Joule effect

The Joule effect is the physical phenomenon in which electrical energy is converted into thermal energy (heat) when an electric current passes through a conductor. Inside this conductor - such as a wire - its atoms collide with free electrons (charge carriers) and heat is generated. The resulting heat depends on the resistance of the material, the electric current and the time the current flows. This phenomenon is independent of temperature, but increases under high temperature conditions, and all materials with electrical resistance (non-zero) are subject to the Joule effect.