Factors Affecting the Resistance of a Metal Wire
Introduction:
The aim of this investigation is to discover how a variable affects the resistance of a wire.
The variables I could test are:
- Width of a wire
- Length of a wire
- Temperature of a wire
- The material of the wire.
I have chosen to test how the length of a wire affects the resistance of it. This is because I believe I can most easily obtain a wide range of results. I decided against testing the width and temperature because the results are difficult to measure and therefore, my investigation may not be reliable. I shall keep the material of the wire constant so as to maintain reliable results.
In this experiment, I shall use Ohms Law to work out the resistance of wire, as resistance is measured in Ohms. The formula I shall use is R= V/I. To measure the voltage and current I shall use a mulitmeter, but as an Ohmmeter is not available to me, I shall uses Ohms Law to work out the individual resistances.
As I have previously mentioned, I shall include variables and constants in this investigation.
My constants shall be:
Temperature
Diameter
Material
I have now decided that my variable will be length.
I shall plot the average resistance against length on a scatter graph using Microsoft EXEL.
I will conduct a preliminary experiment to determine the thickness of the wire and which particular material to use. I shall use wires of thickness’;
