How Does Temperature Affect the Resistance of a Wire?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 10, 2023

The resistance of a typical conducting wire is low when temperature is low and high when temperature is high. The increase in resistance alongside temperature is due to an increase in energy of the wire atoms, which cause them to vibrate more and impede the path of the electrons flowing through.

A good example of resistance changing with respect to temperature is a standard light bulb. At first, while it is completely cool, very little light is produced. As the filament heats up, the resistance increases, which in turn produces more heat and more light. If temperatures are low enough, certain materials can approach zero resistance, called superconductors.