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Studying the effect of length of the wire on the Resistance

Objective
To verify the theoretical correlation between the length of a wire and its resistance.

Apparatus
● Wires of Constantan (55% Copper and 45% Nickel) and Copper
● Battery: to supply the circuit with current
● Voltmeter: to measure the voltage passing through the circuit
● Ammeter: to measure the current flowing through the circuit
● Rheostat: to adjust the resistance in the circuit
● Connecting wires: allow flow of current through the circuit
● Piece of sandpaper: to remove the formation of copper oxide on the ends of copper wire

Background Research and Theory

Ohm’s law states the relationship between electric current and potential difference. The
current that flows through most conductors is directly proportional to the voltage applied to it,
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provided all physical conditions and temperatures remain constant.

Mathematically, this current-voltage relationship can be represented as:

𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅 — (1)

In this equation, the constant of proportionality, R, is called Resistance and has units of ohms,
with the symbol Ω.

This equation can be rewritten as:

𝑉
𝑅 = 𝐼
— (2)

Resistance R depends on the dimensions and material of the conductor. The relationship between
the resistance of a material and its length and area of the cross-section is given by the formula:²

𝑙
𝑅 = ρ 𝐴
— (3)

Where ρ is the specific resistance or resistivity and is a characteristic of the material of the wire.

¹ https://byjus.com/physics/ohms-law/
² https://byjus.com/physics/determine-resistance-plotting-graph-potential-difference-versus-current/
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Using the equations (2) and (3), we can find the resistance of multiple wires of known lengths,
and thus derive the correlation between the resistance of the wire and its length.

Independent variable: Length of wire: this would be taken as the independent variable as this
variable will not be affected by the other variables we will be measuring in this experiment.
Dependent variable: Resistance of wire: Since this variable depends on another variables such as
the potential difference and the current, and would vary with change in them, it is the dependent
variable.
Controlled variables: Physical conditions like temperature: These must remain constant in
accordance to Ohm’s law, otherwise we may not get accurate results.
Influencing variables: Voltage, Current: Change in these will affect the entirety of our results,
hence they are the influencing variables.

Setup of Apparatus

Fig. 1: Schematic Diagram of Circuit³ and Fig. 2: Set up of Circuit

Methodology
1. Set up the circuit as per the schematic diagram.
2. For Copper, remove the Copper Oxide formed on its ends by using a sandpaper.
3. Using the rheostat, adjust the resistance and take down the readings for the Voltage and
Current for a given length of a wire.
4. Repeat the same for increasing lengths of the wire.
5. Using the data collected, calculate the ratio of Voltage to Current, which would be the
Resistance of the wire for a given length.
6. Repeat the same for varying lengths and average the values.
7. Using these data points, plot a Resistance v/s Length graph.

³ https://studymind.co.uk/notes/resistance/
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Data collection
Raw Data
Readings for Constantan:
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Readings for Copper:

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Processed Data Tables

Constantan:

Copper:

Graphs of Data
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From the graphs above, it is observed that the trendlines of both these graphs are linear,
indicating the positive correlation between the resistance of the wire and its length. The error
bars have been taken in accordance with the standard deviation of the Ammeter and Voltmeter.
(±2 of the least count)

Evaluation
Strengths of experiment:
1. Use of simple equipment: The experiment requires basic equipment, making it
cost-effective and easy to perform.
2. Convenient to repeat: The experiment can be repeated multiple times to verify the
consistency of the results and procure even more accurate results.
3. Plotting the resistance v/s length graph yields a straight trendline, allowing for visual
confirmation of the proportionality and verifying the results.

Weaknesses of experiment:
1. If the wire is not uniform throughout, for example if there are variations in the
cross-sectional area of the wire, then errors may be introduced into the results.
2. Even the smallest error in measurements could impact the entirety of the results, so one
must be careful when noting down the results.
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3. Resistance depends on temperature, and heating of the wire due to current can affect
measurements. This must be kept in mind when performing this experiment. We must
allow plenty of time for the wire to cool down so it does not affect the results.
4. If the measuring devices lack precision and are not highly calibrated, the results may be
affected.
5. We must take as many readings as we can so that we can obtain even more accurate
results.

Further Scope of the Experiment

1. Exploring the effect of cross-sectional area:
We can further introduce cross-sectional area into this experiment and then combining the
results of length and area we can further find the resistivity of the material.
2. Studying how temperature can affect the resistance:
We can further introduce temperature as a variable and observe how the resistance is
varied with changes in temperature.
3. Verification of Ohm’s Law:
The results of this experiment can also be used to verify Ohm’s Law (V = IR).

Conclusion
We have been able to successfully verify the proportionality of resistance of a wire and its length
by plotting the graphs of resistance v/s length for Constantan and Copper.

Bibliography
1. https://byjus.com/physics/ohms-law/
2. https://byjus.com/physics/determine-resistance-plotting-graph-potential-difference-versus-current/
3. https://studymind.co.uk/notes/resistance/