Which effect of current results in heating of a conductor due to its resistance?

Which effect of current results in heating of a conductor due to its resistance?

• A. Physiological Effect
• B. Heat Effect
• C. Chemical Effect
• D. Magnetic Effect

Answer: (B)

When current flows through a conductor, electrons collide with the atoms in the material. Those collisions convert some of the electrical energy into thermal energy, warming the conductor. This is the heating effect (often called Joule heating), and the power converted to heat follows P = I^2R, so higher current or higher resistance produces more heat. The other options describe different phenomena: physiological effects involve nerve or muscle stimulation; chemical effects involve electrochemical changes at electrodes; magnetic effects involve the magnetic field produced by the current. Thus, the heating caused by resistance is the heating effect.

When current flows through a conductor, electrons collide with the atoms in the material. Those collisions convert some of the electrical energy into thermal energy, warming the conductor. This is the heating effect (often called Joule heating), and the power converted to heat follows P = I^2R, so higher current or higher resistance produces more heat. The other options describe different phenomena: physiological effects involve nerve or muscle stimulation; chemical effects involve electrochemical changes at electrodes; magnetic effects involve the magnetic field produced by the current. Thus, the heating caused by resistance is the heating effect.