alleryStart learning →For a uniform cylindrical conductor, how does resistance depend on cross-sectional area?
AIt is inversely proportional to the area
BIt is directly proportional to the area
CIt is proportional to the area squared
DIt does not depend on the area at all
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. It is inversely proportional to the area
1. A wider conductor gives the charges more room, much as a wider pipe carries more fluid.
2. Resistance therefore falls as cross-sectional area rises, so R is inversely proportional to A.
3. Length works the other way: a longer cylinder means more collisions, so R rises with L.
4. Putting the two together gives R = rho L / A, in which A sits in the denominator.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 20 "Electric Current, Resistance, and Ohm's Law", section Material and Shape Dependence of Resistance_
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