proper wattage for a resistor?

We REALLY need to know what you are trying to do...

The LTM8021 is a voltage regulator. It puts-out constant voltage as long as the input voltage and output current are within allowable ranges.

got it. I need to find a 10 watt 19.1kohm resistor apparently.

No! With the LTM8021, the current to the load does NOT flow through the adjustment resistor. A 1/4 or 1/8th watt resistor should be fine.

Is there such a thing as a current regulator?

Yes. there are "constant current" power supplies. These are somewhat rare, but often used with high-power LEDs. As with voltage regulators, the voltage, current, and load resistance/impedance must remain the allowable range.

The relationship between voltage, current, and resistance (or impedance) is determined by [u]Ohm's Law[/u] . This is a law of nature* and it's always true. If you try to get more current out of a power supply than is available, the voltage will drop (and the power supply might burn-up). If you disconnect the load from a constant-current power supply, current-flow stops completely and the voltage will rise to the maximum available as it "tries" to supply the current.

Generally, most electronic circuits are "constant voltage", which means the voltage doesn't change (or doesn't change much) with the load impedance, but the current does. For example, an output pin on the Arduino is either 0V (digital low) or 5V (digital high) as long as you don't "overload it" and try to get too much current out. This is a generalization, so it's not always true.

  • Of course, the units of measure (Volts, Ohms, Amps) are defined by humans.