Answer to Question #307493 in Electric Circuits for Ash

Question

1. How would you expect the resistivity of a good insulator such as glass or polystyrene to vary with temperature?

2. A fuse is a device that is designed to break the circuit. It melts when the current exceeds its value. What

characteristics should the material have?

Answer 1

The resistivity of a good insulator such as glass or polystyrene decreases with increase in temperature. As the temperature increases, the forbidden energy gap decreases hence resistance decreases making the conductivity of the insulator increase.

2) The material used in a fuse should be a thin wire and should have a low melting point.