Scribd
Upload
136 views

Planning and Design #5

1) The student will conduct an experiment to determine the resistivity of glass by measuring the voltage across glass sheets of varying areas when a constant current is passed through. 2) A circuit will be set up using a dry cell, glass sheets of different widths but same length, a voltmeter, ammeter, and wires. Voltage measurements will be taken for each glass sheet. 3) The data will be analyzed by plotting a graph of voltage versus the reciprocal of the area and determining the gradient, which will be used to calculate the resistivity of the glass.

Uploaded by

Ken Jokn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
136 views

Planning and Design #5

1) The student will conduct an experiment to determine the resistivity of glass by measuring the voltage across glass sheets of varying areas when a constant current is passed through. 2) A circuit will be set up using a dry cell, glass sheets of different widths but same length, a voltmeter, ammeter, and wires. Voltage measurements will be taken for each glass sheet. 3) The data will be analyzed by plotting a graph of voltage versus the reciprocal of the area and determining the gradient, which will be used to calculate the resistivity of the glass.

Uploaded by

Ken Jokn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Planning and Design Experiment

Problem Statement: A student wishes to measure the resistivity of glass. A teacher suggests
that its resistivity is of the order of 106 Ωm which is very large. Resistivity ρ is defined by
the equation: ρ=RAl where R is resistance, A is cross-sectional area, and l is the length of the
material. The student is given a number of sheets of glass of the same thickness and of
different areas. Design a laboratory experiment to determine the resistivity of glass. You
should draw a diagram showing the arrangement of your equipment. In your account, you
should pay particular attention to:
a) the procedure to be followed,
b) how the glass would be connected to the circuit,
c) the measurements that would be taken,
d) the control of variables,
e) how the data would be analyzed,
f) any safety precautions that you would take.

Hypothesis: In a glass sheet of uniform density the resistivity may be found by measuring the
voltage across the sheet while varying the area of the sheets used.
Theory: R =pl / A where R is resistance, A is cross-sectional area, l is the length of the
material and p is resistivity. Recall that V= IR → R = V/I which when substituted into the
first equation gives V/I = pl / A. Making voltage the subject of the formula V =plI / A; this
equation shows there is relationship between the voltage across the material and the
resistivity of the material. If the current is kept constant and the area of the glass is varied,
then resistivity of the material may be found by determining the gradient of the graph of V
against 1/A
Variables:
Independent: Area of glass sheet used.
Dependent: Voltage across the sheet.
Controlled: the current flowing through the glass, length of glass sheets.
Apparatus and materials: dry cell, glass sheets, voltmeter, ammeter, wires .
Diagram:
Procedure:
1. Set up the circuit as shown in the diagram above.
2. Turn on the circuit and record measurements for current and voltage across the first
glass sheet.
3. Repeat step 2 at least twice to derive an average for both measurements.
4. Repeat step 2-3 for glass sheets of different areas by adjusting the width of the glass
and keeping the length (l) constant.
5. Record results and include values for 1/A in the table.
6. Plot a graph of V (y-axis) and 1/A (x-axis).
7. Determine the gradient of the line of best fit.
Results:
Table to be used to record results from the experiment.
Area /m2 V1 V2 Vavg 1/A (m-2)

Treatment of Results:
• Plot a graph of Voltage /V (y -axis) vs 1/A (m-2) (x- axis).
• Calculate the gradient of the line of best fit drawn and use this value to determine the
resistivity of the glass.
Data Analysis:
A = l x w in the glass sheet l is constant
ΔA=Δw
➔ By manipulating the width of the glass sheet, the area of the glass is being changed
directly.
➔ y=mx +c
➔ V = plI / A
➔ V= plI x 1/A
➔ m=plI , c =0
➔ I and l are known constants therefore the equation can be manipulated to find the
resistivity.
➔ P =m/lI
Discussion:
Limitations / source of error:
• Lower current sources produce lower voltages which may be more susceptible to a
higher percentage uncertainty which could affect the accuracy of the voltages
recorded.
Precautions
1. Ensure that the cell used has a low current source to ensure that the voltage across the
glass does not become too large.
2. Ensure that the wires of the cables are not directly touched while the circuit is on.
Improvements:
• The experiment may be improved by taking several measurements of varying the
current and corresponding voltage for a single glass sheet. Since the area is constant
the gradient of the graph obtained of voltage versus current could be used to find the
resistivity for a specific layer. This method could then be repeated for different glass
sheets and the gradients obtained by the graphs for each sheet could be used to find
the average resistivity of the glass sheets. This average will minimise the magnitude
of the error as compared to one / two readings for a glass sheet in the previous
procedure.

You might also like