Fuse Wire.

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Fuse Wire

Investigating one of the factors that affect the current at which a fuse blows. Also I will identify and control other factors that might have an effect.

Aim:

To investigate how increasing the length of a fuse wire affects the heat production in a fuse wire, as the length is increased.

Preliminary Work:

The greater the length of the wire,

Which causes a greater resistance,

Causing a greater rate of heat production,

Leading to less current needed to melt the fuse wire.

Prediction:

I predict that as the length of the fuse wire is increased, the rate of heat production will increase hence less current will be required to melt the fuse wire. This is because, the heat produced by the current flowing through the fuse wire cannot escape quickly enough from the fuse wire. Thus the fuse wire gets hotter as the rate of heat production is greater than the heat loss from the fuse wire. Eventually, when the temperature reaches the material’s melting point, the fuse wire melts and thus there will be a smaller current that will be required to melt the fuse wire, as the length of the fuse wire is increased. I also predict that when the fuse wire is short, it will loose all of its heat by conduction to the crocodile clips, therefore there will be a down wards curve, which will consist of a negative gradient on the graph. I also predict that the down wards curve will eventually level out. I think this because I believe that as the length of the fuse wire is increased, the resistance will increase and thus there will be more heat production. However, I also predict that when the length of the fuse wire is increased, there will be more surface area and thus there will be more heat loss, as the fuse wire is exposed to more air and it will loose its heat by radiation and convection. They will both cancel each other out and the crocodile clips will have no effect.

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Variables / Factors:

  •  The length of the fuse wire – 1mm going to increase this, starting from 10mm, increasing it in the steps of 10mm up to 100mm.
  • There is a variable that I need to keep the same.

The diameter of the fuse wire – 0.10mm.

            The material of the fuse wire - copper

Diagram:

Method:

  • I will set up the apparatus up as shown.
  • I will ensure that I use the fuse wires over the range that I have described in ...

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