Resistance and Resistors

This unit will explain the factors that affect the resistance of a conductor
and describe the different types of resistors.

Essential Question

1. What are the relationship between the resistance of a resistor and its factors?

Intended Learning Outcome

1. Recognize the typical values of resistivity and temperature coefficient of a material

and perform calculations of resistance of a material using appropriate formulas.

3.1. Factors That Affect the Resistance of Conductor

 Resistance is a property of a conductor which opposes the flow of current.

Factors that influence conductor resistance

1. Composition of conductor
2. Length of the conductor
3. Cross-sectional area of the conductor
4. Temperature

 Composition of conductor

Figure 3.1 – Electrical cables according to size, shapes, and types

Resistivity of a material (ρ) is its resistance measured at a specified temperature between

opposite faces of a cube of a material. Unit: Ω – m, Ω – circular mil/ft.
Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

Resistance is proportional to the resistivity of the material a conductor is made of.

R = k ρ where k is a proportionality constant

Table 3.1 – Resistivity of Materials at 20°C

Material Resistivity Value
Hard drawn copper 1.77 x 10 – 8 Ω – m
Annealed copper 1.72 x 10 – 8 Ω – m
Aluminum 2.83 x 10 – 8 Ω – m
Silver 1.63 x 10 – 8 Ω – m
Gold 2.44 x 10 – 8 Ω – m
Tungsten 5.3 x 10 – 8 Ω – m
Nichrome 112 x 10 – 8 Ω – m
Carbon 3.5 x 10 – 5 Ω – m

 Length of the conductor

Resistance is proportional to the length of the conductor.
R = k where k is a proportionality constant
R1 / R 2 = 1 / 2

 Cross-sectional area of the conductor

Resistance is inversely proportional to cross-sectional area of the conductor.
R = k / A where k is a proportionality constant
R1 / R2 = A2 / A1

Circular Mil (CM)

- the area of the circle having a diameter of one mil
- used in conductors having small circular cross – sections

Steps to get the cross – sectional area of a conductor in circular mils (CM)
a. If the given area is in mm2, solve for the diameter using the formula for circular area.
b. Convert the diameter from millimeter to inches and then to mils.
c. The square of the resulting diameter (in mils) becomes the cross sectional area in CM.

Conversion factors:
1 inch = 25.4 mm = 1000 mils
1 MCM = 1000 CM

American Wire Gauge (AWG)

- specify the size of round wire in terms of its diameter and cross sectional area. As the gauge
numbers increase, the diameter and circular area decrease.

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Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

Table 3.2 – Copper Wire Table (Stranded)

AWG or MCM Metric size, mm2
#14 2.0
#12 3.5
#10 5.5
#8 8.0
#6 14.0
#4 22
#2 30
#1 38
1/0 50
2/0 60
3/0 80
4/0 100
250 MCM 125
500 MCM 250
1000 MCM 500
Source: Phelps Dodge Philippines

Example 3.1

Find the area in circular mils of a wire with a diameter of 0.04 inch.

Solution:
d = 0.04 inch (1000 mils / 1 inch) = 40 mils
CM = d2 = (40 mils)2 = 1,600 CM

Example 3.2

Convert the area of 100 mm2 into circular mils.

Solution:
A = ¼ πd2
100 = ¼ πd2
d = 11.28 mm

d = 11.28 mm (1 inch / 25.4 mm)(1000 mils / 1 inch)

d = 444.2 mils
Area in circular mils = (444.2 mils)2 = 197.4 MCM

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Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

 Length, cross-sectional and resistivity are combined to calculate the conductor resistance.
R=ρ /A

where R = resistance of conductor (in ohms)

ρ = resistivity of the material (in Ω – m or Ω – CM/ft)
= length of the conductor (m. or ft.)
A = cross sectional area of conductor (mm2 or CM)

 Conductors undergoing a Drawing Process

Wire drawing – process of reducing or changing the cross sectional area of a conductor by
pulling it through a drawing die.

Resistance varies with respect to length

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R=k

Resistance varies with respect to cross-sectional area or diameter

R = k / A2 = k / d4

Example 3.3

Calculate the resistance of a 2 km length of the aluminum overhead power cable if the cross sectional
area is 100 mm2. The cable is at 20°C.

Solution:
𝑙 = 2 km = 2000 m ρ = 2.83 x 10 – 8 Ω – m
A = 100 mm2 (10 – 3 m / 1 mm)2 = 100 x 10 – 6 m2

R = ρ𝑙 / A = (2.83 x 10 – 8 Ω – m)(2000 m) / 100 x 10 – 6 m2

R = 0.566 Ω

Example 3.4

A piece of wire of cross-sectional area 2 mm2 has a resistance of 300 Ω. Find the cross-sectional area
of a wire of the same length and material of resistance 750 Ω.

Solution:
R=k/A
R1 / R2 = A2 / A1
300 Ω / 750 Ω = A2 / 2 mm2
A2 = 0.8 mm2

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Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

Example 3.5

A wire of length 8 m and a cross sectional area 3 mm2 has a resistance of 0.16 Ω. If the wire is drawn
out until its cross sectional area is 1 mm2, determine the resistance of the wire.

Solution:
R = k / A2
R1 / R2 = (A2 / A1)2
0.16 Ω / R2 = (1 mm2 / 3 mm2)2
R2 = 1.44 Ω

EXERCISE #5

1. The resistance of a 2.5 m length of cable is 2 Ω. Determine the length of the same wire when the
resistance is 7 Ω.

2. Some wire of length 1 m and cross-sectional area 8 mm2 has a resistance of 5 Ω. Determine the
cross-sectional area of a wire of the same length and material if the resistance is 3.2 Ω.

3. If the wire in the previous problem is drawn out until its cross-sectional area is 2 mm2, determine
the resistance and the length of the wire.

4. Find the resistance of 200 m of annealed copper cable of cross-sectional area of 8 mm2.

5. A hard-drawn copper wire has a diameter of 2.6 mm. Find the cross-sectional area in circular
mils, its AWG size, and the resistance of a 200 – ft length wire.

1. Some copper wire has a resistance of 50 Ω at 0°C. A current is passed through the wire and the

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Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

 Temperature
As the temperature increases, the resistance of a metal will increase.

Temperature coefficient of resistance (α) defined as the change in resistance per ohm per
degree Celsius of temperature change.
Unit: per degree Celsius or per °C

Table 3.3 – Temperature Coefficient of Resistance Measured at 20°C

Material α
Copper 0.00392/°C
Aluminum 0.0039/°C
Silver 0.0038/°C
Gold 0.0034/°C
Tungsten 0.0045/°C
Nichrome 0.0004/°C
Zinc 0.0037/°C
Carbon – 0.0005/°C

Temperature coefficient at different temperature

( )

Resistance depending on the temperature

[ ( )]

| |
| |

where: R1 = resistance value at temperature T1

R2 = resistance value at temperature T2
T = “inferred-zero” temperature or the temperature at zero resistance
= temperature coefficient of resistance at 0°C
= temperature coefficient of resistance at temperature T 1
= temperature coefficient of resistance at temperature T 2

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Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

Example 3.6

A coil of copper wire has a resistance of 100 Ω when its temperature is 0°C. Determine its resistance
at 70°C if the temperature coefficient of resistance of copper at 20°C is 0.00392/°C.

Solution:
Convert the temperature coefficient from T2 = 20°C to T1 = 0°C

( )

0.00392
(20 0)
0.00425

Calculate the resistance at 70°C

[ ( )] 00 Ω [ (0.00425/°C) (70°C 0°C)]
𝟏𝟐𝟗. 𝟖 𝛀

Example 3.7

The resistance of a coil of aluminum wire at 18°C is 200 Ω. The temperature of the wire is increased
and the resistance rises to 240 Ω. If the temperature coefficient of resistance of aluminum is
0.0039/°C at 20°C, determine the temperature to which the coil has risen.

Solution:
Convert the temperature coefficient from T2 = 20°C to T1 = 0°C and solve for the “inferred-zero”
temperature, T.

0.0039
(20 0)
0.00423

236 .4 °C
0.00423

Solve for the temperature where 240 Ω reached

| |
| |
240 Ω 236.4 °C
200 Ω 236 .4 °C 8°C
𝟔𝟖. 𝟖𝟖°𝐂

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Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

EXERCISE #6

1. Some copper wire has a resistance of 50 Ω at 0°C. A current is passed through the wire and the
temperature rises to 100°C. Determine the resistance of the wire at 100°C, correct to the nearest
ohm.

2. The resistance of a coil of nickel wire at 50°C is 13 Ω. The temperature of the wire is increased
and the resistance rises to 17 Ω. If the temperature coefficient of resistance of nickel is 0.0059/°C
at 20°C, determine the temperature to which the coil has risen.

3. Complete the table

Temperature Coefficients of Resistance for Platinum
T α
0°C
5°C
10°C
20°C 0.00393
30°C
40°C
50°C

3.2.Resistors
 Resistor is an electrical component that resists the flow of direct or alternating current in the
circuit.
 Rated by their resistance ranging from less than 1 Ω up to many million ohms and power rating
which determines the maximum current that a resistor can pass without overheating.

 Types of Resistors
1. Carbon composition resistors
- used in applications with high-energy current pulse
- first types of resistors to be made

Figure 3.2 – Construction and Samples of Carbon composition Resistors

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Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

2. Film Resistors
- Low power use, ranging from 0.25 W to 5 W
- Carbon-film (coat of ceramic cylinder) and metal-film (coat of nickel chromium)
resistors are under this type

Figure 3.3 – Construction and Samples of Carbon-fil m Resistors

3. High power resistors

- Rating of 5 W or more, wire-wound types

Figure 3.4 – Construction and Types of High Power Resistors

4. Variable resistors
- used to adjust the current or a voltage in a circuit and often called as potentiometers
- either wire-wound or made of a carbon or metal compound

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Unit 3 - Resistance and Resistors Electrical Circuits with Lab (DC)

Figure 3.5 – Types of Variable Resistors/Potentiometers

REFERENCES

Bakshi, U., Bakshi, V. (2007). DC Circuits. Elements of Electrical Engineering. Technical

Publications Pune

Gupta J. B. (2016). Current Electricity Basic Concepts. Basic Electrical Engineering (pp. 1 –10). S.K.
Kataria & Sons

Phillips, P. (2016). Resistance and Resistors. Electrical Principles 3rd Ed. (pp. 88 – 107). Cengage
Learning Australia Pty Ltd.

Additional Resources

Bird, J. (2007). Resistance variation. Electrical and Electronic Principles and Technology, 3 rd Edition
(pp. 20 – 27). Elsevier Ltd.

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