Quote:
Originally Posted by old_coot88
For a given wattage being dissipated, x amount of heat is being dispensed thoughout the entire mass of the resistor. The greater the mass, the lower the temperature of a unit volume of that mass. Ergo, a larger mass runs cooler. Er, at least that's my hillbilly take on it.  |
Mass has nothing to do with terminal temperature. Mass will affect the rate of change of temperature, but thermal resistance is what determines the terminal temperature. Thermal resistance is affected by material, surface area and air flow. A larger mass will make it take longer to reach its final temperature, but that temperature will still be the same.