Resistivity (ρ) is a property that quantifies the material's oppoistion to the flow of current.

Overview

Resistivity is the inverse of conductivity which quantifies the material's ability to transport electric charge. Resistivity is measured in ohm meters or centimeters (Ω cm or Ω m).

The resistivity of a material can be derived from the equation for resistance:

Variability

Although considered to be a fundamental property of a material, the resistivity of the material depends on the operating conditions such as the temperature.

Common Resistivity

Resistivity and Mean Free Time/Path (at room temp)
Element	ρ (µΩ·cm)	τ (fs)	λ (nm)
Copper	1.678	36	39.9
Aluminum	2.65	11.8	18.9
Tungsten	5.28	16	15.5
Cobalt	6.2	21.2/17.6	11.8/7.77
Ruthenium	7.8	8.82/7.07	6.59/4.88
Indium	8.8	5.27/5.05	8.65/8.16
Reference Gall, D. (2016)

Bibliography

• Gall, D. (2016). Electron mean free path in elemental metals. Journal of Applied Physics, 119(8), 085101. doi:10.1063/1.4942216