How to Calculate the Diameter of a Copper Wire Given Its Resistance and Mass?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the diameter of a copper wire based on its resistance and mass. The original poster provides specific values for resistance and mass, along with relevant equations and their attempts at solving the problem.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the calculation of volume and length of the wire, with some questioning the method used to derive the length. There are also inquiries about the accuracy of significant figures and the reasoning behind the perceived errors in the diameter calculation.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing feedback on calculations and expressing uncertainty about the correctness of the diameter. Some guidance has been offered regarding significant figures, but no consensus has been reached on the correct approach to finding the diameter.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the constraints of a homework assignment, which may impose specific requirements for precision and method. There is a noted concern about the correctness of the diameter calculation based on feedback from a homework submission system.

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Homework Statement


Suppose that you wish to fabricate a uniform wire out of 1.00 g of copper. Assume the wire has a resistance R = 0.600 , and all of the copper is used.

What will be the diameter of the wire?




Homework Equations


A = V/l
R = sqrt(A/pi)



The Attempt at a Solution


For the volume I have gotten 1.12e-7 ( (1*10e-3)/8.92e3)=8.92e3 is the density of copper and it's 1 g of copper. and for the length, I have gotten 1.988.

For the diameter..
I divided the volume/length to get the area = 1.12e-7/1.988 = 5.63e-8
Then I used the formula r = sqrt(A/pi) = sqrt(5.63e-8/pi) = 1.34e-4
so diameter = 2 *r = 1.34e-4*2 = 2.68e-4, but I keep getting it wrong! Can someone explain what I'm doing wrong??
 
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J89 said:
and for the length, I have gotten 1.988.
How did you get that?
 
The resistivity of copper is 1.7e-8. The resistance is .600 ohms. The volume of copper is 1.12e-7 (1 kg copper/density of copper) = 1e-3/8.92e3 = 1.12e-7. So..

I/A = R/P =

.600/(1.7e-8) = 3.53e7 m..then multiply it by the volume of copper = 3.53e7 * (1.12e-7) = 3.9525 and then take the sqrt of that to get the length = 1.988, which is correct according to the problem I'm doing.
 
Last edited:
That looks good, as does the rest of it. Could it be that you need more sig figs? How do you know you answer is wrong?
 
The length is right. I know my diameter is wrong because everytime I put it in the homework box, it keeps marking it wrong, and I think this is the correct way to do it..I did a similar problem to this one, and that was marked right..don't know, what I am doing wrong for the diameter..can someone help me?
 

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