Table of Resistivity of Common Electric Conductor Materials

Conductor Material Resistivity, ρ (10-8 Ω-m at 20o Celsius)

Silver 1.64

Copper (annealed) 1.72

Gold 2.44

Aluminum 2.83

Tungsten 5.5

Nickel 7.8

Platinum 10.65

Iron (pure) 12

Constantan 49

Nichrome 105

Graphite 3500

Problem 1
● What is the resistance at 20oC of 200 m of an aluminum electric conductor
whose cross-sectional area is 4 mm2?

Solution:
Using the value of resistivity for aluminum from the table
ρ = 2.83 x 10^-8 Ω-m
R = ρ L/A
= (2.83 x 10^-8 Ω-m) (200 m/4 mm^2 ) (1000^2 mm^2 /1 m^2 )
R = 1.415 Ω

Note: 1 m2 = 10002 mm2

Problem 2
● What is the resistance at normal room temperature (20oC) of 197 ft of copper
wire having diameter of 0.64 mm?

Solution:
Using the value of resistivity for copper from the table
ρ = 1.72 x 10^-8 Ω-m
Area of a circle, A = π d^2 /4 = (π/4) (0.64^2 mm^2 ) (1 m^2 /1000^2 mm^2 ) = 3.217 x
10^-7 m^2
R = ρ L/A
= (1.72 x 10^-8 Ω-m) (197 ft/3.217 x 10^-7 m^2 ) (1 m/3.2808 ft)
R = 3.21 Ω

Note: 1 m = 3.2808 ft

Problem 3
● A conductor with a cross sectional area of A 1 = 0.025 cm^2 and a length of L1 =
50 m has a resistance of R1 = 0.344 Ω. What length L2 of wire of the same
material with a cross sectional area of A 2 = 0.005 cm^2 will have a resistance of
R2 = 5 Ω?

Solution:
For the first conductor, ρ1 = R1 (A1/L1)
For the second conductor, ρ2 = R2 (A2/L2)
ρ1 = ρ2 why? (the obvious reason is in the statement of the problem)
R1 (A1/L1) = R2 (A2/L2)
0.344 Ω (0.025 cm^2 /50 m) = 5 Ω (0.005 cm^2 /L2)
L2 = 5 Ω (0.005 cm^2 /0.025 cm^2 ) (50 m/0.344 Ω)
= 145.35 m

Note: No unit conversions are needed, because they just canceled out.