How does temperature affect electrical conductivity?

The relationship between temperature and electrical conductivity is an important concept to understand. As temperature increases, the atomic structure of a conductive material can become more agitated, which can lead to increased collisions among the charge carriers (such as electrons). This agitation generally causes an increase in resistance within the material.

For most conductive materials, particularly metals, higher temperatures result in higher resistance, which ultimately decreases conductivity. This is because as resistance increases, the flow of electric current becomes less efficient. Therefore, an increase in temperature negatively affects the conductivity of a material by increasing its resistance, making this the correct answer.

Conversely, in some semiconductors, increased temperature can indeed lead to increased conductivity due to the thermal generation of charge carriers. However, the context of the question is likely focusing on conventional conductive materials where higher temperatures raise resistance and decrease conductivity overall.