Why does resistance increase with temperature?

So, when an electrical charge passes through a resistor, some of that electrical energy is transferred into heat, increasing the temperature. This extra energy causes the particles in the resistor to vibrate more. With these particles moving more, it is more difficult to for the electrons to move through the resistor. This means the current can't flow as easily and the resistance increases. 

FF
Answered by Fergus F. Physics tutor

49800 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Why does your hair stand on end when you touch a Van de Graaff generator?


A car travels 100 metres in 20 seconds. i) What is the cars speed? ii) How far would the car travel in 1 minute 40 seconds?


When the current through an ohmic conductor is 2A, the potential difference across it is 6V. What is the potential difference across the same ohmic conductor when the current is increased to 3A?


What was the Rutherford gold foil experiment


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