Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Investigating the resistance of a Nickel- Chrome wire

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev 1 # % ' 1) 11 1+

Table of Contents
Investigating the resistance of a Nickel- Chrome wire !a"le of Contents Introd$ction &esign &ata Collection ( Processing Concl$sion ( *val$ation Ill$strations

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Introduction
Variables spider diagram

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Ilustracin 1: Variables spider Diagram

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

9enght of wire

0esistance of Nichrome wire

!em-erat$re of wire

:idth of wire

Introduction
!he e,-eriment was to set $- to investigate how the length of a nichrome wire changes its resistance !he e,-eriment was started with . cm and was increased . cm after each set of res$lts !he -otential difference and c$rrent thro$gh the wire was meas$red and then the -otential difference was divided "y the c$rrent to get the resistance $sing the e/$ation 0123I Potential difference is the amo$nt of energy 45o$les6 $sed in a com-onent in the circ$it7 it8s meas$red in volts C$rrent is the amo$nt of electron flow thro$gh a fi,ed -oint in a fi,ed time 0esistance is the o--osition to the -assage of an electric c$rrent thro$gh that cond$ctor !he de-endent varia"le in this investigation is the resistance7 while the inde-endent varia"le is the length of the wire

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Illustration 2: Diagram of set up apparatus

Design
Aim
!o investigate how the length of a Nickel chrome wire changes its resistance

Discussion of variables (variables table)

Variable Length of wire Type Independent
How will you change it and what range of values will you use?

Use crocodile clips to change the length of the wire used in the circuit. This is increased from 5 cm to !! cm by 5 each time.

Variable

Type

How will you measure it as accurately as possible?

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Year 11 "esistance of wire #ependent

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

$y dividing the voltage across the wire by the current though the wire. $y using accurate multi meters.

Variable Temperatur e

Type (ontrol

How will you %eep it constant &state set values'?

$y trying to %eep the wire as cold as possible using water or we can maintain a low current using a variables resistor. $y using the same amount of cells with a controlled voltage. )nd we control their voltage using a voltmeter across the cells. $y lowering the current as much as possible before beginning the test using the variable resistor. $y %eeping the same diameter of the wire tested in the e*periment. #iameter !.+5 mm

Voltage supply

(ontrol

Initial current

(ontrol

#iameter of wire

(ontrol

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Prediction

Illustration 3: Predicted grap of results

I think that as the length of the wire increases its resistance increases I think the relationshi- "etween the length of the wire and its resistance is -ro-ortional I think this "eca$se if

Apparatus list
Nickel chrome wire of ) %. mm wide and 1 meter long Crocodile cli-s :ires Ammeter and 2oltmeter or # m$lti meters A -ower s$--ly like # cells 0esistor 1 meter r$ler

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Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Diagram

1 ?eter

Illustration !: Diagram of set up apparatus

"et od
1 =et $- the a--arat$s as shown in the diagram

Illustration #: Diagram of set up apparatus

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Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

# =et the voltmeter to #)2 direct c$rrent % =et the ammeter to # Am-eres + =et the varia"le resistor to ma,im$m resistance in order to lower the c$rrent to the minim$m -ossi"le val$e . !he volt meter has to "e connected to the Crocodile cli-s7 not the Nichrome wire ' ?ore the Crocodile cli- connected to the volt meter and the resistor to the left $ntil the distance "etween the two crocodile cli-s or the length of the wire reaches . cm ; P$sh the switch and record the voltage and c$rrent -assing thro$gh the . cm of wire < 0e-eat # more times to get three set of res$lts for the . cm > Add . cm "y moving the crocodile cli- moved "efore7 -$sh the switch and record three times again 1) @ee- adding . cm to the length of the wire tested $ntil yo$ reach 1)) cm7 recording three times every set of res$lts 11 Asing the average val$es calc$late the resistance in each set of res$lts "y $sing the e/$ation 0123C7 0esistance12oltage3C$rrent 1# :hen yo$ get all the sets of res$lts average each set "y adding the three 0esistances together and then dividing "y three 1% 0 4average6 1 401B0#B0%63% 1+ 0ecord yo$ res$lts in a data ta"le

Data $ollection % Processing

&esults
Resistance (R)/ Voltage (V)/V T1 T2 T3 Averag T1 T2 T3 e 0,7 0,7 0,7 0,7 0,1 0,1 0,1 9 9 1 1 1 0 1," 1, 1," 1," 0,2 0,2 0,2 ! 2 ! 0 1 0 2,1 2,0 2,1 2,13 0,2 0,2 0,2 " # " # 7 # 3,0 2,# 3,0 2,9" 0,3 0,3 0,3 0 " 0 7 3, 3,7 3,7 3,72 0,! 0,! 0,! 7 " " ! " " !,3 !,! !,3 !,3 0," 0," 0," 3 2 3 2 3 2 ",! ",3 ",2 ",3 0, 0," 0," " 7 0 9 # ", ," ",# ",9# 0, 0, 0, ! 0 2 2 " ! 7,0 7,1 #,0 7,37 0,7 0,7 0,# 0 0 0 0 1 0 7," 7, ,9 7,3! 0,7 0,7 0,7 0 0 1 "
'abla 1: &esults

Current (I)/A T1 T2 T2 0,1 ! 0,1 3 0,1 3 0,1 2 0,1 2 0,1 2 0,1 1 0,1 1 0,1 0 0,1 0 0,1 ! 0,1 3 0,1 3 0,1 3 0,1 2 0,1 2 0,1 1 0,1 0 0,1 0 0,1 0 0,1 ! 0,1 3 0,1 3 0,1 2 0,1 2 0,1 2 0,1 1 0,1 1 0,1 0 0,1 1

Average resistance1 4!1B!#B!%63% *,am-leC 4)7;>B)7;>B)7;163%1Average1)7;'

1)

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Anal(sis

Illustration ): *rap of results

$onclusion % +valuation
$onclusion
!he gra-h shows a -ositive correlation "etween the 9ength of the wire7 meas$red in centimetres7 on the , a,is and the resistance7 meas$red in Dhms7 on the y a,is !he relationshi- is -ro-ortional as it is a straight line -assing thro$gh 4)7 )6 !he e/$ation for this relationshi- is y1 )7);.<, where y stands for the resistance and , sands for the length of the wire =o as the length of the wire increases7 the resistance in the wire increases -ro-ortionally !he aim has "een accom-lished and the -rediction has met com-letely the res$lts :e can $se the e/$ation y1 )7);.<, to work o$t the resistance of a -iece of wire of the same material and diameter with a certain length If the length of the wire was #%m7 which is #%)) cm7 the resistance wo$ld "e worked o$t in the ne,t wayC 0esistance1 )7 );.< length 0 4Dhms6 1)7 );.< 9ength 4cm6 #%)) C? E )7 );.< 1 1;+7 %+ Dhms of resistance

+valuation
!he main -ro"lem was the c$rrent7 while we lowered the c$rrent to the minim$m $sing a varia"les resistor7 the c$rrent still co$ld heat the wire7 ca$sing less resistance every time it get hotter !he way to solve the -ro"lem was to create a cooling system that wo$ld kee11

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

the wires always at the same tem-erat$re !he "est cooling system to $se co$ld "e water r$nning aro$nd the wire7 this wo$ld carry all the heat away from the wire Another "ig -ro"lem was that most of the "atteries -rovided were discharged ca$sing a very little voltage7 or no voltage at all to flow in the circ$it :hen a lower voltage is -rovided "y the "atteries7 the range of the res$lts recorded decreases ca$sing the res$lts to "e less acc$rate For e,am-le the res$lts for the first three $sing a good -ower s$--ly co$ld have "een 12 for the first one7 #2 for the second and %2 for the third one7 while $sing a weak -ower s$--ly they co$ld "e )7#2 for the first7 )7.2 for the second and )7;2 for the third one As we can see from the e,am-le a"ove7 thee range "etween the val$es with low -ower s$--ly is very small and therefore the -attern on a gra-h wo$ld "arely "e seen :ith low voltage s$--lyC

Illustration ,: +-pected results .it a lo. voltage suppl(

Good voltage s$--lyC

Illustration /: +-pected results .it a good voltage suppl(

In this two images we can see that we can see a clear relationshi- in the e,-eriment with a good voltage s$--ly and we don8t see a clear relationshi- in a e,-eriment with low -ower s$--ly "eca$se the range of res$lts is very small
1#

Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Another "ig iss$e was the "ad contact in the switch and the ca"les !he val$es were shifting $- and down and they seemed to "e steady only when all contacts were hardly -$shed together !he -ro"lem was that the harder we -$shed7 the more acc$rate val$es "ecame7 "$t we did not maintain the same force with which we -$shed the contacts together7 therefore having a lack of acc$racy in the res$lts *,am-leC

Illustration 0: +-periment set up .it bad contact

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Year 11

Physics

Andrs Bereznev

Illustration 11: +-periment .it good contact

Illustrations
Il$straciHn 1C 2aria"les s-ider &iagram Ill$stration #C &iagram of set $- a--arat$s Ill$stration %C Predicted gra-h of res$lts Ill$stration +C &iagram of set $- a--arat$s Ill$stration .C &iagram of set $- a--arat$s Ill$stration 'C Gra-h of res$lts Ill$stration ;C *,-ected res$lts with a low voltage s$--ly Ill$stration <C *,-ected res$lts with a good voltage s$--ly Ill$stration >C *,-eriment set $- with "ad contact Ill$stration 1)C *,-eriment with good contact + ' < > > 11 1# 1# 1% 1+

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