Why does temperature effect the resistance of conductors?

The resistance of a conductor increases with temperature. This is because as the temperature increases the atomic lattice of the conductor has more energy so begins to vibrate more. This means it is more likely for any electrons travelling within the conductor to interact with atoms thus increasing its resistance. Temperature is one of the 4 factors that effect resistance, the other being the length of the wire, the cross sectional area of the wire and the material of which the wire is made up of.

PE
Answered by Peter E. Physics tutor

35067 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

A 12V lamp, 36W is switched on for 1 hour. Find the energy supplied by the battery.


Derive an expression to show that for satellites in a circular orbit T² ∝ r ³ where T is the period of orbit and r is the radius of the orbit.


How does stimulated emission work?


If photons of wavelength 0.1nm are incident on a 2m x 2m Solar Panel at a rate of 2.51x10^15s^-1, calculate the intensity, I, of the photons on the Solar Panel.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning