Resistance of a wire

This practical lesson covers:

  1. How to identify the relationship between length of a wire and its resistance

Investigating the relationship between wire length and resistance


Aim:

To investigate the relationship between the length of a wire and its resistance. 

Background information:

Wires are not perfect conductors of electricity as they have some resistance. In this practical, you will investigate how a wire's resistance varies with length by measuring the current flowing through the wire and the potential difference across it. 

Variables:

  1. Independent variable - Length of the wire
  2. Dependent variable - Resistance of the wire
  3. Control variables - Thickness of the wire, material of the wire, temperature of the wire

Which of the following is connected in parallel with the wire being measured?

voltmeter

power supply

ammeter

variable resistor

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What is the independent variable in this experiment?

resistance of the wire

current flowing through the wire

length of the wire

voltage across the wire

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What is the purpose in plotting a graph of resistance against length?

to work out the relationship between voltage and resistance

to work out the relationship between voltage and current

to work out the relationship between length and resistance

to work out the relationship between length and voltage

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Which of the following would be a valid conclusion for this experiment?

as the length of the wire increases, the resistance of the wire increases exponentially

as the length of wire increases, the resistance of the wire decreases exponentially

as the length of the wire increases, the resistance of the wire decreases linearly 

as the length of the wire increases, the resistance of the wire increases linearly

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Which of the following would result not improve the accuracy of the data?

use a ruler with a mm scale instead of a cm scale

attaching the wire to the meter ruler to make it easier to measure the length

ensuring the current continues to flow between readings

using a voltmeter with a greater precision

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