To find out how the length of a piece of wire effects the resistance

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Sarah Wright      10 T                                                     5th February 2002

Aim

To find out how the length of a piece of wire effects the resistance.

Introduction

We have been asked to investigate how the length of two different pieces of wire, Nichrome and Constantin effects the resistance.  These are both metal alloys and they both conduct electricity. Metals conduct electricity because the atoms in them don’t hold on to their electrons very well, so allowing electrons to move carrying a negative charge along the wire. Resistance occurs when it is difficult for the electrons to be released from their nuclei to continue along the piece of wire.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

        Some variables that could have an effect on the resistance of the piece of wire is the thickness of the piece of wire, the length, the temperature, what the wire is made from, whether or not there is a kink or bend in the wire, and if the wire is short circuiting its self.

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Straight

Not Straight

Kinked

Short Circuiting

        If the piece of wire is thin then it will have a higher resistance because the current will not have as many different paths to go down making the electrical flow slower. If the piece of wire is thick then the electric current will have many paths to go down making the resistance lower. If the piece of wire is longer then the electrons will have further to travel down the wire and they will come into contact with more electrons that wont move. This increases the resistance.

        As the temperature of ...

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