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1.5.2 Factors Affecting Resistance

The resistance of a conductor is affected by four main factors: the cross-sectional area, length, temperature, and resistivity of the material. A larger cross-sectional area and shorter length decrease resistance, while higher temperatures and more resistive materials increase resistance. The resistivity of common materials like copper, gold, aluminum, and silver are provided in a table for reference.

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27 views

1.5.2 Factors Affecting Resistance

The resistance of a conductor is affected by four main factors: the cross-sectional area, length, temperature, and resistivity of the material. A larger cross-sectional area and shorter length decrease resistance, while higher temperatures and more resistive materials increase resistance. The resistivity of common materials like copper, gold, aluminum, and silver are provided in a table for reference.

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anothersomeguy
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Basic concepts of electric circuits 15

1.5.2 Factors affecting resistance


There is no perfect electrical conductor; every conductor that makes up the
wires has some level of resistance no matter what kind of material it is made
from. There are four main factors affecting the resistance in a conductor:
the cross-sectional area of the wire (A), length of the conductor (), tempera-
ture (T) and resistivity of the material (r) (Figure 1.10).

r
A

Figure 1.10 Factors affecting resistance

Cross-sectional area of the wire A: More water will flow through a wider
pipe than that through a narrow pipe. Similarly, the larger the diameter of
the wire, the greater the cross-sectional area, the less the resistance in the
wire and the more the flow of current.
Length : The longer the wire, the more the resistance and the more the
time taken for the current to flow.
Resistivity r: It is a measure for the opposition to flowing current through
a material of wire, or how difficult it is for current to flow through a
material. The different materials have different resistivity, i.e. more or less
resistance in the materials.
Temperature T: Resistivity of a material is dependent upon the tempera-
ture surrounding the material. Resistivity increases with an increase in
temperature for most materials. Table 1.2 lists resistivity of some materials
at 20 8C.

Table 1.2 Table of resistivities (r)

Material Resistivity r (O m)
Copper 1.68 6 1078
Gold 2.44 6 1078
Aluminium 2.82 6 1078
Silver 1.59 6 1078
Iron 1.0 6 1077
Brass 0.8 6 1077
Nichrome 1.1 6 1076
Tin 1.09 6 1077
Lead 2.2 6 1077

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