Question

What are the factors on which the resistance of a conductor depends? Distinguish between conductors and insulators.

Answer 1

Factors on which the resistance of a conductor depends are:
(i) Nature of conductor: different materials have different concentration of free electrons and therefore resistance of a conductor depends on its material.
(ii) Length of conductor: Resistance of a conductor is directly proportional to the length of a conductor.
(iii) Area of cross-section of a conductor: Resistance of a conductor is inversely proportional to the area of cross-section of the uniform wire.
(iv) Temperature of conductor: In general for metallic conductors, higher the temperature larger is the resistance.
Materials which allow electric charges to flow through them easily are known as conductors. E.g. metals and materials which do not allow the electric charge to flow through them are known as insulators. E.g. rubber, dry wood etc.