Investigating the Relationship Between the Length of a Wire and its Resistance

Aim:

To investigate how the length of an iron wire affects its electrical resistance.

Background:

Resistance is a physical quantity that describes how much a material opposes the flow of
electric current. According to Ohm’s Law, resistance (R) is calculated using the equation:

R = V/I

Where R is resistance in ohms (Ω), V is voltage in volts (V), and I is current in amperes (A).
This law demonstrates a direct relationship between voltage and current, which allows
resistance to be calculated when the other two values are known (Serway & Vuille, 2020).

The resistance of a wire depends on several factors:

●​ Length of the wire – A longer wire provides more opportunity for electrons to collide
with atoms in the material, which increases resistance.​

●​ Material – Each material has a unique resistivity (ρ), a property that influences how
well it conducts electricity.​

●​ Cross-sectional area – A thinner wire has a smaller area for electrons to move
through, which increases resistance.​

●​ Temperature – As temperature increases, the atoms in a conductor vibrate more,

causing more collisions and a rise in resistance.​

In this experiment, the only variable being changed is the length of the wire. According to
the formula for resistance in terms of material properties:

R=ρ⋅L/A

Where ρ is the resistivity of the material, L is the length, and A is the cross-sectional area.
This formula shows that resistance increases linearly with length, assuming constant
material and cross-section (Giancoli, 2016). That means if the wire length is doubled, the
resistance should also approximately double.

This concept is essential in real-world contexts like power transmission and electronics
design, where engineers need to minimize resistance to reduce energy loss and
overheating.

Hypothesis:
I believe that as the wire gets longer, the resistance will increase. This is because the
electrons will encounter more collisions as they travel through a longer wire, which slows
down the current.

Justification of Hypothesis:

The hypothesis is based on the particle model and Ohm's Law. A longer wire means
electrons have to pass through more atomic structure, causing more resistance. Since
R=ρ⋅L/A​, where ρ is resistivity, L is length, and A is area, increasing the length L should
directly increase resistance if all else stays the same.

Variables:

●​ Independent Variable: Length of the iron wire (cm)​

●​ Dependent Variable: Resistance (Ω)​

●​ Controlled Variables:​

○​ Temperature​

○​ Material of the wire (Iron - Fe)​

○​ Surface area/thickness (0.4 mm diameter / 0.12 mm² cross-section)​

Materials Needed:

●​ Iron wire (0.4 mm diameter, 1.1 Ω/m)​

●​ Power supply​

●​ Crocodile clips​

●​ Connecting wires​

●​ Switch​

●​ Ammeter​

●​ Voltmeter​

●​ Ruler​

●​ Safety goggles​
Diagram Set-up:

Method:

1.​ Set up the circuit:​

Connect the power supply, iron wire, ammeter (to measure current), and voltmeter
(to measure voltage) in the circuit. Make sure everything is securely connected, and
set the power supply to a low voltage.​

2.​ Attach crocodile clips:​

Place the crocodile clips at the 60 cm mark on the wire. Ensure the clips are firmly
attached to avoid any connection issues that could affect your results.​

3.​ Measure current and voltage:​

Close the switch to complete the circuit. Record the current from the ammeter and
voltage from the voltmeter. Take note of the readings as soon as the circuit is
powered.​

4.​ Repeat the process:​

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for five trials to get reliable data. For each trial, record the
current and voltage readings.​

5.​ Increase the wire length:​

After completing measurements at 60 cm, move the crocodile clips to 80 cm and
repeat the process. Continue this for 100 cm, 120 cm, up to 200 cm, each time
recording the current and voltage for five trials.​
 6.​ Calculate resistance:​
Use Ohm’s Law to calculate resistance for each length of wire using the formula:​
R= V/I
7.​ Organize the data:​
Record all measurements, including the length of wire, current, voltage, and
calculated resistance, in a table for easy analysis.​

Method Evaluation:

The method used in this experiment was very straightforward and uncomplicated, and
therefore it was consistent in general. Most of the equipment worked as anticipated, and
repeating some trials helped to improve the accuracy of the results by reducing the effect of
random errors. There were a few minor issues, however, that might have affected the
accuracy of the data.

One of the biggest problems was to put the crocodile clips in exactly the same location for
every trial. A tiny motion would change the amount of wire being measured minutely, and
this would give a false resistance reading. Also, the current varied slightly sometimes in a
trial, possibly due to minor temperature changes in the wire or the power supply changing.
These fluctuations could lead to slightly uneven readings.

Despite the minor issues, the method still left a clear pattern in the outcomes. In the future,
using more precise equipment or marking certain places for the clips could perhaps make
the experiment even more accurate.

Safety Considerations:

Hazard Risk Safety Precautions

Hot wire Possible burn Always switch off the current between
readings to let the wire cool down. Be careful
when handling wires that have been recently
energized.

Electrical current Risk of electric shock Use a low voltage setting on the power supply
to reduce the risk of shock. Always ensure the
power supply is turned off before adjusting
connections.

Sharp wire ends Risk of cuts Handle wires carefully, especially near the
sharp ends. Always wear safety goggles and
gloves when handling the wires to prevent
injury.

Broken Risk of electric shock Check the power supply and wires for any
equipment visible damage before each trial. If equipment
 is damaged, do not use it and inform the
teacher immediately.

Data and Observations:

Observations Made During Lab:

●​ Wire became slightly warm at longer lengths​

●​ Ammeter readings were fairly consistent across trials​

●​ Voltmeter values increased with wire length​

●​ No sparks or safety issues occurred​

Raw Data Tables:

Current (A)

cm trial 1 trial 2 trial 3 trial 4 trial 5 mean

60 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.124
80 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.124
100 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.13 0.124
120 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.124
140 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.122
160 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.122
180 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.122

200 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.122

Voltmeter (PD)

cm trial 1 trial 2 trial 3 trial 4 trial 5 mean

60 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.110
80 0.14 0.14 0.13 0.14 0.14 0.138
100 0.17 0.16 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.168
120 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.200
140 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.22 0.228
160 0.27 0.27 0.26 0.27 0.27 0.268
180 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.300

200 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.330

Processed Data Table:

Length (cm) Mean Current (A) Mean Voltage (V) Resistance (Ω)
60 0.124 0.110 0.89
80 0.124 0.138 1.13
100 0.124 0.168 1.37
120 0.124 0.200 1.61
140 0.122 0.228 1.87
160 0.122 0.268 2.20
180 0.122 0.300 2.46
200 0.122 0.330 2.70
Conclusion From Data:

The data gathered in this experiment easily demonstrates a clear trend: as the length of the
wire is increased, so too is the resistance. This result explicitly validates the theory outlined
by Ohm's Law, that resistance is directly proportional to the length of a wire, all other
variables like temperature and material being constant. The results agree with the prediction
that longer lengths of wires would lead to more collisions between electrons and atoms,
hence greater resistance. The measurements show a uniform increase in resistance with the
increasing lengths of the wires, which agrees with the idea. The pattern consistency makes
the results more reliable, showing that the experiment was successful in determining the
relationship between length and resistance. But, some small differences in the data from
possible minor mistakes in the experiment might make the expected perfect proportional
relationship a little unclear.

Evaluation of Hypothesis:

The hypothesis that the resistance would increase as the length of the wire is increased was
completely confirmed by the evidence collected during the experiment. As the wire's length
was increased, the resistance increased steadily as well, which is what the theory of
electrical resistance predicts. The data show that the resistance becomes greater as the
length of the wire grows. This is in accordance with our early idea we had when we started
the experiment. The readings of the resistance kept on growing in each trial, with different
lengths of the wire. This would be expected under an ideal condition where everything
remains equal except for the length. This builds confidence in the hypothesis, but one should
think about how external influences, for example, small changes in temperature or mistakes
made by people taking readings, might have affected the readings.
Evaluation of Method:

The method employed in conducting this experiment proved to be predominantly effective in

collecting the data needed for the analysis of the relationship between resistance and wire
length. The results were as predicted, indicating that the process was credible. There are,
however, some areas within the technique that need improvement to enhance the accuracy
and credibility of the results. For example, utilizing digital meters instead of their analog
counterparts could drastically minimize errors related to dial readings, giving more precise
measurements of voltage and current. Also, the fact that the wire is absolutely straight and
flat would do away with any potential differences in length, as even slight bends or kinks may
slightly change the effective length, thereby affecting the resistance. Another thing to note is
the measurement of the temperature of the wire during the experiment, as any variation
could have influenced the resistance. While some degree of temperature control was
achieved by handling it carefully, a precise measurement would prevent it from being seen
as a confounding variable. Ultimately, taking multiple readings at each length or testing
under varying conditions could yield more accurate data, thereby allowing more confident
determination of underlying trends.

Further Improvements and Extensions:

To improve and extend the experiment in the future, several changes could be made:

1.​ Use wires of different materials (e.g., copper, aluminum) to see how resistivity
varies between materials.​

2.​ Test wires with different thicknesses to explore how the cross-sectional area
affects resistance.​

3.​ Control temperature more precisely to avoid its impact on resistance.​

4.​ Increase wire lengths beyond 200 cm to check if the trend continues with longer
wires.

Giancoli, D. C. (2016). Physics: Principles with applications (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Serway, R. A., & Vuille, C. (2020). College physics (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.