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What happens to a material's resistance at very low temperatures versus very high temperatures?
AIt stays exactly constant at both very low and very high temperatures
BIt always increases at very low temperatures and drops to zero at very high temperatures
CIt may drop to zero at very low temperatures and increase at very high temperatures
DIt rises steadily with temperature over the entire range with no exceptions
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. It may drop to zero at very low temperatures and increase at very high temperatures
1. Ohm's law is said to hold for most materials only at common temperatures, not all temperatures.
2. At very low temperatures, resistance may drop all the way to zero, called superconductivity.
3. At very high temperatures, increased thermal motion of atoms inhibits electron flow, which increases resistance instead.
4. So the two extremes produce opposite effects on resistance, not the same effect in both directions.
5. This rules out the option claiming resistance stays exactly constant at both extremes.
6. It also rules out the option that reverses the two effects, since low temperature is linked to zero resistance, not high resistance.
7. It rules out a simple steady rise with temperature and no exceptions, since the low-temperature case is an explicit exception.
8. Only the option pairing low temperature with a possible drop to zero and high temperature with increased resistance matches both stated facts.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 19 "Electrical Circuits", section Resistance and Ohm's Law_
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