EntityQ4593291· pop 54

electrical conductivity

physical quantity and property of material describing how readily a given material allows the flow of electric current

AI overview

Electrical conductivity is a measure of how easily electric current can flow through a material. It matters because it determines which materials are suitable for conducting electricity in practical applications like wiring and electronics, and which materials can be used as insulators to block electrical flow.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Common symbols: ρ
Si unit: ohm metre (Ω⋅m)
Other units: s (Gaussian/ESU)
In si base units: kg⋅m ⋅s ⋅A
Derivations from other quantities: ρ = R A ℓ {\displaystyle \rho =R{\frac {A}{\ell }}}
Dimension: M L 3 T − 3 I − 2 {\displaystyle {\mathsf {M}}{\mathsf {L}}^{3}{\mathsf {T}}^{-3}{\mathsf {I}}^{-2}}

via Wikipedia infobox

Article

Electrical resistivity (also called volume resistivity or specific electrical resistance) is a fundamental specific property of a material that measures its electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current. A low resistivity indicates a material that readily allows electric current. Resistivity is commonly represented by the Greek letter ρ (rho). The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). For example, if a 1 m solid cube of material has sheet contacts on two opposite faces, and the resistance between these contacts is 1 Ω, then the resistivity of the material is 1 Ω⋅m.

Electrical conductivity (or specific conductance) is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a material's ability to conduct electric current. It is commonly signified by the Greek letter σ (sigma), but κ (kappa) (especially in electrical engineering) and γ (gamma) are sometimes used. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m). Resistivity and conductivity are intensive properties of materials, giving the opposition of a standard cube of material to current. Electrical resistance and conductance are corresponding extensive properties that give the opposition of a specific object to electric current.