UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO

"Por mi raza hablará el espíritu"

Facultad de Ciencias.
Laboratorio de Electromagnetismo.

Characterization of nichrome wire electrical resistance and experimental

deduction of Ohm's law.

∗,1
Rave Franco, Geovanny Alexander.
∗
Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Circuito Exterior s/n, Coyoacán, Cd. Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de México, CDMX.

March 30, 2018

Abstract
The electrical resistance of an object is the degree's measure with which an object allows electricity get through
it. We've found that the electrical resistance of a nichrome wire is directly proportional to the electrical resistivity
of the nichrome times the length of the wire, and inversely proportional of the transversal section. we obtained too
that the electrical resistivity of the nichrome is ρ = 1.4 × 10−6 ± 4.7 × 10−7 N M . By last, we obtained that the
current is directly proportional to the voltage(potential dierence), where the proportion constant is the resistance
of the circuit.

Introduction. ∆φ = Voltage (potential dierence). [∆φ]= V

R= Resistance. [R]=Ω
George Ohm was a German physicist which discovered the I= current. [I]=A.
electrical resistance of objects, which is the property of
the objects that determine the quantity of current passing
through it given a voltage. Ohm discovered too that the Experimental development.
current passing through an object is directly proportional
to the potential dierence apply in it, where the propor- Equipment.
tion constant is the resistance itself.[1,2] 1. Nichrome wires panel.
The electrical resistivity is the electrical resistance for an
specic given size of an specic material.[3] 2. Multimeter.
Previous measurements have shown that the electrical re- 3. Tape measure.
sistivity of nichrome is approximately 1.5 × 10−6 Ωm. [4]
The electrical resistance of a wire of any material is given 4. Banana connectors.
by:
L
5. Micrometer screw gauge.
R=ρ (1)
A 6. Resistors.
where 7. Low voltage source.
ρ= electrical resistivity. [ρ]= Ωm 8. alligator clips.
L= length. [L]=m
A= area of the cross section. [A]= m2 Execution.
R= Resistance. [R]=Ω
With the Micrometer screw gauge we measured the Cross-
The sentence "the current passing through an object is di- sectional area of each wire in the panel, and registered
rectly proportional to the potential dierence apply in it, the measurements. After that, we used a multimeter and
where the proportion constant is the resistance itself." is the banana connectors for measure the resistance of each
known like Ohm's law, and its mathematical expression is: wire, changing the distance between the connectors that
was touching the wire. We did this for every nichrome
∆φ = RI (2) wire.
For the Ohm's law part, we connected a resistor, with the
where help of the banana connectors and alligator clips, to the
1 Email: geovanny.rave@ciencias.unam.mx

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 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO
"Por mi raza hablará el espíritu"
Facultad de Ciencias.
Laboratorio de Electromagnetismo.

low voltage source, and applied to the resistor a poten- Results.

tial dierence which produced a current getting through
it, and we measured the potential dierence applied and
the current generated.
Resistance data.
Below is shown a graphic (Figure 3) with the data mea-
sured of the resistance respect to change of distance be-
tween connectors of each nichrome wire:
Now, we show a table in which are the measurements of the
cross-sectional areas of each nichrome wire of the panel:

Area. [m2 ]
First wire. 0.025 ± 0.003
Second wire. 0.053 ± 0.009
Third wire. 0.096 ± 0.005
Fourth wire. 0.196 ± 0.008
Figure 1: Experimental set-up for the resistance part. Fifth wire. 0.568 ± 0.013

Table 1: Data of the cross-sectional areas for each

nichrome wire.

Ohm's law data.

Now, we show a table in which are the measures of resis-

tance of each resistor used to Ohm's law experiment:

Resistance [Ω]
Fits resistor. 1.10 ± 0.05
Second resistor. 556.00 ± 0.05
Third resistor. 219.90 ± 0.05

Table 2: Data of the electrical resistance of each used re-

Figure 2: Experimental set-up for the Ohm's law part. sistor.

Figure 3: Data, with their respective adjustment, of the resistance respect distance for each nichrome wire.

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 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO
"Por mi raza hablará el espíritu"
Facultad de Ciencias.
Laboratorio de Electromagnetismo.

By last, below is shown a graphic in which are the mea- m × A = ρ for each wire:
sured data of potential dierence against current for each
resistor with their respective data adjustments: So, taking the mean of the m × A = ρ values, we get:
ρnichrome = 1.4 × 10−6 ± 4.7 × 10−7 N M. (4)
In the other hand, based on Figure 4 and table 2 we see
that as resistance goes up, the slopes goes up too, and, we
can notice at higher intensity, higher potential dierence,
therefore, based on this, say that
∆φ ∝ I → ∆φ = KI

where K is a constant.
Thus, we can, according to the slopes of the adjustments
in gure 4 and the resistance data form table 2, we can
say that K ∝ R, and, if we ignore the natural eects of
measure (that is, we cannot measure with all precision),
we can say that K = R.

Figure 4: Measured data of potential dierence against Conclusions.

current for each resistor.
We conclude that, according to equation 3 and the val-
ues obtained for ρnichrome , equation 1 describes with high
Discussion. accuracy the performance of the resistance of a nichrome
wire, and the value for ρnichrome obtained by us can be
According to gure 2 and table 1 we have that, if L goes use like a comparison value for future measurements.
up, then, the resistance goes up too, so, we can say that: We conclude too that, Ohm's law describe with all preci-
sion the relation between the current and potential dier-
R ∝ L.
ence in a circuit, and in fact, they are proportional and
In the other hand, we see that the slopes of lines are get- the proportion factor is the resistance of the circuit.
ting down as the cross-sectional area of the wire increases,
so, we can say that: References.
1
R∝ ,
A [1].(2017). Electrical Resistance.. March 18, 2018,
Therefore, we can say that from New World Encyclopedia website: http://
L www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Electrical_
R=K . (3) resistance.
A
[2].López, J. & Alvarado, A. (2017). Ley de Ohm..
Now, we need to determine what kind of constant is K, School of science, UNAM: Laboratory of Electro-
for this, according to equation 1, we have to multiple by magnetism. Recovered on March 26, 2018, from:
A each slope in the adjustment of the data in gure 3 https://sites.google.com/a/ciencias.unam.mx/
and take the mean of that values and thus be able to laboratorioelectromagnetismo/contactos
get ρnichrome . Below, we show a table with the value of

Slope "m" from the adjustment. Cross-sectional area "A". [m2 ] m × A = ρ [NM]
First wire. 88.608 ± 0.377 2.5 × 10−8 ± 3 × 10−9 2.22 × 10−6 ± 2.8 × 10−7
Second wire. 21.593 ± 0.335 5.3 × 10−8 ± 9 × 10−9 1.14 × 10−6 ± 2.1 × 10−7
Third wire. 11.449 ± 0.104 9.6 × 10−8 ± 5 × 10−9 1.1 × 10−6 ± 6.7 × 10−8
Fourth wire. 5.687 ± 0.202 1.96 × 10−7 ± 8 × 10−9 1.15 × 10−6 ± 8.5 × 10−8
Fifth wire. 2.456 ± 0.097 5.68 × 10−7 ± 1.3 × 10−8 1.39 × 10−6 ± 8.7 × 10−8

Table 3: Data of the slopes form the adjustments, the cross-sectional areas of each wire and the product between
them.

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 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO
"Por mi raza hablará el espíritu"
Facultad de Ciencias.
Laboratorio de Electromagnetismo.

.(2005). Electrical resistivity; denitions, formulas

and units.. March 18, 2018 form Electronic Note web-
site: https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/
basic_concepts/resistance/electrical-resistivity.
php
[4].Kwan, H. (2007). Resistivity of Nichrome.. March
18, 2018 form The Physics Factbooks website: https:
//hypertextbook.com/facts/2007/HarveyKwan.shtml