Thermistors, resistors whose resistance is a sensitive function of temperature, are widely used in industry and consumer devices to measure temperature. The resistance of a thermistor at temperature T can be modeled as R=R₀exp[β(1/T−1/T₀)], where T₀ is a reference temperature, the temperatures are in K, and β is a constant with units of K. Suppose you connect a thermistor to a 10.0 V battery and measure the current through it at different temperatures. At 25.0°C, which you select as your reference temperature, the current is 10.0 mA. Raising the temperature to 30.0°C causes the current to increase to 12.5 mA. What is the value of β?

The resistivity of a metal increases slightly with increased temperature. This can be expressed as ρ=ρ₀[1+α(T−T₀)] , where T₀ is a reference temperature, usually 20°C, and α is the temperature coefficient of resistivity. For copper, α=3.9×10⁻³ °C⁻¹. Suppose a 2.5-m-long, 0.40-mm-diameter copper wire is connected across the terminals of a 1.5 V ideal battery. What is the current in the wire at 20°C?

A hollow metal cylinder has inner radius a, outer radius b, length L, and conductivity σ. The current I is radially outward from the inner surface to the outer surface. Evaluate the electric field strength at the inner and outer surfaces of an iron cylinder if a=1.0 cm, b=2.5 cm, L=10 cm, and I=25 A.

You've decided to protect your house by placing a 5.0-m-tall iron lightning rod next to the house. The top is sharpened to a point and the bottom is in good contact with the ground. From your research, you've learned that lightning bolts can carry up to 50 kA of current and last up to 50 μs. You don't want the potential difference between the top and bottom of the lightning rod to exceed 100 V. What minimum diameter must the rod have?

An engineer cuts a 1.0-m-long, 0.33-mm-diameter piece of wire, connects it across a 1.5 V battery, and finds that the current in the wire is 8.0 A. Of what material is the wire made?

Variations in the resistivity of blood can give valuable clues about changes in various properties of the blood. Suppose a medical device inserts microelectrodes into a 1.5-mm-diameter vein at positions 5.0 cm apart. What is the blood resistivity if a 9.0 V potential difference causes a 230 μA current through the blood in the vein?

Electrical engineers sometimes use a wire's conductance, G=σA/L, instead of its resistance. What is the conductance of a 5.4-cm-long, 0.15-mm-diameter tungsten wire?

A 12 V car battery dies not so much because its voltage drops but because chemical reactions increase its internal resistance. A good battery connected with jumper cables can both start the engine and recharge the dead battery. Consider the automotive circuit of FIGURE P28.64. How much current is the dead battery alone able to drive through the starter motor?