Unit 3: Ohm's Law Lab

Your name: _________________________________ Date of experiment: __________________

Your group members: _________________________ Section: _______________

Teacher Use

A: /17 T: /14 + /1* C: /12 + /3*

*Teacher initial *Overall neatness and grammar

In this lab, you will focus on the following:

You will discover the value of resistance in three loads (resistors) by looking at the relationship between
voltage and current. After adjusting the voltage supplied by the power pack, proceed to measure the resulting
current using the multimeter.

Purpose [T / 1]

Hypothesis [T / 1]
Write a hypothesis about the relationship between voltage and current.

Materials [T / 1]

Safety
1. The power pack can produce a high amount of current and voltage. As such, it must not be used near water. The
power pack must not be connected to a circuit that contains any non-approved devices. Always ensure that the
voltage is dialed to a 0 setting before starting the lab.
2. The resistors will get hot when on for prolonged periods of time. Turn the power packs off as soon as
measurements are taken to reduce this issue.

Variables Independent variable: [T / 3]

Dependent variable:

Control variables (list 2):

Experimental Setup [C / 2]
Label each component on the following circuit diagram:
 1. 3.
2. 4.

Procedure [T / 2]
Rewrite the following procedure in the past tense. The procedure should be numbered, with clear and concise
instructions. All the notes below do not HAVE to be included and may be revised.
1. Using resistor 1, assemble the electrical circuit as shown in the experimental setup.
✯ Do not turn the power pack on until the circuit is complete.
✯ Before you turn on the power pack, have your teacher check your circuit (teacher initial: ________)
2. Dial the voltage on the power pack up to 2.0 V. Read the voltmeter to determine when this has been achieved.
Record the current in table 1. ✯You may not be able to get exactly 2.0 V. If so, record the ACTUAL voltage used.
3. Repeat step 2 for voltages of 4.0 V, 6.0 V, and 8.0 V.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for resistors 2 and 3. Record observations in table 2 and table 3, respectively.

Observation [T / 6]
Table 1. ________________________________________________________________________________

Resistor 1 Resistor 2 Resistor 3

Voltage (V) Current (A) Voltage (V) Current (A) Voltage (V) Current (A)

2 10 2 5 2 3

4 20 4 10 4 6

6 30 6 15 6 9

8 40 8 20 8 12

Graph [C / 7]
Create a graph using the following guidelines:
● Create 3 scatter-plot graphs on Google Sheets for 3 different resistors
● Produce one graph for each resistor - do NOT connect the dots
● At the top, include a descriptive title that relates to the data given (ex. “The relationship between…” or “Y vs. X”)
● Place current on the x-axis and voltage on the y-axis
● You will notice a correlation between current and voltage for each resistor. Add a TRENDLINE to each graph
(Click Customize > Series > Trendline)
● Place an image/screenshot of all three graphs below

Analysis
For questions 1) and 2), you can also complete the calculations by HAND if it is easier to do so. If you decide
to do so, delete any tables that might be present below, and insert IMAGES of your work.
 V
1) (a) Use the data table to calculate the ratio for each resistor. Show all your work below.
I
Resistor 1 Resistor 2 Resistor 3

____ ➗ ____ = ____

V
(b) Using the ratios above, calculate the average ratio for each resistor. Show all your work for
I
complete marks. [A / 3]

Resistor 1

Resistor 2

Resistor 3

2) Calculate the slope for each line of best fit. Show all your work in the space below [A / 3]

3) For EACH load, compare the values from question 1 to the values in question 2.
How do the two values compare? What do these values represent? [A / 2]
4) The name given to the slope is called resistance, R. Based on this lab, what is the equation for
resistance? What are the two possible units to represent resistance? [A / 2]

5) Resistance has an important role in any electrical device that receives and uses electricity. Do some
research and define electrical resistance. Describe the function and importance of resistance in any
device that uses electricity. Provide an example of how resistance is applied in real world applications.

[A / 3]

6) Complete the following sentences: [A / 4]

*Each blank may be represented as a word or a phrase

a) If the voltage across a resistor increases, the current will _____________________________

b) If the voltage across a resistor is decreased, the current will ___________________________
c) If the voltage changes, the current will change so that the V/I value will ___________________
d) Every device has its own characteristic V/I value called the resistance value. If we compare the
currents flowing through a device with a high resistance to a device with a low resistance, the
device with the higher resistance will have a __________________________________ current

7) Conclusion (Summarize your results ⇒ Purpose? Findings? Hypothesis?) [C /3]