How to Convert Resistance to Conductivity

Resistance, or resistivity, indicates how well a material resists the flow the electric current. Materials like rubber, for example, have a high resistivity, making them good insulators. Materials that have a high resistivity also have a low conductivity. Conductivity refers to how well a material conducts electricity. Mathematically, resistivity and conductivity are inverses of each other. This means that a material that conducts electricity well (high conductivity) does not resist the flow of electric current (low resistance), and a material that does not conduct electricity well (low conductivity) resists the flow of current (high resistance).

Instructions

1

Check your resistance measurement units to make sure that the value is reported in ohm meters (?/m). If it is not, convert to ohm meters before continuing (see Resources below).

2

Divide 1 by the resistance measurement.

3

Convert the calculated conductivity to scientific notation (where, for example, 1,000 is written as 1 x 10^3) and use Siemens per meter units (S/m).