Marjohn Demanuele marjohn_demanuele@yahoo.

com

Resistance and Resistivity.

The resistance of an electrical conductor depends on 4 factors, these being:
(a) the length of the conductor, ℓ
(b) the cross-sectional area of the conductor, a
(c) the type of material
(d) the temperature of the material, T.

Two similar wire wound resistors are unwound, and the resistance measured
across each is equal. The wires are then connected in series. Therefore the length
of one wire is doubled. When the resistance is measured again across both wires
it is found that the resistance is also doubled.

Therefore :
Rαℓ

Now the wires are connected in parallel. Therefore the area of one wire is
doubled. The resistance is measured again and is found that it is halved.

Therefore:
R α 1
a

Then:

Rαℓ
a

To remove proportionality a constant K is inserted, then

R=K ℓ
a

Where K is the constant of proportionality, ρ (rho), called resistivity and measured

in Ωm or Ωmm. Then :

Licence A 1of9 Resistance and Resistivity

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Typical values of resistivity are:

Definition of resistivity

The resistivity of a material is defined as the resistance offered between the

opposite faces of a unit cube of the material to the flow of electricity.

Ex1:: Calculate the resistance of a 2 km length of aluminium overhead power

cable if the cross-sectional area of the cable is 100 mm 2. Take the resistivity
of aluminium to be 0.03 x 10-6 Ωm.
0.6Ω

Ex 2: Calculate the cross-sectional area, in mm2, of a piece of copper wire, 40 m

in length and having a resistance of 0.25Ω . Take the resistivity of copper
as 0.02 x 10-6Ωm.
3.2mm2

Ex 3: The resistance of 1.5 km of wire of cross-sectional area 0.17 mm 2 is 150Ω .

Determine the resistivity of the wire.
0.017µΩm

Ex 4: Determine the resistance of 1200 m of copper cable having a diameter of 12

mm if the resistivity of copper is 0.017 x 10-6Ωm.
0.18Ω

Ex 5: A wire of length 8 m and cross-sectional area 3 mm2 has a resistance of

0.16Ω. If the wire is drawn out until its cross-sectional area is 1 mm 2,
determine the resistance of the wire.
1.44Ω

Licence A 2of9 Resistance and Resistivity

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Licence A 3of9 Resistance and Resistivity

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Variation with Temperature

In general, as the temperature of a material increases, most conductors increase in

resistance, insulators decrease in resistance, whilst the resistance of some special
alloys remain almost constant.

The variation of temperature of different materials is due to what is called the

temperature coefficient of resistance denoted by symbol α.

Positive and negative temperature co-efficient of resistance:

There are two types of temperature coefficient of resistance: positive and negative.
A positive coefficient of resistance increases resistance as the temperature rises,
while a negative coefficient of resistance decreases the resistance as the
temperature rises.

Positive temperature coefficient Negative temperature coefficient

Some typical values of temperature coefficient of resistance measured at 0°C are

given below:

Copper 0.0043/°C Aluminium 0.0038/°C

Nickel 0.0062/°C Carbon -0.000 48/°C
Constantan 0 Eureka 0.000 01/°C
(Note that the negative sign for carbon indicates that its resistance falls with
increase of temperature.)

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Definition of Temperature co-efficient of resistance

Temperature co-efficient of resistance is the ratio of the change of resistance

per degree change of temperature to the resistance of the same material at
some definite temperature.

Definite temperature at 0oC

If the resistance of a material at 0°C is known the resistance at any other

temperature can be determined from:

R1=R0(1+α0t1)

where R0 = resistance at 0°C

R1 = resistance at temperature t1°C
α0 = temperature coefficient of resistance at 0°C
t1 R0 R1

Ex 6: A coil of copper wire has a resistance of 100Ω when its temperature is 0°C.
Determine its resistance at 70°C if the temperature coefficient of resistance
of copper at 0°C is 0.0043/°C
130.1Ω

Ex 7: An aluminium cable has a resistance of 27Ω at a temperature of 35°C.

Determine its resistance at 0°C. Take the temperature coefficient of
resistance at 0°C to be 0.0038/°C
23.83Ω

Ex 8: A carbon resistor has a resistance of 1kΩ at 0°C. Determine its resistance at

80°C. Assume that the temperature coefficient of resistance for carbon at
0°C is -0.0005/°C
960Ω

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Licence A 6of9 Resistance and Resistivity

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Definite temperature at 200C

If the resistance of a material at room temperature (approximately 20°C), R 20,

and the temperature coefficient of resistance at 20°C, α 20, are known then the
resistance R2 at temperature t2 is given by:

R2=R20[1+α20(t2-20)]

Where R2 is the resistance at t2

R20 resistance at 20oC
t2 final temperature
α20 temperature coefficient of resistance at 20°C

Ex 9: A coil of copper wire has a resistance of 10 at 20°C. If the temperature

coefficient of resistance of copper at 20°C is 0.004/°C determine the
resistance of the coil when the temperature rises to 100°C
13.2Ω

Ex 10: A copper cable at 20oC has a resistance of 90Ω. The temperature is

raised and the resistance measured reads 104Ω. If the temperature
coefficient of resistance of copper at 20oC is 0.004/oC, calculate the final
temperature.
58.9oC

Ex11: An aluminum overhead cable has a resistance of 100Ω, when the effective
daytime ambient temperature is 68oC. During night, the effective ambient
temperature falls to 20oC. Calculate the night time resistance if the
temperature coefficient of resistance of aluminum at 20 oC is 0.0038/oC.

84.57Ω

Ex 12: The resistance of a coil of aluminium wire at 20°C is 200Ω. The

temperature of the wire is increased and the resistance rises to 240Ω. If
the temperature coefficient of resistance of aluminium is 0.004/°C at 20°C
determine the temperature to which the coil has risen.

Licence A 7of9 Resistance and Resistivity

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70oC
Resistance at 0oC is not known

If the resistance at 0°C is not known, but is known at some other temperature
t1, then the resistance at any temperature can be found as follows:

R1 = 1+α0t1
R2 1+α0t2

Where R1 is resistance at temperature 1

R2 is resistance at temperature 2
T1 lower temperature
T2 upper temperature
α0 = temperature coefficient of resistance at 0°C

Ex 13: Some copper wire has a resistance of 200Ω at 20°C. A current is passed
through the wire and the temperature rises to 90°C. Determine the
resistance of the wire at 90°C, correct to the nearest ohm, assuming that
the temperature coefficient of resistance is 0.004/°C at 0°C
251.85Ω

Ex 14: A Nickel conductor has a resistance of 250Ω when its temperature is 25 oC.
If the temperature is raised to 120oC, calculate the value of the final
resistance. Assume temperature co-efficient of resistance of Nickel at 0 oC
is 0.0062/oC. 377.5Ω

Ex 15: A copper wire is situated in an ambient temperature of 95 oC when its

resistance is measured as 270Ω. The temperature is then lowered to
15oC. If the temperature co-efficient of resistance of Copper at 0 oC is
0.004/oC, find the resistance of the wire at the lower temperature.
207.4Ω

Ex 16: An aluminum wire has a resistance of 100Ω when the temperature is

10oC. A current flows through the wire and the temperature rises such that
the resistance then reads 175Ω. If the temperature co-efficient of
resistance of aluminum at 0oC is 0.0038/oC, calculate the temperature rise.
204.86oC

Ex 17: An aluminum cable at 110oC has a resistance of 270Ω. If the temperature

is lowered and the resistance is measured as 200Ω, calculate the
temperature at the lower resistance. Assume the temperature co-efficient
of resistance for aluminum at 0oC is 0.0038/oC.
13.25oC

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Further problems on temperature coefficient of resistance:

Licence A 9of9 Resistance and Resistivity