Electrical resistivity (also known as
resistivity,
specific electrical resistance, or
volume resistivity) is an intrinsic property that quantifies how strongly a given material opposes the flow of
electric current. A low resistivity indicates a material that readily allows the flow of
electric current. Resistivity is commonly represented by the
Greek letter ρ (
rho). The
SI unit of electrical resistivity is the
ohm⋅
metre (Ω⋅m) although other units like
ohm⋅
centimetre (Ω⋅cm) are also in use. As an example, if a solid cube of material has sheet contacts on two opposite faces, and the resistance between these contacts is 1 Ω, then the resistivity of the material is 1 Ω⋅m.