Resistance of a wire at a constant temperature
I can describe how to investigate the resistance of a wire at a constant temperature and make scientific conclusions.
Resistance of a wire at a constant temperature
I can describe how to investigate the resistance of a wire at a constant temperature and make scientific conclusions.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- A wire heats up when a current flows and its temperature will vary over time.
- A water bath helps to keep the temperature of a wire constant.
- Turning a circuit on for a very short time reduces the heating effect in a wire.
- In electricity investigations, it is often easy to take lots of readings rather than a few, repeated readings.
- The resistance of a wire is directly proportional to its length, at a constant temperature.
Keywords
Independent variable - the variable that the person doing the experiment changes
Dependent variable - the variable that is measured; it changes as a result of varying the independent variable
Control variable - a variable that needs to be kept the same to allow a fair test to be carried out
Random error - a type of error that affects results in an unpredictable way
Directly proportional - describes the relationship between two variables if both increase in the same proportion as each other
Common misconception
Pupils may not realise that the resistance of a wire varies with temperature.
Ensure pupils are aware that the temperature of a metal wire does affect resistance and that precautions should be taken to avoid a temperature change.
To help you plan your year 10 combined science lesson on: Resistance of a wire at a constant temperature, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 combined science lesson on: Resistance of a wire at a constant temperature, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 combined science lessons from the Electric fields and circuit calculations unit, dive into the full secondary combined science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Nichrome wire, crocodile clips, electrical leads, metre ruler, voltmeter and ammeter.
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - equipment
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the following quantities to its unit symbol.
V
Ω
A
Q2.Which of the following can be used to calculate resistance?
Q3.Match each of the following types of variable to its definition.
a variable that needs to be kept the same in a fair test
the variable that is measured to get a set of results
the variable that the experimenter selects values for
Q4.When a current flows in a wire, which of the following moves through the wire?
Q5.In a graph showing the results of an experiment, where does each type of variable usually appear?
$$y$$-axis
does not appear on the graph
$$x$$-axis
Q6.When there is an error in an experimental measurement, which of the following must be true?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A type of error that can affect results in an unpredictable way is called a error.
Q2.A pupil investigates the relationship between the length of a wire and the resistance of the wire. Which of the following are control variables in this investigation?
Q3.Which of the following statements describes how to connect a voltmeter and ammeter to measure the resistance of a piece of wire in a circuit?
Q4.The diagram shows some of the apparatus for investigating the effect of length of a wire on its resistance. Which of the following will help keep the temperature of the wire constant?
