Verified Solution Science Electricity: Magnetic and Heating Effects

A student connects a thin copper wire and a nichrome wire, both of the same length and thickness, in series to a battery. After some time, which wire will get hotter and why?

2 views 0 helpful Updated Jun 30, 2026
Solution ✔ Verified
Answer The nichrome wire will get hotter. This is because nichrome has a much higher electrical resistance compared to copper. When the same current flows through both wires in series, more heat is generated in the wire with higher resistance (according to Joule's law of heating, H = I²Rt).
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