Difference Between Resistance and Resistivity

Understanding the difference between resistance and resistivity is certainly an important part of learning physics. Furthermore, an important difference between resistance and resistivity has to do with the flow of free electrons. Also, resistance is an aspect that opposes the flowing of free electrons. In contrast, resistivity is any material’s property that tells the resistance of the material with a particular dimension. Understanding the difference between resistance and resistivity will certainly help you in dealing with more complex topics of electricity.

Definition of Resistance

Resistance refers to a measure of opposition to the flow of current in an electrical circuit. Furthermore, the measurement of resistance takes place in ohms. Moreover, the symbolization of resistance takes place by the Greek letter omega (Ω). Also, the naming of resistance was after a German physicist Georg Simon Ohm (1784-1854).

Definition of Resistivity

One can certainly define resistivity as a measure of the resistance of a specific material of specific size to electrical conduction. One can also say that resistivity refers to as the volume resistivity or specific electrical resistance, even though such terms are not in popular usage.

Difference between Resistance and Resistivity

An important difference between resistance and resistivity is below

Parameter	Resistance	Resistivity
Definition	Material’s property that provides an obstruction to the flow of current	Resistance of a material having specific dimensions
Symbol	R	P
SI Unit	Ohms	Ohms-meter
Formula	R = V/I or, R = ρ(L/A) V = Voltage, I = Current, ρ = Resistivity	ρ = (R×A)/L     R = Resistance, L= Length, A = Cross-sectional area
Dependence	Temperature, Length, Cross sectional area of conductor	Temperature
Applications	Resistance’s property is useful in sensors, fuses, heaters etc	Resistivity is effective as a quality control test

More Details about Resistance

An electron will encounter resistance if it travels through loads of external circuits and wires. Moreover, resistance refers to the hindrance to the charge’s flow. For an electron, the journey is not direct. This journey takes place from one terminal to another. The journey rather takes place along a zigzag path.

The zigzag path journey takes place due to the countless collisions of the electron with fixed atoms that are within the conducting material. Consequently, the electrons encounter a hindrance to their movement, in other words, a resistance. Furthermore, resistance discourages the movement of charge.

The rate at which the flowing of charge takes place from one terminal to another is due to the combination of two quantities. Most noteworthy, these two quantities are resistance and the electric potential difference whose establishment takes place between the two terminals. Also, the resistance to the charge’s flow in an electric circuit happens to be analogous to the frictional effects happening between water pipe and water.

More Details about Resistivity

The indication of the conducting ability of a material is by its resistivity. The resistivity of a material depends upon the temperature of the material as well as its electronic structure. For most materials, the resistivity tends to increase with the rise in temperature.

There certainly is a broad range of values of resistivity for various materials. Furthermore, there are materials with lower resistivities and materials with higher resistivities. Moreover, the ones with lower resistivities also have a low resistance to the charge’s flow.  Consequently, such materials with low resistivities tend to be better conductors.

Materials with high resistivities certainly tend to be poor conductors. Also,  some materials with really high resistivities are not considered to be conductors at all. Furthermore, electrical conductivity is the reciprocal property of resistivity.

FAQs About Resistance and Resistivity

Question 1: What is meant by Resistance?

Answer 1: Resistance certainly refers to a measure of opposition to the flow of current that takes place in an electrical circuit. Furthermore, the reason why resistance happens is because the journey not direct from one terminal to another. Rather, the journey of an electron takes place along a zigzag path. Consequently, the electrons have to deal with a hindrance in their movement.

Question 2: Explain the concept of resistivity?

Answer 2: Resistivity is a simple measure of the resistance of a particular object with specific dimensions to the conduction of electricity. Furthermore, objects with lower resistivities will also have a low resistance to the electric flow.  In contrast, high resistivity objects are poor conductors.