Electrical resistivity and conductivity

Article By:

Frenzel, Louis Retired, Department of Engineering Technology, Austin Community College, Austin, Texas.

Berry, Carlotta Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana.

Last reviewed:January 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.219407

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• Electrical resistivity, published January 2020:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Electrical conductivity of metals, published January 2020:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

The measures of a material's opposition to the flow of electricity and a material's ability to conduct electricity, respectively. Resistivity quantifies resistance, which is a material's opposition to the flow of electrons (an electric current or electricity), while conductivity quantifies conductance, which is a material's ability to. allow the flow of electrons. The unit of resistance is the ohm (Ω) and the unit of conductance is the siemen (S). Resistivity and conductivity are important in the everyday functioning of electronics (Fig. 1), electrical power systems, and in all aspects of electrical engineering. See also: Conductance; Electric current; Electrical engineering; Electrical resistance; Electricity; Electron; Resistor

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