INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

Aim:
To study various factors on which the internal resistance/EMF of a
cell depends.

Concepts:
Internal Resistance of a cell
1. When a cell connected in a circuit is made to send current
through the circuit by closing the key, current flows from the
positive pole to the negative pole of the cell in the external
part of circuit and flows from the negative pole to the
positive pole through the electrolyte inside the cell. During
the passage of the current through the interior of the cell,
electrolyte offers some resistance to the flow of current. The
resistance offered by the electrodes and the electrolyte to
the passage of current through the interior of the cell is
called the internal resistance of the cell. It is donated by the
symbol r.
2. E.M.F. of a cell (E). The maximum potential difference that
exists between the terminals of a cell, when cell is in open
circuit i.e. when it is not sending any current through the
circuit is called e.m.f. of the cell. It is donated by the symbol
E.
Terminal potential difference (V). The potential difference
that exists across the terminal of a cell when the cell is
sending current in the circuit, is called the terminal potential
difference of the cell. It is donated by the symbol V.

3.Relation Between E and V. When a cell of terminal

resistance r is sending current I through a circuit,
then
E=V+I.r

4. Factors on which the Internal Resistance of a cell depends.

Internal resistance of a cell depends upon the following
factors:
i. distance between electrodes
ii. common area of electrodes inside the electrolyte
iii. nature of the electrolyte
iv. amount of current drawn from the cell.

Nature of Dependence on:

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

Distance between Electrodes. Internal

resistance of a cell is directly proportional to the
distance between the electrodes i.e. the length of the
electrolyte through the current passes through the cell.
Common Area of Electrodes. It is inversely
proportional to the common area of electrodes (or
plates) dipping in the electrolyte.
Nature of Electrolyte. Internal resistance of a cell
is inversely proportional to the specific conductivity of
the electrolyte. Specific conductivity is reciprocal of
specific resistivity or specific resistance of the
electrolyte.
Amount of Current Drawn from a Cell. Internal
resistance of a cell also depends upon the amount of
current drawn from the cell. Beyond a certain critical
value of current drawn from a cell, its internal resistance

increases with the increase in the value of current drawn

from it. There is, however, no definite mathematical
relation between the two.

Apparatus

An improvised simple voltaic cell, a multimeter, a

resistance box (0 - 50 range), a plug key, beakers of
500 mL and 200 mL capacity, high resistance voltmeter.

Description of the improvised Primary Cell

1. Take a beaker of capacity 500 mL and paste on
it a
vertical strip of a cm graph paper
such that the lower edge of strip touches the
bottom and upper edge touches the top of the
beaker. Mark on the graph strip, the distances
in centimeter from bottom to the top (Fig. D1.1).
2. Electrodes: Take two plates of size 5 cm X 12
cm X 1 mm each cut out of sheets of copper
and zinc. One threaded bolt of length 8 cm and
diameter about 3 mm is soldered in the middle
of each of the plates. Each of the bolts is
provided with a pair of tightly fitting nuts and a
connecting terminal at the top.
3. A thin lid of wooden sheet (ply) with a
rectangular slot of width slightly more than the
diameter of bolts (i.e., about 3.5mm) and
length about 12 cm, is taken and metallic
plates with their parallel faces facing each
other, are fitted into the slot of the lid and
tightened by the nuts. 1 molar solution of
HSO is filled in the beaker up to (3/4) th of its
height and the metallic plates (called
electrodes) are dipped in the solution without

touching the bottom of the beaker. This

arrangement (shown in Fig. D-1.1) is your
improvised cell needed for the activity.

Theory:
The difference between the e.m.f. (E) of a cell and its terminal p.d.
(V) is governed by the relation,
E-V=I . r
where r is the internal resistance of the cell. The increase in the
difference (E-V) for the same current shows an increase in
internal resistance and vice versa.

Procedure:
A. Effect of change of distance
between the plates:
1. Keep a distance of about 10 cm in between the
plates, dip then completely in the solution and fix
them in position with the help of nuts N and N.
2. Take out a suitable resistance of 4 ohms from the
resistance box (R.B.). Plug in the key K and measure
the terminal potential difference (V) with the help of
a high resistance voltmeter of a multimeter.3
3. Open the circuit by taking out the plug from the key
K and again measure the drop of potential across the
terminals of the cell in the open circuit. This p.d.
gives the e.m.f. (E) of the cell.
4. Now change the distance between the plates to 5 cm
and repeat the steps 2 and 3 taking out a suitable

resistance from R.B. such that the current is same as

in step 2.
5. Take three more sets of observations, keeping the
separation between plates as 6 cm, 4 cm and 2 cm.
6. Record your observations as detailed below :

Observations
With change of Distance
between Electrodes
Table 1.1
No. of
Obs.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Distance
between
electrodes
(cm)
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0

V
(volt)

E
(volts)

Difference
(E-V)
(volt)

Inference

B. Dependence on Common Area of

Electrodes

Procedural Steps
7. Keep a fixed distance between the electrodes (or plates) say
5 cm
and keep top edges of the
plates just immersed in the electrolyte.
8. Take out a suitable resistance from the resistance box and
measure the terminal p.d. (V) by the voltmeter.
9. Open the circuit by taking out the plug from key K and
measure e.m.f. of the cell (E) by multimeter or voltmeter.
10. Pull both the plates out of the electrolyte by 2 cm so that
the common dipped area in the solution decreases. Now repeat
the steps 8 and 9.
11. Take two more sets of observations by further pulling
electrodes out of the electrolyte suitably and repeat steps 8
and 9 again.
12. Record your observations as given below:

For dependence on common

area
of
plates
inside
the
electrolyte.
Table -1.2
No. of
Obs.

1.
2.

Length of
electrodes
inside
electrolyte
* (cm)

V
(volt)

E
(volt)

Difference
(E-V) (volt)

Inference

3.
4.
*A decrease in length of electrode dipped in electrolyte will decrease the
effective area of electrodes inside the electrolyte.

C. Dependence on the Concentration

of Electrolyte
13. Lower down the plates suitably in the solution and
set the gap between the plates about 5 cm. Let the
concentration of the electrolyte solution be 1 molar (IM) **
to start with. If it is not so, check up the concentration of
the acid solution and prepare it accordingly.
14. Take out suitable resistance from the resistant box
and measure the terminal potential difference V and
e.m.f. E of the cell as explained earlier.
15. Pour out solution of the cell in a bigger graduated
cylinder and add calculated quantity of distilled water to
increase the volume of the solution so that the
concentration reduces to 0.8 M.
16. Repeat step (14) for measuring V and E of the cell.
17. Take two more sets of observations with concentration
of 0.6 M and 0.4 M, of the electrolyte.
18. Record your observations as detailed below:

Observations:
With change of concentration of electrolyte
Table D-1.3
No. of Obs.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Concentratio
n (molar)

V
(volt)

E
(volt)

Inference

Conclusion
1.

Internal resistance of a primary cell increases with the

increase in distance between electrodes.
2. Internal resistance increases with decrease in common area
of electrodes dipped in the electrolyte.
3. Internal resistance increases with decrease in concentration
of the electrolyte.

Precautions

1. All connections in the circuit should be neat and tight.

All plugs in resistance box should also be tight.
2. Positive terminal of the voltmeter should be connected
to the positive terminal of the cell.
3. To decrease the common area of the electrodes dipped
in the electrolyte, the plates.