1

L.H.S. (unruled side) R.H.S. (Ruled side)

Circuit diagram: Experiment No. Date:

RESISTANCE PER UNIT LENGTH OF THE WIRE

Aim: Determination of resistance per unit length of a given wire
by plotting a graph of current versus potential difference.
Apparatus: A wire of unknown resistance, battery, voltmeter,
ammeter, plug key, rheostat and metre scale.
Principle: Ohm’s law: The electric current flowing through a
conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference
across the ends of the conductor when temperature and other
physical conditions remain constant.
𝟏
Formula: 1. Resistance of the wire, R = 𝒎
Ba – Battery, K- Plug key, Rh – Rheostat, V –
Voltmeter, A – Ammeter, R – Resistance wire Where, R – resistance of the wire,
Nature of graph: m – slope of the graph of current versus potential
difference.
𝑹
2. Resistance per unit length = 𝑳

Where L- the length of the experimental wire.

Procedure:
1. The connections are made as shown in the circuit diagram.
2. The rheostat is adjusted for a particular value of current I.
Current I and corresponding voltage V are noted.
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L.H.S. (Unruled side) R.H.S. (Ruled side)

Observation: Length of the wire, L = 0.2m 3. The experiment is repeated for different values of current I
and the readings are tabulated.
4. A graph is plotted between V and I, taking V on X – axis and I
Tabular column:
on Y – axis. The slope m of the graph is found.
5. The reciprocal of the slope is calculated which gives the
Trial No. V in volt I in ampere resistance R of the wire.
1 0.2 0.1 6. The length of the resistance wire is measured.
2 0.3 0.15 7. Then the resistance per unit length of the wire,
𝑹
is
𝑳
3 0.4 0.2 calculated.
4 0.5 0.25
5 0.6 0.35
Result: Resistance per unit length of the given wire =10Ω m-1
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L.H.S. (Unruled side)

Calculation:
𝑩𝑪
Slope, 𝒎 = 𝑨𝑩

𝟑 × 𝒀 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒆
=
𝟑 × 𝑿 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒆
𝟑 × 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓
=
𝟑 × 𝟎. 𝟏
𝟎.𝟏𝟓
= 𝟎.𝟑

𝒎 = 𝟎.5
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
Resistance of the wire, R = 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒆 = 𝒎 = 𝟎.𝟓 = 𝟐Ω

𝑹 𝟐
Resistance per unit length, = 𝟎.𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎Ω m-1
𝑳

Video Link:
https://youtu.be/Kc7QnBWx59M