Physics Experiment

Introduction

The following report details an experiment performed to test how differences in

resistance effect the electrical current running through a simple circuit. Using Ohm’s law, we can

mathematically determine the flow of current through the wires and prove, or disprove, that

changes in resistance have a direct impact on electrical current. Ohm’s law describes the

relationship between current, voltage, and resistance. Current is proportional to the voltage

traveling across a wire (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018). In this experiment, the following variant

of the Ohm’s law formula was used: I = V / R. Translated, this formula states that current (I) is

equal to voltage (v) divided by resistance (r).

Reference Materials

While researching the topic of electrical current, I discovered a published experiment

which detailed the impacts of wire distance on overall resistance. Various lengths of wire were

used to demonstrate that the distance electrons must travel will negatively affect the current flow

while increasing the resistance. As the experiment predicted, the longer the wire, the greater the

resistance (An Investigation Into the Resistance of a Wire - GCSE Physics Coursework, 2016).

This experiment demonstrates similar ideas as the one detailed below, however, constant and

predictable resistance was required ruling out cable length as an effective resistor.

As wire length was not a viable solution to create controlled resistance, I looked for

alternative experiments that use various materials to create the desired effects. An experiment

provided by Science Buddies details the use of everyday items as conductors, such as coins and

tin foil, and insulators, such as popsicle sticks and paper, to impact the brightness of a lightbulb
(Science Buddies Staff, 2018). The video provided demonstrated the brightness of the bulb

created by a complete circuit without household materials, one with a conductor, and one with an

insulator. The experiment did indeed result in a change in brightness of the lightbulb, however, it

did not consider the various resistance caused by various materials or the resultant current in the

wire (Science Buddies Staff, 2018). As the intent of this experiment is to provide quantifiable

evidence of a change in current due to resistance, the most accurate testing will require resistors

with predefined resistance.

Variables

In this experiment, the amount of resistance introduced to a simple circuit with consistent

9-volt power source was adjusted. The resistance, controlled by resistors, is the experimental

variable. The resultant change in current was the response variable. The controlled variables

include the voltage of the power source, the length of wire, average wire gauge, and the material

used in the resistor construction.

Hypothesis

As demonstrated in “An Investigation Into the Resistance of a Wire”, an increase in

resistance applied to a circuit will impact the resulting voltage and current (An Investigation Into

the Resistance of a Wire - GCSE Physics Coursework, 2016). Therefore, I hypothesize that large

increases in resistance will result in a drastic decrease in current.

To conduct this experiment, I used the following materials:

2 lengths of wire, 1 foot each

1 multimeter

1 battery, rated at 9 volts

4 alligator clips

1 10 ohm carbon film resister

1 18 ohm carbon film resister

1 22 ohm carbon film resister

1 33 ohm carbon film resister

1 47 ohm carbon film resister

1 100 ohm carbon film resister

Set-up

1. To confirm accurate results, I tested the voltage of the battery to confirm that the battery

was working properly. Rated at 9 volts, the battery tested at 9.59 volts.

2. To create the simple circuit, I connected the alligator clips to the wire ends. Once

connected, I clamped one end to each terminal on the battery. (Warning: to avoid
 potential overheating or fire, do not complete the circuit with no resistance applied to the

wire).

3. Next, I connected the multimeter to the wire leading to the negative terminal. In order to

measure current, the multimeter must be used inline as an ammeter.

4. Finally, I connected the first resister to the remaining clips (one leading to the positive

battery terminal and one connected to the multimeter), completing the circuit.

Testing Method

1. Once set-up is complete, the first reading will be displayed on the multimeter. While the

voltage and resistance ratings are labeled on each component, it is important to note that

actual voltage and resistance will vary. (I rounded all values to the nearest 100th amp)

2. I recorded the electrical current, in amps, displayed on the multimeter

3. Next, I disconnected the clips connect to the terminal and replaced with the next resister.

4. After recording the next measurement, I repeated step 3 until I recorded the result of

every resistor.

Results

The table below represents the data collected in this experiment. Using Ohms Law, I was able to

calculate the actual resistance applied to the circuit. The graph represents an inverse relationship

between the amount of resistance and the measures current. As the resistance increased, the

current running through the wire decreased.

9.59 Volts 10 Ohms 9.69 Ohms 0.99 Amps

9.59 Volts 18 Ohms 17.76 Ohms 0.54 Amps

9.59 Volts 22 Ohms 21.80 Ohms 0.44 Amps

9.59 Volts 33 Ohms 33.07 Ohms 0.29 Amps

9.59 Volts 47 Ohms 45.67 Ohms 0.21 Amps

9.59 Volts 100 Ohms 95.90 Ohms 0.10 Amps

Resistance
120

100
Actual Resistance (Ohms)

80

60

40

20

0
10 Ohm 18 Ohm 22 Ohm 33 Ohm 47 Ohm 100 Ohm

Resistor Used

Current
1.2

1
Current (Amps)

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
10 Ohm 18 Ohm 22 Ohm 33 Ohm 47 Ohm 100 Ohm

Resistor Used
Conclusion

Based on the data collected, an increase in resistance leads to a decrease in current. These

results support my hypothesis. Overall, the results were as expected with one minor exception,

the actual resistance. Coming into this experiment I always considered electricity to be quite

precise, otherwise it would be dangerous. I was surprised to see that the resistance in the line and

each resistor was generally less than what it is rated for. Furthermore, my results demonstrated

that the more resistance that is expected, the more discrepancy in actual resistance. A small

amount of research on the package labeling indicated that there is a potential variance of

approximately 5%. These results can be confirmed with Ohm’s Law. Mathematically, the current

is the result of voltage divided by resistance, as such, a constant voltage divided by an increases

resistance will result in a decrease in current. Based on the results of this experiment, I would be

interested in several follow-up questions:

1. How would a change in wire length and average wire gauge impact the electrical current

and actual resistance?

2. How would different resistor materials change the actual resistance?

3. How would adding resisters and/or powered objects (i.e. lightbulbs, LEDs, etc.) in series

affect the results?

30). Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/stem/investigating-the-resistance-of-wire

Encyclopedia Britannica. (2018, April 27). Ohm's law. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/Ohms-law

Science Buddies Staff. (2018, September 21). Which Materials are the Best

Conductors? Retrieved from

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Elec_p018/electricity-

electronics/conductors-insulators-basic-circuit