lab report two (PHYS 1210)

Alexandria Rachal November 7, 2020 Saturday PHYS 1210.505

Projectile Motion Alexandria Rachal Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle, #311427, Denton, Texas 76203 07, November 2020 Abstract: The objective of this experiment is to investigate and highlight the relationship of an electric current in a simple circuit and its dependence on voltage and resistance. A simple electric circuit consists of a continuous path for the electrons to flow through, a voltage source which provides the potential energy needed to push the charges, and a resistor to convert the electrical kinetic energy into another form of energy. In an electric circuit, it is apparent that the negatively charged electrons are pushed away from the negative terminal and pulled to the positive terminal of a voltage source. These three basic quantities help one to understand how charges move through a simple circuit. Given the tools needed to find current and voltage, one is able to determine the resistance within a full-length Nichrome wire and a half-length Nichrome wire. This lab is important to understand the relationship between these quantities. For example: How does changing the voltage affect the current? How does the length of the Nichrome wire affect resistance? etc. Introduction Throughout this lab, one is able to understand the importance of electricity and how it functions. Electricity is one of the most useful energy sources that many people rely on and use throughout their daily lives. Something that many often take for granted, but rely on heavily, is the lightbulb. In this lab, it explores how voltage, resistance, and current has an effect on a light bulb and what is required to get the maximum brightness. The equipment used throughout the experiment measures current and voltage by using an ammeter and a voltmeter. Using the data given by both the ammeter and voltmeter, resistance is able to be identified using Ohm’s law: voltage = current ×resistance. Using this equation, it will be easier to identify the resistance for various voltages. This lab will use the following voltages for the length of a full Nichrome and half Nichrome wire: 7V, 5V, and 3V. Apparatus This experiment requires the following: a Genercon R hand-operated generator, an ammeter (1A, 5A maximum scales), Nichrome wire board (both full-length and 1 2 length),

Nichrome wire for each trial using Ohm’s Law: voltage = current ×resistance . Once this is completed for each trial, determine the average value resistance for the resistance of the full- length Nichrome wire and then repeat for the 1 2 – length Nichrome wire. Record data. Data Voltage (volts) Current (amps) Resistance (ohms) = Voltage / Current 7 0.4 17.5 ohms 5 0.3 16.67 ohms 3 0.2 15 ohms Average Resistance of the full length of Nichrome wire: 16.39 ohms Voltage (volts) Current (amps) Resistance (ohms) = Voltage / Current 7 0.8 8.75 ohms 5 0.6 8.33 ohms 3 0.4 7.5 ohms Average Resistance for ½ length of the Nichrome wire: 8.19 ohms Calculations & Graphs Resistance: resistance = voltage current (1) resistance = 7 0.4 resistance = 17.5 ohms Voltage: voltage = current ×resistance (2) voltage = ( .4 ) × ( 17.5 )

voltage = 7 V Discussion As the experiment came to an end, it is evident that the findings were close to accurate. There is a strong correlation between voltage, current, and resistance. It is determined that the shorter the wire results in a greater current and lower resistance. On the contrary, the longer the wire results in a lower current and greater resistance. Using the equations given, it was easy to calculate both the voltage and resistance using Ohm’s Law. 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 f(x) = 20 x − 1 Full Wire 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7 0.75 0.8 0.85 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 f(x) = 10 x − 1 Half Wire