Verified Solution Science Electricity: Magnetic and Heating Effects

Two wires, A and B, are made of the same material and have the same length. Wire A is thinner than wire B. If the same current is passed through both wires for the same duration, which wire will produce more heat and why?

6 views 1 helpful Updated Jun 30, 2026
Solution ✔ Verified
  • AWire A, because it has higher resistance.
  • BWire B, because it has lower resistance.
  • CBoth will produce equal heat.
  • DNeither will produce heat.
Explanation

Wire A is thinner, meaning it has a smaller cross-sectional area. For a given material and length, resistance is inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area. Therefore, wire A will have higher resistance. According to Joule's law of heating (H = I²RT), with the same current (I) and time (T), the wire with higher resistance (R) will produce more heat (H).

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