Potential Difference Across a Conductor

Experiment 22
Ohm's Law
Willie R. Moore
Physics 272
Jeffrey Saeks, Instructer

Eunmi Min, Lab Partner

January 27, 2011
I. Purpose

Objective: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the

relationship between the potential diff across a metal conductor
when the current is kept constant, and also the relationship
between the potential difference across a given conductor and the
current in it when the resistance of the conductor remains constant.

In part a of this experiment, we determined the relationship

between the potential difference, V, applied across a metal
conductor at BD when the current is kept constant as measured by
the milliammeter MA. The circuit used is found in the data section
and labeled Figure 1.

In part b of this experiment, we determined the relationship

between the potential difference VBD across the resistance AC and
the current in it.
II. Procedure

Part a: Connect in series a slide-wire bridge BC, a milliammeter MA (125 milliammeter

range only), a DC power supply was used in place of a dry cell at E, and a key K was not
used as is found in figure 1.

Connect in series a slide-wire bridge BC, a milliammeter MA (125

milliammeter range only), a variable potentiometer R (approximately 44
ohms), a DC power supply was used instead a dry cell at E, and a key, again
was omitted. We then connected a voltmeter (3 volt range) between the point
A and the the wiper or contact ket on D. This circuit was then approved by
our Instructor. The zero of the slide-wire bridge is at the point B.

With the contact key D closed at 90% of total length mark, we adjusted the
the potentiometer R so that the current through the milliammeter MA is 100
milliamperes and recorded the reading on the voltmeter V.

Move the contact key or wiper D to the 80% mark, close the key D, and
adjust the variable potentiometer R so that the current is again 100
milliamperes . Record the voltmeter reading.
Procedure (continued)

Repeat this procedure for the contact key D at the 70, 60, 50, 40,30, 20, 10
and 0 marks, each time adjusting the variable resistance R so that the current
through the circuit ABC remains constant at 100 milliamperes.

Part b. In this part of the experiment we remove the voltmeter lead from the
contact D and attach it to the terminal C so that the voltmeter is connected
across the resistance AC.

Adjust the variable potentiometer R so that the current through the

milliammeter MA is 100 milliamperes. Record the voltmeter reading.
Repeat, taking a series of readings of the voltage across the resistance AS for
currents of 90 to 35 (lowest obtainable current with Instructor's assistance)
by steps of ten where possible. Adjust the variable potentiometer R to obtain
the different values of current I.
III. Data

Data from Part A

% of length of potentiometer Voltage (volts)

90 2.58
80 2.35
70 2.08
60 1.79
50 1.51
40 1.25
30 0.97
20 0.71
10 0.44
0 0.16

Data from Part B

Current (milliamperes) Voltage (volts)
90 1.46
80 1.27
70 1.12
60 1.00
50 0.88
40 0.76
35 0.69
 Data (continued)

Graph 1 (Part A)

f(x) = 0.03x + 0
R² = 1
2.5

2
Voltage of BD (volts)

Column B
1.5 Linear Regression for Column B

0.5

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Length of Wire BD (% of total)

 Data (continued)

Graph 2 (Part B)

1.6

f(x) = 0.01x + 0.21

R² = 0.99

1.4

1.2

1
Voltage of AC (volts)

Column B
0.8 Linear Regression for Column B

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Current (I-milliamperes)
IV. Analysis

Part A: If Voltage is proportional to Resistance or the length resistance

in the potentiometer, we should get a straight line. From our numerical
results, we would expect the slope of the Voltage BD vs. Length of the
wire BD, graph to be linear. The slope of the best fit line is (0.03 ±
0.001), which is within reasonable uncertainty. The intercept is zero: 0.
This is because we recalculated our data at the intercept of:

VAB = 0

The data all fall very close to the best fit line. If the data are randomly
scattered, R squared is zero. With an R^2 value of 1, our linear equation
appears to fit the data exceptionally well.

Part A: If the Voltage at AC is proportional to Current (I) which is

expressed here in milliamperes as read from a milliammeter , we should
get a straight line. From our numerical results, we would expect the
slope of the Voltage vs. Current graph to be linear. The slope of the best
fit line is (0.01 ± 0.004), which is within reasonable uncertainty. The
intercept is: 0.16. The data all fall very close to the best fit line. If the
data are randomly scattered, R squared is zero. With an R^2 value of
0.99, our linear equation appears to fit the data very well.
V. Conclusion

VAD = VAB + VBD

When the contact is placed at the zero mark, BD = 0. So this allowed us to

get all the calculations of VBD

The data clearly gave us the value of VAD when VBD is zero which was when
0.16V

0.16V = VAB + 0.0V

In summary, the experiment is named Ohm's Law. So I had to read a little

ahead to see what this has to do with Ohm's Law. What I found is that it was
Georg Simon Ohm that established experimentally the current, I, in a metal
wire is proportional to the potential difference, V, applied to its two ends.

In the text it further explains that the:

∆I /∆V = 1/R

So since this experiment required us to graph: ∆V/∆I

The calculated slope is equal to the resistance in the potentiometer we used

ing the experiment. So finally, according to Ohm's Law it would make a
difference as to what the current (PD) of the power supply would be, it
would however be proportional to that current.