ABSTRACT
A high resistivity is the same as a low conductivity and a low resistivity is the same as a high conductivity. This chapter discusses everything in terms of resistivity, with the understanding that conductivity can be obtained by taking the inverse of resistivity. The electrical resistivity of a material is independent of the particular size or shape of the sample. This means a thin copper wire in a computer has the same resistivity as the Statue of Liberty, which is also made of copper. The resistivity of a material can be obtained by measuring the resistance and physical dimensions of a bar of material. The chapter describes experimental techniques to avoid errors in measuring resistivity. The best way to measure the resistivity of the materials is to use specialized commercial instruments. These are designed to separate out the bulk resistivity from the surface resistivity and to minimize the many other problems encountered when measuring very high resistivities.
