The water analogy is a good one, even though we're talking about solid matter. Electrons race through thick wire because it provides more pathways, and more pathways means less resistance. A smaller wire provides fewer pathways, so the current is slowed down. When it slows down, the wire gets hot because those electrons are bottlenecked, making the wire's molecules 'excited', which means they start jumping around really fast. The faster the molecules move, the more heat they produce. This is also why coils don't last forever; over time those heated molecules in the wire become sort of scrambled and form weak spots, which eventually break.
I'd also like to thank bosun for the link to Temco. It will probably be a little while before I need any more Kanthal, but when I do, that's where I'm going.
I'd also like to thank bosun for the link to Temco. It will probably be a little while before I need any more Kanthal, but when I do, that's where I'm going.
