CHAPTER 3 RESISTANCE VARIATION

EXERCISE 11, Page 24

1. The resistance of a 2 m length of cable is 2.5 . Determine (a) the resistance of a 7 m length of
the same cable and (b) the length of the same wire when the resistance is 6.25 .
(a) If the resistance of a 2 m length of cable is 2.5 , then a 1 m length of cable is 1.25
Thus, the resistance of a 7 m length of cable is 7 1.25 = 8.75

2
(b) If the resistance of a 2 m length of cable is 2.5 , then a 2.5 m length of cable is 1

Thus, a resistance of 6.25 corresponds to a length of

6.25

2
2.5 m = 5 m

2
2. Some wire of cross-sectional area 1 mm has a resistance of 20 . Determine (a) the resistance
2

of a wire of the same length and material if the cross-sectional area is 4 mm , and (b) the crosssectional area of a wire of the same length and material if the resistance is 32 .

(a)

1
20
2
a thus a wire of cross-sectional area 4 mm has a resistance of 4 = 5
2

(b) Since wire of cross-sectional area 1 mm has a resistance of 20 ,

2
then a c.s.a. of 20 mm has a resistance of 1 .

20
2
Hence, a resistance of 32 corresponds to a c.s.a. of 32 = 0.625 mm

3. Some wire of length 5 m and cross-sectional area 2 mm has a resistance of 0.08 . If the wire is
2

drawn out until its cross-sectional area is 1 mm , determine the resistance of the wire.

l
(5)
R
0.08
a i.e.
2 106

0.08 2 106

0.032 106
5
from which, resistivity,

If c.s.a. = 1 mm (i.e. half the original c.s.a.) then the length will double, i.e. l = 2 5 = 10 m

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 l 0.032 10 10
R
a
1106
Hence, resistance,
= 0.32
6

4. Find the resistance of 800 m of copper cable of cross-sectional area 20 mm2. Take the resistivity of
copper as 0.02 m
6
l 0.02 10 m 800 m
R

a
20 106 m 2
Resistance,
= 0.8

2
5. Calculate the cross-sectional area, in mm , of a piece of aluminium wire 100 m long and having

6
a resistance of 2 . Take the resistivity of aluminium as 0.03 10 m

6
l 0.03 10 m 100 m
l

1.5 10 6 m 2
R
2
2
a then c.s.a., a = R
Since
= 1.5 mm

6. The resistance of 500 m of wire of cross-sectional area 2.6 mm2 is 5 . Determine the resistivity of the
wire in m

Since resistance,

l
a then

6
2
R a 5 2.6 10 m

26 10 9 m 0.026 106 m
500 m
resistivity, = l
= 0.026 m

7. Find the resistance of 1 km of copper cable having a diameter of 10 mm if the resistivity of

6
copper is 0.017 10 m .

Resistance,

6
3
l l 0.017 10 m 110 m
R

2
a r2
5 106 m 2

= 0.216

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EXERCISE 12, Page 26

1. A coil of aluminium wire has a resistance of 50 when its temperature is 0oC. Determine its
resistance at 100oC if the temperature coefficient of resistance of aluminium at 0oC is 0.0038/oC

Resistance R = R0(1 + 0 )
Hence, resistance at 100oC, R100 = 50[1 + (0.0038)(100)]
= 50[1 + 0.38] = 50(1.38) = 69

2. A copper cable has a resistance of 30 at a temperature of 50C. Determine its resistance at

0C. Take the temperature coefficient of resistance of copper at 0C as 0.0043/C.
R 50 R 0 1 0 (50)

from which,

resistance at 0C,

R0

R 50
30
30

1 50 0 1 50(0.0043) 1.215 = 24.69

3. The temperature coefficient of resistance for carbon at 0C is -0.00048/C. What is the

significance of the minus sign? A carbon resistor has a resistance of 500 at 0C. Determine its
resistance at 50C.

For carbon, resistance falls with increase of temperature, hence the minus sign.
R 50 R 0 1 0 (50) 500 1 50(0.00048) 500 1 0.024

= 488

4. A coil of copper wire has a resistance of 20 at 18oC. If the temperature coefficient of resistance of
copper at 18oC is 0.004/oC, determine the resistance of the coil when the temperature rises to 98oC
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Resistance at oC,

R = R18 [1 + 20( - 18)]

Hence, resistance at 98oC, R98 = 20 [1 + (0.004)(98 - 18)]

= 20 [1 + (0.004)(80)]
= 20 [1 + 0.32] = 20(1.32) = 26.4
5. The resistance of a coil of nickel wire at 20C is 100 . The temperature of the wire is increased
and the resistance rises to 130 . If the temperature coefficient of resistance of nickel is
0.006/C at 20C, determine the temperature to which the coil has risen.
R R 20 1 20 ( 20)
i.e.

130 100 1 0.006 20 100 0.6 20

i.e. 130 100 = 0.6 ( - 20)

and

130 100 30

50
0.6
0.6
( - 20) =

Hence, temperature to which the coil has risen, = 50 + 20 = 70C

6. Some aluminium wire has a resistance of 50 at 20oC. The wire is heated to a temperature of 100oC.
Determine the resistance of the wire at 100oC, assuming that the temperature coefficient of
resistance at 0oC is 0.004/oC
R 20
[1 0 (20)]

R20 = 200 , 0 = 0.004/oC and R 100 [1 0 (100)]

R 20 [1 100 0 ] 50[1 100(0.004)] 50[1 0.4] 50(1.4)
Hence, R100 = [1 20 0 ] = [1 20(0.004)] = [1 0.08] = (1.08) = 64.8

i.e. the resistance of the wire at 100oC is 64.8 , correct to 3 significant figures.

7. A copper cable is 1.2 km long and has a cross-sectional area of 5 mm . Find its resistance at
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6
80C if at 20C the resistivity of copper is 0.02 10 m and its temperature coefficient of

resistance is 0.004/C.
6
3
l 0.02 10 m 1.2 10 m
R 20
a
5 106 m 2
Resistance at 20C,
= 4.8

Resistance at 80C,

R 80 R 20 1 20 (80 20) 4.8 1 0.004 60 4.8 1.24

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= 5.95

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EXERCISE 13, Page 28

1. Determine the value and tolerance of a resistor having a colour coding of: blue-grey-orange-red

blue-grey-orange-red corresponds to: 68 10 2% from Table 3.1, page 26 of textbook

68 k 2%

i.e.

2. Determine the value and tolerance of a resistor having a colour coding of: yellow-violet-gold
1

yellow-violet-gold corresponds to: 47 10 20% from Table 3.1, page 26 of textbook

4.7 20%

i.e.

3. Determine the value and tolerance of a resistor having a colour coding of:
blue-white-black-black-gold
blue-white-black-black-gold corresponds to: 690 1 5% from Table 3.1, page 26 of textbook
690 5%

i.e.

4. Determine the colour coding for a 51 k four-band resistor having a tolerance of 2%

51 k 2% = 51 10 2% which corresponds to a colour coding (from Table 3.1, page 26 of

textbook) of:

green-brown-orange-red

5. Determine the colour coding for a 1 M four-band resistor having a tolerance of 10%
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1 M 10% =10 2% = 10 10 10% which corresponds to a colour coding (from Table 3.1,
page 26 of textbook) of:

brown-black-green-silver

6. Determine the range of values expected for a resistor with colour coding:

red-black-green-silver

5
red-black-green-silver corresponds to: 20 10 10% from Table 3.1, page 26 of textbook
i.e.
2 M 10%

10
2
10% of 2 M = 100
= 0.2 M
Thus, the range of values is from 2 0.2 to 2 + 0.2
i.e.

1.8 M to 2.2 M

7. Determine the range of values expected for a resistor with colour coding:
yellow-black-orange-brown

yellow-black-orange-brown corresponds to: 40 10 1% from Table 3.1, page 26 of textbook

40 k 1%

i.e.

1
40000
1% of 40 k = 100
= 400
Thus, the range of values is from 40000 400 to 40000 + 400
i.e.

39600 to 40400

or

39.6 k to 40.4 k

8. Determine the value of a resistor marked as (a) R22G (b) 4K7F

(a) R22G = 0.22 2% from Table 3.2, page 27 of textbook
(b) 4K7F = 4.7 k 1% from Table 3.2, page 27 of textbook
9. Determine the letter and digit code for a resistor having a value of 100 k 20%
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100 k 20% corresponds in letter and digit form to: 100KJ from page 27 of textbook

10. Determine the letter and digit code for a resistor having a value of 6.8 M 20%

6.8 M 20% corresponds in letter and digit form to: 6M8M from page 27 of textbook

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