Why do things get hot when electricity is pasted through them?

Electricity is the flow of electrons through a material. But for electrons to pass through a material they have to give up some energy, this is called a material's resistance. The energy that is lost from the flow of electrons, due to a material's resistance, is passed onto the material in the form of heat, which makes the material hotter.

PR
Answered by Peter R. Physics tutor

2708 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

An Electric Kettle is used to boil water. After the water is boiled, the temperature of the water decreases by 22C. The mass of water in the kettle is 0.50 kg. The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J/kg C. Calculate the energy transferred.


An electric heater has a power of 1000W. It is connected to mains electricity (230V). The heater is equipped with an Earth wire. a) Calculate the current in the heater. b) Explain the role of the earth wire as a safety feature.


How to remember what is Ideal Gas Law?


If a 30N force is applied to a stationary object of mass 10kg, at what speed will the object accelerate?


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:

© 2026 by IXL Learning