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### College Physics (Urone)

Book edition 1st Edition
Author(s) Paul Peter Urone
Pages 1272 pages
ISBN 9781938168000

# Does the resistance of an object depend on the path current takes through it? Consider, for example, a rectangular bar—is its resistance the same along its length as across its width?

Yes, an object's resistance can be affected by the current path it travels. If the

increase in L is greater than the increase in A, the resistance will rise, and vice

versa.

See the step by step solution

## Step 1: Definition of resistance

In an electrical circuit, resistance is a measure of the resistance to current

flow. The Greek letter omega (Ω) is used to represent resistance in ohms.

## Step 2: Explaining if the resistance of an object depends on the path of the current

Yes, an object's resistance varies along its length and width. An item with a length L

and a cross-sectional area A has a resistance R of:

$\mathrm{R}=\frac{\mathrm{\rho L}}{\mathrm{A}}$

In the rectangular bar example, the resistance will increase if the increase in L is

greater than the increase in A, and vice versa.