What type of component decreases in resistance as it is heated?

The type of component that decreases in resistance as it is heated is the Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) Thermistor. This specific behavior is a defining characteristic of NTC thermistors. When the temperature increases, the charge carriers within the material become more energetic, resulting in increased conductivity. Consequently, this leads to a reduction in resistance.

In applications, NTC thermistors are commonly used for temperature sensing and temperature compensation due to their sensitivity to temperature changes. In contrast, other types of resistors, such as fixed resistors, have a constant resistance value regardless of temperature, while variable resistors do not inherently respond to temperature changes in the same manner. Thermocouples, on the other hand, are used to measure temperature through the voltage generated at junctions of different metals but do not change resistance in relation to temperature.