What is the effect of longer conductors on electrical resistance and reactance?

• A. Higher resistance and lower reactance
• B. Lower resistance and lower reactance
• C. Lower resistance and higher reactance
• D. Constant resistance and reactance

Answer: (C)

Longer conductors have a significant impact on electrical resistance and reactance. As the length of a conductor increases, its electrical resistance also increases due to the material's inherent resistivity. This means that when current flows through a longer conductor, there is more opposition to the flow of electrons, leading to higher resistance.

Reactance, which is associated with the impedance in AC circuits, is influenced by both the physical properties of the conductor and the frequency of the alternating current. For longer conductors, the inductive reactance becomes more pronounced. This is because inductance in a wire increases with its length, which means that as the conductor gets longer, the inductive reactance also rises. Inductive reactance is a property that comes into play in AC circuits and reflects the tendency of the conductor to oppose changes in current due to its inductive properties.

Thus, with longer conductors, the overall effect is that they exhibit higher resistance and higher inductive reactance, aligning with the appropriate understanding that longer conductors contribute to both increased resistance and increased reactance when dealing with AC power systems.