierd, I know. The Zero Voltage Ammeter was a ground potential. How about 1.5 A at 15 kV?

Knowing how to use the instrumentation is important. Some instruments can be floated from ground a certain amount without problems.

I agree with everyone else. The voltage limit on semiconductor devices is more critical than current. What if we throw a "spark gap" or gas discharge tube or a neon lamp in the mix?