All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

What is the primary reason for the heating effect in a conductor when an electric current passes through it?

This question was previously asked in
RRB NTPC 2024 Undergraduate CBT 1 Question Paper (29-Aug-2025) (Shift 1)
The correct answer is

The movement of electrons causes heat generation.

The primary reason for the heating effect in a conductor when an electric current passes through it is due to the movement of electrons. When a current flows through a conductor, electrons drift through the lattice structure of the conductor. As they move, they collide with the atoms in the lattice. These collisions impede the flow of electrons, causing them to transfer some of their kinetic energy to the atoms, resulting in increased vibrational energy of the atoms. This increase in atomic motion is perceived as heat, leading to a rise in temperature of the conductor. This phenomenon is commonly described by Joule's law, which states that the heat produced in a conductor is proportional to the square of the current, the resistance, and the time for which the current flows. Therefore, the correct statement is: The movement of electrons causes heat generation.

Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions

  1. A copper spoon is dipped in hot water. What happens to its other end?

  2. Generally, what is the process of heat transfer in liquids?
  3. Which of the following processes is primarily responsible for heat loss from a hot utensil?
  4. A brass rod (thermal conductivity 109 J/s m K) has an area of cross section 0.04 m 2and length 20 cm. If the two end of the rod are maintained at a temperature difference of 200°C, the rate of heat flow through the rod is ________.

  5. A black surface absorbs ________ as compared to a white surface, under identical conditions.

  6. Heat supplied to a system is measured in ______.
  7. The change of state from ice to water is accompanied by ______.
  8. _____ is a mode of heat transfer by actual motion of matter.
  9. _____ is the unit of thermal conductivity.
  10. A brick wall having a thickness of 24 cm has an inner surface temperature of \(25^{\circ}C\) and an outer surface temperature of \(5^{\circ}C\). The rate of heat loss through per square metre of the wall (thermal conductivity = \(0.15\ J/(s\cdot m \cdot K)\)) is:

Important Questions from Heat transfer

  1. The process by which heat is transferred from the hotter end to the colder end of an object is known as ______.

  2. If a liquid is heated in weightlessness the heat is transmitted through

  3. An iron ball at 60°C is dropped in a mug containing water at 60°C. The heat will

  4. The temperatures of two perfect black bodies A and B are 400 K and 200 K, respectively. If the surface area of A is twice that of B, the ratio of total power emitted by A to that by B is

  5. The volume and temperature of a spherical cavity filled with black body radiation are V and 300 K, respectively. If it expands adiabatically to a volume 2V, its temperature will be closest to

Need Expert Advice?
Upcoming Exams
RRB NTPC
September 27, 2026
Test Series
RRB ALP img
Railways
RRB ALP 2026 Mock Test series
1035 Tests 1 Tests Free
942 Attempts
4.3(237)
English, Hindi

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App