What happens to the resistance of a wire if its diameter is halved while keeping

Practice Questions

Q1
What happens to the resistance of a wire if its diameter is halved while keeping the length constant?
  1. It doubles
  2. It halves
  3. It quadruples
  4. It remains the same

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

What happens to the resistance of a wire if its diameter is halved while keeping the length constant?
  • Step 1: Understand that resistance (R) of a wire depends on its dimensions.
  • Step 2: Know that resistance is inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area (A) of the wire.
  • Step 3: Remember the formula for the area of a circle: A = π * (d/2)², where d is the diameter.
  • Step 4: If the diameter is halved, the new diameter is d/2.
  • Step 5: Calculate the new area with the halved diameter: A_new = π * ((d/2)/2)² = π * (d/4)² = π * (d²/16).
  • Step 6: Compare the new area to the original area: A_original = π * (d/2)² = π * (d²/4).
  • Step 7: Notice that A_new is 1/4 of A_original (since d²/16 is 1/4 of d²/4).
  • Step 8: Since resistance is inversely proportional to area, if the area is reduced to 1/4, the resistance increases by a factor of 4.
  • Step 9: Conclude that halving the diameter of the wire while keeping the length constant quadruples the resistance.
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