Frenzie Mae V.

Rivera BSMT 4AN

01 February 2013 PHYSICS

ASSIGNMENT # 2 Resistance
Resistance is the property of any object or substance to resist or oppose the flow of an electrical current. The term resistance is also used when the flow of a fluid or heat is impeded. Resistance is the hindrance to the flow of charge. Resistance is the opposition to the flow of electric current in an electric circuit.

Resistivity
Resistivity is the nature of the substance that composes and object which is a factor that determines the resistance of an object. Resistivity is expressed in terms of the ohms resistance per cubic centimeter of the substance at 20C (68F). Resistivity is an intrinsic characteristic of the material itself defined by the voltage divided by the density of the current flowing across the material. Resistivity is a materials characteristic which is dependent upon the materials electronic structure and its temperature.

Temperature Coefficient
Temperature coefficient is the fractional change of a physical quantity per degree of temperature increase.

Factors affecting Resistance

1. TYPE OF MATERIAL FROM WHICH IT IS MADE Not all materials are created equal in terms of their conductive ability. Some materials are better conductors than others and offer less resistance to the flow of charge. Silver is one of the best conductors but is never used in wires of household circuits due to its cost. Copper and aluminum are among the least expensive materials with suitable conducting ability to permit their use in wires of household circuits. 2. CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE MATERIAL Wider wires have a greater cross-sectional area. Water will flow through a wider pipe at a higher rate than it will flow through a narrow pipe. This can be attributed to the lower amount of resistance which is present in the wider pipe. In the same manner, the wider the wire, the less resistance that there will be to the flow of electric charge. When all other variables are the same, charge will flow at higher rates through wider wires with greater cross-sectional areas than through thinner wires.

3. TEMPERATURE OF THE MATERIAL When the surroundings are hot, the atoms are restless. If you happen to expose the electric wires with a change in temperature, the atoms inside them will keep on moving thus increasing its resistivity. With a positive temperature coefficient, the resistance will increase as the temperature increases. 4. LENGTH OF THE MATERIAL The longer the wire, the more resistance that the wire will offer. There is a direct relationship between the amount of resistance encountered by charge and the length of wire it must traverse. After all, if resistance occurs as the result of collisions between charge carriers and the atoms of the wire, then there is likely to be more collisions in a longer wire. More collisions mean more resistance.

Factors affecting Resistance

Where, R = Resistance () L = Length of wire (m) A = cross-sectional area of wire (m2) = resistivity of material (ohm-meter)

Where, RN = New Resistance () RO = Original Resistance () = temperature coefficient (/C) T = Change in temperature (Tf To)

Derived from Ohms Law Where, R = Resistance () V = Potential Difference (volts) I = electric current (ampere)