resistivity
noun
re·sis·tiv·i·ty
| \ ri-ˌzi-ˈsti-və-tē
, ˌrē-\
, ˌrē-\
plural resistivities
Definition of resistivity
1
: the longitudinal electrical resistance of a uniform rod of unit length and unit cross-sectional area : the reciprocal of conductivity
2
: capacity for resisting : resistance
Examples of resistivity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Starting in 1990, researchers began finding evidence of a quantum nature to the linear resistivity. — Quanta Magazine, "Universal Quantum Phenomenon Found in Strange Metals," 19 Nov. 2018 Over time, one part of the fuzzy picture came into focus: The mysterious linear resistivity that Bednorz and Müller observed in their first cuprate kept showing up in other cuprates and materials before the onset of superconductivity. — Quanta Magazine, "Universal Quantum Phenomenon Found in Strange Metals," 19 Nov. 2018 Substances such as ice have high resistivity, meaning electricity doesn’t flow through them easily. — Daniela Hernandez, WSJ, "Climate’s Big Unknown: What’s Happening Beneath Antarctica’s Ice?," 29 Dec. 2018 The tool discriminates between different materials based on something called resistivity—a measure of how easily electrical current can flow. — Daniela Hernandez, WSJ, "Climate’s Big Unknown: What’s Happening Beneath Antarctica’s Ice?," 29 Dec. 2018 To get a better idea of what lies below the property, Muhlestein used a technique called electrical resistivity mapping to get 3-D images of the property down to 30 feet below ground. — Brendan Gibbons, San Antonio Express-News, "Friesenhahn Cave just outside S.A. yielded treasure trove of Ice Age fossils," 17 Dec. 2017 Measurements of electrical resistivity – how strongly a material opposes the flow of an electric current – helped us determine which parts of the tunnel were filled. — Jamie Pringle And Peter Doyle, Smithsonian, "This Newly Excavated Underground Tunnel Reveals How 83 German Officers Escaped a World War II Prison Camp," 11 Aug. 2017 Those maps were combined with resistivity measurements and, later, the magnetization data from bore samples. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Plugging in to a volcano: Geothermal power and the science that enables it," 11 Oct. 2017 While no one has been able to go inside the tunnel yet, the discovery was made through a method known as electrical resistivity tomography, which creates subterranean images. — National Geographic, "New Tunnel Discovered Under Ancient Pyramid," 7 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'resistivity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for resistivity
resistivity
noun
re·sis·tiv·i·ty
| \ ri-ˌzis-ˈtiv-ət-ē, ˌrē-
\
\
plural resistivities
Medical Definition of resistivity
: the longitudinal electrical resistance of a uniform rod of unit length and unit cross-sectional area : the reciprocal of conductivity