What primarily affects the resistance of a thermistor?

The resistance of a thermistor is primarily affected by temperature, as thermistors are temperature-sensitive resistors specifically designed to change their resistance in response to temperature fluctuations. These devices utilize materials whose resistance decreases significantly with rising temperatures (NTC thermistors) or increases as temperature rises (PTC thermistors).

When the temperature of the thermistor changes, the kinetic energy of the charge carriers in the material also changes, thereby affecting how easily those carriers can move through the material. This movement directly impacts the resistance of the thermistor—demonstrating a clear and consistent relationship between temperature and resistance that is fundamental to their use in temperature sensing and control applications.

In contrast, other factors such as pressure, current, and voltage have a minimal or indirect impact on the resistance of the thermistor in typical applications. While they may influence the behavior of electronic circuits in general, it is temperature that is the primary driving factor in defining the thermistor's resistance characteristics.