ISA June 2009 (AS Level) EMF and Internal Resistance Investigation

SECTION A
Answer all questions in the spaces provided. You should refer to your
documentation from Stage 1 as necessary.
1 (a)

State the precision of the instruments used to measure current and terminal pd.
Current reading: + 0.1 mA = 0.0001A (changing the value into S.I. units can sometimes be useful
especially if your table of results was in SI units)
Voltage reading: + 1 mV = 0.001 V

(b)

Both instruments precision must be correct for the mark to be awarded (1 mark)
Using the instrument precision, calculate the percentage uncertainty in your smallest ammeter
reading and smallest voltmeter reading.

You would usually calculate percentage uncertainty by looking at the spread of repeat readings. Deduct
your smallest reading from your largest and then halve this spread. This will have the unit of
whatever you were measuring.
e.g. the uncertainty of two readings of 13.2 cm and 13.5 cm = (13.5 13.2)/2 = 0.15 cm
BUT in this experiment you were not told to do repeats therefore they tell you to use the
instrument precision
This will be = (instrument precision)/(smallest pd (or current)) x 100 %
Ammeter reading: Suppose the smallest reading was 9.2mA
0.1/9.2 x 100 = 1.1%
Answer 1.1%
Voltmeter reading: Suppose the smallest reading was 1.29V
0.001/1.29 x 100 = 0.078%
Answer 0.078 %
(2 marks)
1 (c) By reference to part (b), state and justify which meter is the source of greater
uncertainty.
Ammeter because it has the largest percentage uncertainty
If you just said ammeter you would NOT get the mark!
(1 mark)
1 (d) Explain why using resistors with very high values would be unsuitable in this experiment.
(2 marks)
Large resistors would give very small currents (1 mark) therefore the percentage uncertainty would be even higher
for the current. (1 mark)
1

(e)

Why do you think you were instructed to switch off or disconnect the cell between readings?

The EMF will change as the cell runs down (goes flat) as chemicals inside it are depleted OR the
internal resistance of the cell will change as the cell gets hot so to make it a fair test this effect
should be minimized. (1 mark)
1

(f)

Do you think your readings are reliable? Give a reason for your answer. (1 mark)

You do not just have to say they were (or were not!) reliable. You just have to justify your answer.
Look at your graph are your points all close to a best fit line? If they are then they clearly show a
trend and you must say so and say this shows that your results are reliable. Extra evidence for this
would be that repeat readings had little spread.

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ISA June 2009 (AS Level) EMF and Internal Resistance Investigation
If your results are not close to the line and/or your repeats are widely spread this means they are not
reliable.
You may be able to add an additional comment about how some readings were more reliable than others
(this can only be discussed if you did repeats and can talk of the spread) and how that influenced how
you drew your line.
You are not expected to say why they were reliable or not only whether they look as if they are
this section of the paper refers to your data not to the method followed.
1

(g)

The equation relating terminal pd, V, and current, I, is

V = - Ir
where is the emf of the supply and r is the internal resistance of the supply. (You are not given a
data sheet so they will give you equations in the form they wish you to work with you have to know
units etc. but not the equations themselves)
By reference to the equation of a straight line y = mx + c,
Rearrange it
V = -rI +
Y = mx + c
therefore -r is the gradient and is the intercept
1 (g) (i) what physical quantity is represented by the intercept on the pd axis?
The emf of the cell (1 mark) (if you use symbols they have to be the correct ones so it is best to
write it in words!)
1 (g) (ii) what physical quantity is represented by the gradient of the graph?
The internal resistance of the cell (1 mark) (a mention of the negative sign is not needed here as they
ask for the physical quantity if they missed that phrase out and just asked what the gradient
represented you would be expected to say -r)

(2 marks)

(10 marks in total)

SECTION B
Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

2 In an experiment on cells, cell A, of emf

A and internal resistance rA, is connected in series with

cell B, of emf B and internal resistance rB. The emfs of

the cells are different. The cells are connected so that
the emfs add together. A resistor, R, is connected across
the cell combination as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Cell combination (A + B) with emf, (A + B)
(This diagram can be confusing so lets annotate it
put the dashed line around the whole battery and work
out the batterys internal resistance and EMF)
Readings of the current, I, through the resistor and the pd, V, across the resistor were taken with
different resistors, R, connected across the cells. A graph has been drawn showing the pd against
current for these readings.

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ISA June 2009 (AS Level) EMF and Internal Resistance Investigation

2 (a) (i) Calculate the gradient of the line already drawn, showing clearly your working.
(1 mark) for a triangle with minimum side of 8cm
Lay out your working clearly see graph box above
(1 mark) for reading the correct values from the graph note that I continue dashed lines to the axes
to facilitate this. You cannot get this mark if you dont show all of the working!
(1 mark) for the correct numerical answer (+ 0.2)
(1 mark) for quoting it to 2 or 3 sig figs (max possible from the y axis is 3 if you read to half a square
4 sf would be impossible 2 sf would be better)
Answer 5.2
2 (a) (ii) State what the gradient of the graph represents in relation to cell A and cell B.
The gradient represents the internal resistance of the battery containing cells A and B it is the sum
of the internal resistances of the individual cells A and B. Note that you have to give the answer in
terms of the individual cells properties! rA + rB = r(A+B) (1 mark)

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LJ (2010)

ISA June 2009 (AS Level) EMF and Internal Resistance Investigation
In a second experiment, cell B is now reversed but still connected in series with cell A and the
experiment is repeated. This is referred to as cell combination (A - B). (This means that the cells are
connected back to back B has its EMF pushing in the opposite direction to A, that is why the overall
EMF is (A-B). You cannot have a negative resistance in the circuit though! The internal resistances of
the battery will still be in series with each other and the total internal resistance of the battery will
be exactly the same as before).
The table below shows the results for this experiment. Three results have been plotted on the graph,
on the previous page, and three further results are shown below.
R/

V/V

I/A

1.0

1.20

1.18

2.7

2.55

0.96

4.7

3.54

0.72

8.2

4.60

0.56

Already plotted

18.0

5.70

0.32

Already plotted

82.0

7.08

0.08

Already plotted

2 (b) (i) Complete the graph for cell combination (A - B) by plotting the three remaining points.
(See graph) (2 marks for all correct to within 1 mm 1 mark if 2 are correctly plotted)
2 (b) (ii) Draw a line of best fit through these six points. (See graph) Line of best fit should have
as many points above as below the line and be drawn with a ruler. (1 mark)
(3 marks)
2 (c) Explain why the gradient of this line is the same as the gradient of the line already drawn for
cell combination (A -f B).
Gradient should be the same as the other graph line as resistance of the battery is the same - the
internal resistances are in series regardless of which way round the cells are connected.(1 mark)
(1 mark)
(d) Using information from the graphs, determine the emf, (A-B), for the cell combination (A B),
and the emf of cell A, eA.
The EMF of the battery is the intercept on the Y-axis 7.5V (1 mark) must be to 2 or 3 sf for the
mark
Examiners accepted answers in the range 7.4V to 7.6V
A + B = 10.5
adding the equations we get

A - B = 7.5
2A = 18.0

so,A = 9.0 V
(1 mark for the answer (with a unit and correct sf) and 1 mark for the method clearly
explained)
(12 marks in total)

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ISA June 2009 (AS Level) EMF and Internal Resistance Investigation
3 (a) The manufacturer quotes the resistors used as having an uncertainty (the
manufacturer's 'tolerance') of 5 % . Calculate the maximum possible value of the 18.0 resistor used
in this experiment.
5% of 18.0
18.0 x 5/100 = 0.9
The 18.0 resistor may well have 0.9 more resistance than the value stamped on it
= 18.9(1 mark)
3 (b) Explain why it would not have made any difference to the value of A obtained in the
experiment if resistors with a tolerance of only 2% had been used instead.
The formula used does not have R in it

= V Ir

The value of R does not need to be known at all for this experiment. The external resistance is simply
varied to vary the current and the terminal potential difference (which are measured) its value is not
needed. (1 mark)
3 (c) The voltmeter used in the above experiment was found to have a calibration error whereby
every reading was 0.22 V too high.
3 (c) (i) What is the name given to this type of error? Systematic or zero error (1 mark)
3 (c) (ii) How, if at all, would this have affected the value obtained for the emf A?
All of the voltage readings will be 0.22V too high. Therefore the graph line will be of the same
gradient but higher on the axes leading to an intercept value (the emf of the battery) that is 0.22V
too high. That in turn will cause the value for A to be 0.22V too high. (1 mark)
If you are given values use them in your answer!
3 (c) (iii) How, if at all, would this have affected the value for the gradient of the graph?
The gradient will be the same as before. (1 mark)
(3 marks)
(Total 5 marks)
4.
It is suggested that the power supplied to an external resistor, R, is maximum when its resistance is
equal to the internal resistance of the supply. Describe how this hypothesis could be tested
experimentally.
Any 4 of the following points:

Set up a circuit with cell of known

internal resistance r and a sequence of
known resistors R used as the load
resistor. An ammeter must be placed
in series with the resistor and a
voltmeter in parallel across the
resistor it would be an idea to
sketch a circuit diagram for this mark!

The value of R has to be varied about

(above and below) the known value of r

P = IV so record the readings on the

ammeter and voltmeter for the range
of resistors used.
Switch off after every reading to avoid cell 'running down'

Plot power versus resistance of R on a graph

the graph will have a maximum power at R = r if the hypothesis is true

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ISA June 2009 (AS Level) EMF and Internal Resistance Investigation
4 marks max
(Total 4 marks)

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