The electrical resistivity of copper is given as

PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Measurements and their errors · Measurements and their errors

Problem

The electrical resistivity of copper is given as 1.72×10−8 Ω m1.72 \times 10^{-8}\,\Omega\,\text{m}. A sample copper wire has a circular cross-sectional area of 2.50 mm22.50\,\text{mm}^2. Solve the parts below. (i) Express the resistivity in Ω m\Omega\,\text{m} using a single SI prefix so that the numerical coefficient is between 1 and 1000. (ii) Convert the resistivity into Ω cm\Omega\,\text{cm} and write the answer in scientific notation. (iii) Convert the cross-sectional area of the wire to square metres and express the result in scientific notation.

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