PHYSICAClass 12 Physics simulations · Current Electricity
Resistance and temperature
Heat a resistor and watch its resistance change. Metals rise; carbon falls.
What to notice
Metals have positive α because lattice vibrations scatter electrons more at higher temperature.
Key relation
R = R₀[1 + α(T − T₀)]
Try this
Compare nichrome with copper: which makes a better standard resistor?
What you can change
- Material: choose Copper (α = 3.9 × 10⁻³ /K), Tungsten (α = 4.5 × 10⁻³ /K), Nichrome (α = 0.4 × 10⁻³ /K), Carbon (α = −0.5 × 10⁻³ /K)
- Resistance at 20 °C: 1 to 100 Ω
- Temperature: -50 to 600 °C
More in Current Electricity
- Cells in series and parallel
- Ohm’s law circuit
- Electron drift in a wire
- A real cell under load
- Kirchhoff’s laws: two-loop circuit
- Potentiometer: comparing EMFs
- Series and parallel resistors
- Wheatstone bridge
See all Class 12 Physics simulations or every Physica simulation.