What factors determine the resistance of a wire?
Table of Contents
What factors determine the resistance of a wire?
There are several factors that affect the resistance of a conductor;
- material, eg copper, has lower resistance than steel.
- length – longer wires have greater resistance.
- thickness – smaller diameter wires have greater resistance.
- temperature – heating a wire increases its resistance.
What are the four things that affect the resistance of a wire?
There are 4 different factors which affect resistance:
- The type of material of which the resistor is made.
- The length of the resistor.
- The thickness of the resistor.
- The temperature of the conductor.
What is the resistance of 18 gauge wire?
Common Wire Gauges
AWG wire size (solid) | Diameter (inches) | Resistance per 1000 ft (ohms) |
---|---|---|
20 | 0.0320 | 10.15 |
18 | 0.0403 | 6.385 |
16 | 0.0508 | 4.016 |
14 | 0.0640 | 2.525 |
How does resistance depend on nature of material?
The resistance of a length of material is proportional to its length and inversely proportional to the material’s cross sectional area. With a given material, resistance increases with length and decreases with greater cross sectional area.
What is resistance of a wire?
The resistance of a wire is directly proportional to its length and inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area. Resistance also depends on the material of the conductor. The resistance of a conductor, or circuit element, generally increases with increasing temperature.
How do you measure resistance in a circuit?
Instead, resistance is calculated by measuring the current and voltage applied to the circuit. When a current is applied to the circuit under measurement, the circuit (resistance) exhibits a voltage (or more precisely, a voltage drop). Resistance can be calculated by measuring the current and voltage using Ohm’s Law.
How much resistance is normal?
In the first example, total normal circuit resistance, a known reference value, is 60 Ω (240 ÷ 4 = 60 Ω). The 60 Ω resistance can help determine the condition of a circuit.