PhysicsSphere - Resistivity Formula

Variation of Resistance with Length of Conductor

Resistance in physics refers to how much a material resists the flow of electricity. Length, on the other hand, is just the physical measurement of how far apart two points are. The relationship between length and resistance is described by something called the resistivity formula. Essentially, resistance increases in direct proportion to length. So, if you change the length of a material, its resistance will also change accordingly.

Resistivity Formula

The resistance and length relation can be mathematically expressed as follows:

Where,

R is the resistance measured in ohms.

L is the length of the material measured in meters.

A is the cross-sectional area measured in sq-meters.

ρ is the resistivity of the material measured using ohm-metre

Thus the resistance of a conductor is proportional to the Length of the conductor & inversely proportional to the Area of cross-section of the conductor. Figure depicts the fact on how the area of cross-section depends on the resistance.

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