Factors Affecting Electrical Resistance of a Conductor

The electrical resistance of a conductor is affected by the following factors:

• The temperature of the conductor.
• The length of the conductor.
• The cross-sectional area of the conductor.
• The nature of the material of which the conductor is made.

1. Temperature: The resistance of a conductor increases as the temperature of the conductor increases, i.e.

⇒ \( \scriptsize R \propto T \)

2. Length: The resistance of a conductor is directly proportional to the length; as the length of a conductor increases, the resistance also increases, i.e.

⇒ \( \scriptsize R \propto l \)

3. Cross-sectional Area: The resistance of a conductor increases as the area of the conductor decreases, which reveals that the resistance of a wire or a conductor is inversely proportional to the area, i.e.

⇒ \( \scriptsize R \propto \normalsize \frac{1}{A} \)