Difference between Resistance and resistivity

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SpartanG345
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What is the difference between these 2 quantities?

from my textbook defines resistivity as a specific property of a material
and is = E/J

where the resistance is the resistivity over a unit length and area. So I suppose the resistance is a measures of resistivity over a volume

Resistance = pL/A

thats what i think but i am not sure if i am right

PS i am sorry if this is a noob question, but my answer differed by one provided on yahoo answers, but then again yahoo answers is only yahoo answers( i got worried)
 
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Resistance is a property of a device and resistivity is a property of a material. For a mechanical analogue you might think of the difference in strength between a piece of aluminum foil and an aluminum baseball bat. They are both made out of aluminum, so they both have the same Young's modulus, but they are shaped differently so they have different stiffness.
 
SpartanG345 said:
What is the difference between these 2 quantities?

from my textbook defines resistivity as a specific property of a material
and is = E/J

where the resistance is the resistivity over a unit length and area. So I suppose the resistance is a measures of resistivity over a volume

Resistance = pL/A

thats what i think but i am not sure if i am right

PS i am sorry if this is a noob question, but my answer differed by one provided on yahoo answers, but then again yahoo answers is only yahoo answers( i got worried)

Suppose you set me this question:What is the resistance of aluminium?I would answer that It's a silly question because it depends on the cross sectional area and the length of the aluminium.If you now asked me what is the resistivity of aluminium I would refer to a data book and come back with an answer.Knowing the resistivity and the dimensions of the aluminium it is easy to work out the resistance.Resistivity,therefore, is a much more useful concept because it is a property of the material and independent of its dimensions.