Question

Will current flow more easily through a thick wire or a thin wire of the same material when connected to the same source? Why?

Answer 1

1. The amount of current flowing through a wire is inversely proportional to the resistance of the wire.
2. Furthermore, the resistance$\left(R\right)$ of a wire is given by
3. $R=\rho \frac{l}{A}$
4. where $\rho$ is the resistivity of the material of wire, $l$ is the length of the wire and $A$ is the cross-sectional area of the wire.
5. Resistivity is a characteristic property of a material. Hence, it remains the same for both thick wire and thin wire made up of the same material.
6. Resistance is inversely proportional to the area of cross-section.
7. A thick wire will have a larger area of cross-section so it will offer less resistance to the current.
8. Hence, current will flow more easily in a thick wire with lesser resistance as compared to thin wire with more resistance.

Final answer

Thicker wire will have a larger area of cross-section and hence lesser resistance. Therefore, current flows more easily through it.