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Resistance of a Lightbulb
Resistivity does not depend on the size or shape of the material, but it does depend on
temperature. Two factors primarily determine the resistivity of a metal: the number of
conduction electrons per unit volume and the rate of collisions between an electron and
an ion. The second of these factors is sensitive to changes in temperature. At a higher
temperature, the internal energy is greater; the ions vibrate with larger amplitudes. As a
result, the electrons collide more frequently with the ions. With less time to accelerate
between collisions, they acquire a smaller drift speed; thus, the current is smaller for a
given electric field. Therefore, as the temperature of a metal is raised, its resistivity
increases. The metal filament in a glowing incandescent lightbulb reaches a temperature
of about 3000 K; its resistance is significantly higher than at room temperature.
For many materials, the relation between resistivity and temperature is linear over
a fairly wide range of temperatures (about 500C):
r = r 0 (1 + a T )
(18-9)
Temperature dependence of
resistivity
Application: resistance
thermometer
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