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Which of the following wires would have the greatest resistance?

A) an aluminum wire 10 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter B) an aluminum wire 5 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter C) an aluminum wire 10 cm in length and 5 cm in diameter D) an aluminum wire 5 cm in length and 5 cm in diameter

1 Answer

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Answer:

A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The resistance of a wire is given by the formula:

R = ρL/A

where R is the resistance, ρ is the resistivity of the material, L is the length of the wire, and A is the cross-sectional area of the wire.

Since the wires are all aluminum, ρ cancels out:

R ~ L/A

Cross-sectional area is π*radius^2, but since we're given diameter,

A = π*(diameter/2)^2 = (π/4)*diameter^2

π/4 is a constant, so it's same across all four wires, leaving:

R ~ L/d^2

Looking at our choices:

A) an aluminum wire 10 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter

R ~ 10/(3^2) --> R ~ 10/9≈1.1

B) an aluminum wire 5 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter

R ~ 5/(3^2) --> R ~ 5/9≈0.56

C) an aluminum wire 10 cm in length and 5 cm in diameter

R ~ 10/(5^2) --> R ~ 10/25≈0.40

D) an aluminum wire 5 cm in length and 5 cm in diameter

R ~ 5/(5^2) --> R ~ 5/25≈0.20

Greatest resistance is found in the wire described by choice A.

User Christoph Kempen
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