Electrical Resistance and Wire Properties Investigation
1. Introduction to Electrical Resistance
Electrical resistance is a measure of the force that opposes the flow of electrical current.
Electrical resistance can be calculated by dividing voltage of electricity by it current. Thus, the SI
2
kg ⋅ m
unit for electrical resistance is s2 ⋅C The drive unit for electrical resistance is ohm
.
A
V
R= (1)
I¿
Where:
R = Resistance (Ohms, Ω)
V = Potential difference (Voltage, Volts)
I = Current (Amperes, A)
The unit of electrical resistance is derived from:
:
2
J kg ⋅ m
[ V ] C s2 ⋅C
[R ]= = =
[I] A A
Relationship between dimensions of electrical wires and its resistance can be calculated using
the resistivity equation:
ρL
R=
A¿
Where:
ρ = Resistivity of the material (Ω·m)
L = Length of the wire (m)
A = Cross-sectional area of the wire (m²)
Resistance is directly proportional to the resistivity of the wire material and its length, and
inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area.
Resistivity ( ρ ): A property of a material that describes its ability to resist current flow, measured
in ohm-meters (Ω·m).
Length can be considering the distance between the starting and ending points of the electrical
wire, measured in meters. This cross-sectional area is determined by the diameter of the wire.
For our experiment we will verify the relationship between diameter of wire and resistance by
looking at how nichrome wires affect its resistance. Since most wires have circular cross-
sections:
2
Area of a circle=π r
d
Where r is the radius. Given that r = , where d is the diameter:
2
()
2 2
d πd
A=π =
2 4
Substituting into the resistance formula:
ρL ρL 4 ρL
R= = =
A π d2/ 4 π d2
where resistivity ( ρ ) and length ( L ) are constants, so find resistor that the diameter and
resistance of a wire which is the focus of this experiment.
In order to make resistivity ( ρ ) constant, we will be only using nicrome wires for the experiment.
Nichrome is an alloy made from combination of Manganese Mn; Iron Fe, Nickle Ni and
Chromium Cr.
Thus, for constant resistivity ( ρ ) and length ( L):
1
R∝ 2
d
Where resistivity ( ρ ) and length ( L) are constant.
It has many real-world applications due to its durability. Nichrome has been chosen as the focus
of this experiment as it's heavily used for having many real-life applications.
Due to having 'high melting point, does not oxidize easily, making it strong, durable.
Nichrome wires are often used for heating application due to its high sensitivity. Due to its high
sensitivity, it is chosen to be the material of focus for our experiment, as it makes it clearer to
see the effect of diameter. The sensitivity of nichrome is around 1.12 ×10−6 Ω⋅m
As it increases the effect of diameter to resistance of wire due to its higher gradient making it
clearer to observe change
If ρ1 < ρ2 for equal length and area:
ρ1 L
Δ R 1= ,
A
ρ2 L
Δ R 2=
A
⟹
Δ R 1< Δ R 2
We will be measuring the resistance of different wires through use of multimeter. In order to
make length (L) constant we will be using wire of length 0.2m only. The reason we have chosen
this length is long enough to see substantial change in resistance.
If L1 < L2 we have equal
ρ L1
Δ R 1= ,
A
ρ L2
Δ R 2=
A
⟹ Δ R 1< Δ R 2
However, 0.2m is not too long to make it a hassle to use it for an experimental purpose.
As this length allows for easier measurements more accurately, easier movement of wires and
enable to easily plug in wire to multimeter.
Figure 1 shows the experimental setup for resistance measurement.
A multimeter is a device used to measure different electrical quantities i.e. voltage, current,
resistance. Figure 1 on right shows the apparatus of experiment showing how resistance will be
measured. The reason I have chosen this topic is my deep understanding and interest electricity
as I aspire to become an engineer.
Aim of this investigation.
My aim is to establish the experimental validity with the equations.
1
R=ρL R ∝ 2
d
where cross sectional area is inversely proportional to resistance.
Variables
The independent variable is cross-sectional wire measure in mm.