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scotty0409
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What is the effect of increasing the width of a wire on it's resistance, and why?
Thanks
Neil
Thanks
Neil
scotty0409 said:Does it decrease because there are more electrons to move freely?
berkeman said:So now that you've figured it out with help from ranger, here is the general equation that you should memorize (yes, there are a handful of equations that you should memorize):
[tex]R = \frac{\rho L}{A}[/tex]
So an increase in the "width" of a conductor increases the area of the conductor, which does what?
Increasing the width of a wire will decrease its resistance. Resistance is inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area of a wire, so as the wire gets wider, the resistance decreases.
Increasing wire width allows for more electrons to flow through the wire, resulting in a higher current. This is because a wider wire has a larger cross-sectional area, providing more space for electrons to move through.
There is a limit to how much increasing wire width can decrease resistance. This is because the resistance of a wire is also dependent on the material it is made of and its length. While increasing the width can decrease the resistance, other factors may limit how much the resistance can be reduced.
Increasing wire width can also affect the temperature of the wire. A wider wire has a lower resistance, which means less energy is lost as heat. This can help prevent the wire from heating up too much and potentially melting or causing a fire.
Understanding the effect of increasing wire width on resistance is important in many practical applications. For example, it can help in designing circuits with specific levels of resistance or in choosing the appropriate size of wire for different electrical systems to prevent overheating. It is also important in industries such as telecommunications, where wires with different widths are used to control the flow of electricity and prevent signal interference.