Is this really a 1/16W resistor?

[zapta]

I am looking at this 100M 0402 1/16W resistor.

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/HMC0402JT100M/HMC0402JT100MCT-ND/2683714

Max working voltage is 50V so clearly it cannot handle 1/16W.

[CrashO]

The wattage is saying something about the dissipation, not the v_max. At 5V 1/16W gives you 0.0625/5=12.5mA max. Which is normal for a 0402 sized resistor.
1/16W / 50V already leaves you with just 1.25mA max, which is why they specify it as a max. (you're planning on powering mains on 0402 resistors?.. 

[coppice]

Well it can't handle 50V continuously, but it can certainly handle short pulses of 50V.

[zapta]

Well it can't handle 50V continuously, but it can certainly handle short pulses of 50V.

But at 50v gets it to less than 1mw so clearly it cannot handle 1/16w.

[zapta]

The wattage is saying something about the dissipation, not the v_max. At 5V 1/16W gives you 0.0625/5=12.5mA max. Which is normal for a 0402 sized resistor.
1/16W / 50V already leaves you with just 1.25mA max, which is why they specify it as a max. (you're planning on powering mains on 0402 resistors?.. 

But 1.25ma is much more than 50V on a 100M resistor. In other words, it can never reach even closer to 1/16W.

[Rufus]

I am looking at this 100M 0402 1/16W resistor.

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/HMC0402JT100M/HMC0402JT100MCT-ND/2683714

Max working voltage is 50V so clearly it cannot handle 1/16W.

Neither could any similarly rated part with resistance above 20k.

Do you seriously expect them to calculate and specify hundreds of different voltage limited power dissipations?

It is a package dissipation limit.

[Zero999]

Yes it's the package dissipation limit of course.

Resistors have a maximum voltage rating which is more important than the maximum power rating at high resistance values and shouldn't be exceeded, otherwise strange/bad things happen such as the resistance is reduced, arcing and smoke.

The maximum power rating can be exceeded for short periods of time, as long as the voltage rating isn't exceeded.

[Seekonk]

Unless you live in China, that is the maximum voltage the resistor should see to prevent sparkover.  I have this 240V power meter from you know where that uses a 150V resistor for the voltage sense.  You can get away with a lot of stuff for a while.  I get a lot of stuff donated to me that has  a 1/4 W CF resistor in series with a cap in a line operated supply.  CF resistors are really prone to opening with surges even though the power is very low.  Hard to find carbon comp are quite robust with surges.