Question

How much is the resistivity of Nichrome?

Answer 1

Hint: As we all know, Nichrome consists of nickel and chromium. And the resistivity of any of the materials depends on the length and cross-sectional area of the given material. Resistivity is directly proportional to the length of the material and inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area of the material.

Complete answer:
The resistivity of a material is a measure of how strongly it resists the flow of electric current. The resistivities of good electrical conductors are very low, while the resistivities of good insulators are very high. The Greek symbol for resistance is rho $ (\rho ) $ , and it can be calculated by rearranging this formula:
 $ \therefore R = \rho \dfrac{l}{A} $
where, $ R $ is the resistivity,
 $ \rho $ is the resistivity of the material,
 $ l $ is the length of the material and,
 $ A $ is the cross-sectional area of the material.
Nichrome, a non-magnetic alloy that is commonly made up of $ 80\% $ nickel and $ 20\% $ chromium, has a resistivity ranging from $ 1.10 \times {10^{ - 6}}\Omega m{\text{ }}to{\text{ }}1.50 \times {10^{ - 6}}\Omega m $ ( $ 0.00000110\Omega m{\text{ }}to{\text{ }}0.00000150\Omega m $ ) and a very high melting point ~$ \left( {1400{\text{ }}^\circ C} \right) $ . Because of its low resistivity and high melting point, nichrome is an excellent material for high-temperature wires.
Nichrome is often twisted into coils and used in hair dryers, toasters, and ovens as heating elements (devices that turn heat into electricity by Joule heating). Due to the expensive cost of chromium, nichrome wires $ \left( {resistivity = 1.7 \times {{10}^{ - 8}}\Omega m} \right) $ are not as often used as copper wires.

Note:
Because of its high electrical resistance, nichrome is mostly employed in wires. It has a variety of industrial applications, such as igniters and foam cutters. Copper wires, for example, are also available. It is a nickel, chromium, and iron alloy that is neither a metal or a nonmetal.