EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE IN

CONDUCTOR’S RESISTANCE
RECAP
• Resistance is the hindrance
to the flow of charge
• Flow of charge through wires
and flow of water through
pipes are analogous

RECAP
•R = ρl/a
•Factors which affect
resistance are length,
cross sectional area and
type of material
RECAP
RECAP
TEMPERATURE

RECAP
• Value of a resistor also changes with
changing temperature
• Due to a change in the dimensions of the
component as it expands or contracts
• Due mainly to a change in the resistivity of
the material caused by the changing
activity of the atoms that make up the
resistor

RECAP
 MATERIALS RESISTIVITY (Ωm) RESISTIVITY CMΩ/ft
SILVER 1.59x10-8 9.5643
COPPER 1.68x10-8 10.1057
ALUMINUM 2.65x10-8 15.9406
TUNGSTEN 5.6x10-8 33.6857
IRON 9.71x10-8 58.4086
PLATINUM 10.6x10-8 63.7622
MANGANIN 48.2x10-8 289.9377
LEAD 22x10-8 132.3367
MERCURY 98x10-8 589.4999
CONSTANTAN 49x10-8 294.7499
Note:
1 meter = 3.28 feet
1 square meter = 1.973x109 circular mils

RESISTIVITY FOR VARIOUS

TYPE OF CONDUCTORS
• Resistivity of materials mainly metals is
highly dependable upon their temperature
• In general, as the temperature of a
material increases, most conductors
increase in resistance, insulators
decrease in resistance, while the
resistances of some special alloys remain
almost constant.
VALUES OF TEMPERATURE FOR
DIFFERENT CONDUCTORS AT
INFERRED ZERO
VALUES OF TEMPERATURE FOR
DIFFERENT CONDUCTORS AT
INFERRED ZERO
VALUES OF TEMPERATURE FOR
DIFFERENT CONDUCTORS AT
INFERRED ZERO
We can say that…
•(Rf - Ri) ∝ Ri
•(Rf - Ri) ∝ (Tf - Ti)
VALUES OF TEMPERATURE FOR
DIFFERENT CONDUCTORS AT
INFERRED ZERO
Equation for Resistance variation with Temperature

𝑅𝐹 𝑇𝑜+ 𝑇𝑖
=
𝑅𝑖 𝑇𝑜+ 𝑇𝑓

VALUES OF TEMPERATURE FOR

DIFFERENT CONDUCTORS AT
INFERRED ZERO
 MATERIALS INFERRED ZERO RESISTANCE TEMP IN C
ALUMINUM -236
BRASS -480
CARBON --------------------------
CONSTANTAN -125 000
COPPER -234.5
GOLD -274
IRON -180
LEAD -236
MANGANIN -236
MERCURY -1100
NICKEL -147
SILVER -310
TUNGSTEN -200
ZINC -230

VALUES OF TEMPERATURE FOR DIFFERENT

CONDUCTORS AT INFERRED ZERO
Sample Problem 1
If the resistance of copper
wire is 50 Ω at 20 ◦C, what
is its resistance at 100 ◦C
(boiling point of water)?
VALUES OF TEMPERATURE FOR
DIFFERENT CONDUCTORS AT
INFERRED ZERO
 79.74 Ω

VALUES OF TEMPERATURE FOR

DIFFERENT CONDUCTORS AT
INFERRED ZERO
Temperature Coefficient of Resistance is….
• measure of change in
electrical resistance of
any substance per
degree of temperature
change.
TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
Temperature Coefficient of Resistance is….

• the reciprocal of the

inferred zero
resistance temperature
• α (Greek alpha)
TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
MATERIALS TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT AT 0 C

COPPER 0.0043/C

NICKEL 0.0062/C

CONSTANTAN 0

ALUMINUM 0.0038/C

CARBON -0.00048/C

EUREKA 0.00001/C

TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
Equation that includes temperature
coefficient…

(RT – R0) = αo R0 T
RT = R0 (1+αo T)
TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
Sample Problem 2
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 0◦C is
0.0043/◦C.
TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
130.1 Ω

TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
Sample Problem 3
An aluminum cable has a resistance
of 27 Ω at a temperature of 35◦C.
Determine its resistance at 0◦C.
Take the temperature coefficient of
resistance at 0◦C to be 0.0038/◦C.

TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
23.83 Ω

TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
Sample Problem 4
A coil of copper wire has a resistance
of 10 Ω at 20◦C. If the temperature
coefficient of resistance of copper at
20◦C is 0.004/◦C, determine the
resistance of the coil when the
temperature rises to 100◦C.
TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
13.2 Ω

TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
1.Bird, J. (2017). Electrical circuit theory and
technology. Abingdon, Oxon: Routhledge
2.Electrical 4U. (2018). Resistance Variation with
Temperature. Electrical 4 U.

REFERENCES