Network Analysis 1:

2. Effect of Temperature on Resistance

And Ohms Law

Jayson Bryan E. Mutuc, REE, RME

THE EFFECT OF RISE IN TEMPERATURE IS:
(i) to increase the resistance of pure metals. The increase is large and fairly regular for
normal ranges of temperature. The temperature/resistance graph is a straight line. As would
be presently clarified, metals have a positive temperature co-efficient of resistance.
(ii) to increase the resistance of alloys, though in their case, the increase is relatively small
and irregular. For some high-resistance alloys like Eureka (60% Cu and 40% Ni) and manganin,
the increase in resistance is (or can be made) negligible over a considerable range of
temperature.
(iii) to decrease the resistance of electrolytes, insulators (such as paper, rubber, glass, mica
etc.) and partial conductors such as carbon. Hence, insulators are said to possess a negative
temperature-coefficient of resistance.
Some typical values of temperature coefficient of resistance measured at 0°C are given
below:
Copper 0.0043/°C Aluminium 0.0038/°C
Nickel 0.0062/°C Carbon -0.00048/°C
Constantan 0 Eureka 0.00001/°C

(Note that the negative sign for carbon indicates that its resistance falls with increase of temperature.)
Temperature Coefficient of Resistance
Let a metallic conductor having a resistance of R0 at 0°C be heated of t°C and let its resistance
at this temperature be Rt. Then, considering normal ranges of temperature, it is found that
the increase in resistance ∆ R = Rt - R0 depends
(i) directly on its initial resistance
(ii) directly on the rise in temperature
(iii) on the nature of the material of the conductor.
or
where α (alpha) is a constant and is known as the temperature coefficient of resistance of
the conductor.
Rearranging the Eq. we get

If R0 = 1 Ω, t = 1oC then = ∆R = Rt - R0
Hence, the temperature-coefficient of a material may be defined as :
the increase in resistance per ohm original resistance per °C rise in temperature.

we find that
It should be remembered that the above
equation holds good for both rise as well as fall
in temperature. As temperature of a
conductor is decreased, its resistance is also
decreased. In Fig. is shown the
temperature/resistance graph for copper and
is practically a straight line. If this line is
extended backwards, it would cut the
temperature axis at a point where
temperature is -234.5°C (a number quite easy
to remember). It means that theoretically, the
resistance of copper conductor will become
zero at this point though as
shown by solid line, in practice, the curve departs from a straight line at very low
temperatures. From the two similar triangles of Figure it is seen that:

Where:
R1 = resistance at temperature 1 T = inferred absolute temperature
R2 = resistance at temperature 2 temperature when resistance
t1 = temperature 1 of a given material is zero
t2 = temperature 2
Value of α at Different Temperatures
So far we did not make any distinction between values of α at different temperatures. But it
is found that value of α itself is not constant but depends on the initial temperature on
which the increment in resistance is based. When the increment is based on the resistance
measured at 0°C, then α has the value of α0. At any other initial temperature t°C, value of α
is αt and so on. It should be remembered that, for any conductor, α0 has the maximum
1
value. 𝛼𝑡 =
𝑇+𝑡
In case R0 is not given, the relation between the known resistance R1 at t1°C and the
unknown resistance R2 at t2°C can be found as follows:

Inferred Absolute Zero

Temperatures the resistance of a material at room temperature
Material T (oC) (approximately 20°C)
Annealed 234.5
Copper
Aluminum 228
Hard-Drawn 241.5
Copper
Iron 180
Silver 243
Variations of Resistivity with Temperature
Not only resistance but specific resistance or
resistivity of metallic conductors also increases
with rise in temperature and vice-versa. As
seen from Fig. the resistivities of metals vary
linearly with temperature over a significant
range of temperature -the variation becoming
non-linear both at very high and at very low
temperatures.
or simply as

ρ1= resistivity at t1 °C
ρ2= resistivity at t2 °C
Note. It has been found that although temperature is the most significant factor influencing
the resistivity of metals, other factors like pressure and tension also affect resistivity to some
extent. For most metals except lithium and calcium, increase in pressure leads to decrease in
resistivity. However, resistivity increases with increase in tension.
Ohms Law
States that the current I flowing in a circuit is directly proportional to the applied
voltage V and inversely proportional to the resistance R, provided the temperature remains
constant.

Where:
V = voltage in volts I = current in amperes R = resistance in ohms

Schematic Diagram
A simple electric circuit is shown in pictorial form in Fig. 2-la. The same circuit is drawn
in schematic form in Fig. 2-lb.
Sample Problems
The resistance of a copper wire measures 25-m Ω at 25°C. Calculate its resistance when
heated to 75°C.
Ans. 29.82-mA
A conductor has a resistance of 7- Ω at 0°C. At 20°C the resistance becomes 7.5 Ω. Calculate
the temperature coefficient of the conductor at 20°C
Ans. 0.00333 A
A coil has a current of 50mA flowing through it when the applied voltage is 12V. What is the
resistance of the coil?
Ans. 240 Ω
Determine the p.d. which must be applied to a 2 k Ω resistor in order that a current of 10mA
may flow
Ans. 20 V
A coil has a resistance of 18 Ω when its mean temperature is 20°C and of 20 Ω when its mean
temperature is 50°C. Find its mean temperature rise when its resistance is 21 Ω and the
surrounding temperature is 15°C.
Ans. 50°C
The resistance of the tertiary winding of a power transformer is 0.125 ohms and 25°C and
the temperature coefficient of resistance at 25°C is 0.00393. what is the resistance at 65°C?
Ans. 0.145 Ω
Supplementary Problems
A carbon resistor has a resistance of 1 k Ω at 0°C. Determine its resistance at 80°C.
Assume that the temperature coefficient of resistance for carbon at 0°C is -0.0005/°C

The resistance of the shunt winding of a d.c. machine is measured before and after a run of
several hours. The average values are 55 ohms and 63 ohms. Calculate the rise in
temperature of the winding. (Temperature coefficient of resistance of copper is 0.00428
ohm per ohm per °C).
The resistance of a copper wire at 30°C is 50 ohms. If the temperature coefficient of copper
at 0°C is 0.00427, what is the resistance at 100°C?
Two heating elements which is 500 ohms and 250 ohms are connected in series with
temperature coefficients of 0.001 and 0.003 ohms per °C, respectively at 20°C, Calculate the
effective temperature coefficient of the combination
Some copper wire has a resistance of 200 Ω at 20°C. A current is passed through the wire
and the temperature rises to 90°C. Determine the resistance of the wire at 90°C, correct to
the nearest ohm, assuming that the temperature coefficient of resistance is 0.004/°C at 0°C.