---
title: "Two cylindrical wires, Wire 1 and Wire 2, are made of different conductive materials such that Wire 1 has a lower resistivity and a smaller cross-sectional area than Wire 2. The two wires are connected end-to-end in series with an ideal battery to form a complete DC circuit operating at steady state. How does the electric current \\(I_1\\) in Wire 1 compare to the electric current \\(I_2\\) in Wire 2, and what physical principle justifies this comparison?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/117191/"
date_modified: "2026-08-04T06:44:56+00:00"
---

# Two cylindrical wires, Wire 1 and Wire 2, are made of different conductive materials such that Wire 1 has a lower resistivity and a smaller cross-sectional area than Wire 2. The two wires are connected end-to-end in series with an ideal battery to form a complete DC circuit operating at steady state. How does the electric current \(I_1\) in Wire 1 compare to the electric current \(I_2\) in Wire 2, and what physical principle justifies this comparison?

Two cylindrical wires, Wire 1 and Wire 2, are made of different conductive materials such that Wire 1 has a lower resistivity and a smaller cross-sectional area than Wire 2. The two wires are connected end-to-end in series with an ideal battery to form a complete DC circuit operating at steady state. How does the electric current \(I_1\) in Wire 1 compare to the electric current \(I_2\) in Wire 2, and what physical principle justifies this comparison?

![A schematic diagram showing a single-loop circuit containing an ideal battery connected to two cylindrical wires attached end-to-end in series. Wire 1 on the left is narrower and labeled 'Wire 1 (resistivity \(\rho_1\), area \(A_1\))'. Wire 2 on the right is wider and labeled 'Wire 2 (resistivity \(\rho_2\), area \(A_2\))'. A clockwise directional arrow indicates the flow of conventional current around the loop. No other text or labels appear.](https://nerd-notes.com/wp-content/uploads/ubq-frq-generated/stem-fig-1-1785825896-Awoygj.jpg)

- **A.** \(I_1 > I_2\) because a wire with lower resistivity allows electric charge to flow at a greater overall rate.
- **B.** \(I_1 > I_2\) because electric charge is consumed as it overcomes resistance while moving through Wire 2.
- **C.** \(I_1 = I_2\) because conservation of electric charge requires that the net rate of charge entering and leaving any cross section in a steady-state circuit must be equal.
- **D.** \(I_1 < I_2\) because a larger cross-sectional area in Wire 2 allows a greater volume of charge carriers to pass per unit time.

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/117191/*