How does the type of wire affect resistance in a wire?

1 Answer
Jun 1, 2018

See below.

Explanation:

There are a few properties:

(1) Length: the length of the wire will affect the resistance. The longer the wire, the higher the resistance.

(2) Thickness: the thickness of the wire will affect the resistance. The thicker the wire, the lower the resistance.

(3) Material: the material the wire is made out of will affect the resistance. Different materials have different resistivities, which is the ability of the material to allow electrons to move. It is dependent on electronic structure and temperature.

Metaphorically: you can think of a wire as a pipe with water flowing through it. There is more resistance in a narrower pipe, as less water can flow through the pipe in a certain length. In a longer pipe, water will take longer to flow through it.