PRAC 8: RESISTANCE & HEAT:

Nichrome Wire
Introduction
Resistive heating is the process in which an electric
current is passed through a conductor with high
resistance. As the electrons collide with other
electrons and the atoms of the conductor, electrical
energy is converted to heat.
The amount of resistance of a material will increase as the number of collisions increases.
Heaters are made using wires with high resistance that will convert the electrical energy
into heat. A common material to make heating elements from is Nichrome. Nichrome is a
mixture of Nickel and chromium and has a high melting point (1400C).

The thickness of Nichrome wire is measured in SWG (Standard wire gauge), where the
thinner the wire, the larger the SWG. 20 SWG has a diameter of 0.91 mm, 26 SWG has a
diameter of 0.46 mm and 32 AWG has a diameter of 0.27 mm

Glossary Terms
Resistance is a measure of how difficult it is for electrons to flow through part of a circuit.
The higher the resistance the harder it is for electrons to flow. Resistance is measured using
the units Ohms ().

Aim
To investigate the effect of changing the length and thickness of Nichrome wire on its
resistance.

Materials
6-Volt Battery
5 connecting leads with alligator clips or banana plugs
50 cm Nichrome wire (20 SWG)
50 cm Nichrome wire (26 SWG)
50 cm Nichrome wire (32 SWG)
100 cm Nichrome wire (26 SWG)
Laptop
Analogue Ammeter
Analogue Voltmeter
USB wireless connector
Wireless temperature probe
250mL Beaker
Heat resistant gloves
Heatproof mat

Method and results

1. Draw the following table in your book to collect your results. T is the change in
the temperature over the 5 mins. E.g. subtract the starting temperature from
the final temperature.

Guag Lengt V I Temperature (C)

e h (A) (A) 0mi 1mi 2mi 3mi 4mi 5mi T
(SWG (cm) n n n n n n
)
20 50
 26 50

32 50

26 100
Procedure
You will use the same circuit to record results for each different length
and thickness of wire.
BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN USING THE NICHROME WIRE - IT
WILL BECOME VERY HOT
1. Set up the circuit according to the diagram to the right. Ensure
that the coil is in the water and that the only part of the connecting
leads touching the Nichrome is the alligator clip (Do not let
anything plastic touch the wire). Do not connect one of the leads to
the battery until you are ready to record your data.
2. Ensure that your Ammeter is connected in series and your
Voltmeter is connected in parallel
3. Open the SPARKvue software by clicking on the
icon on the desktop
4. Insert the USB wireless connector into your computer
5. Turn on the temperature probe
6. Click on the Bluetooth icon on the top right of the screen
7. A list of Available Devices should appear. Select the probe that matches the number
on the front of the probe. (It should move to the Connected Devices)
8. Select the correct temperature probe (ensure the number on the probe matches the
one on the screen (it should be the top option)
9. Click on the Build option on the left-hand side
10.On the right-hand side click on the fourth template
11.Click on the first box and Select the table icon
12.Click on Select Measurement at the top of the first column. Click on the box beside
measurement (it should highlight blue) and select Time from the right-hand side.
13.Beside the Units: option select min
14.In the second column, click Select Measurement. Click on the box beside
measurement (it should highlight blue) and select Temperature from the right-hand
side. Click OK.
15.Change the collection rate by clicking on the blue icon on the right of this button
16.Beside Sample Interval: click on the < button until it reads 1 min. Click OK
17. Set up your circuit so that the current meter is connected in
series and the voltage meter is in parallel.
18. When you are ready to start collecting data, attach the lead to the battery and
click on the green play button in the bottom left corner of the screen to start
collecting your data. Copy your results into the table in your books as you collect
your data.
19. Every time a temperature reading records, ensure that you record the current
and the voltage as well
20. After the 5-minute reading has been collected, disconnect the battery.
21. Using your heat resistant gloves carefully remove the Nichrome wire and leave
it on the heatproof mat to cool down.
22. ONCE YOU HAVE COPIED YOUR RESULTS, delete the previous run
by clicking on Choose Manage Data then Manage Runs then Delete All
Runs
 23. Connect the next wire and repeat steps 18-22 until you have collected data for
all 4 wires.

Discuss and explain

1. Of the 3 wires that were 50 cm long, order the diameters from the least resistance
to the most resistance. (Hint the highest resistance will cause the water to heat
up the most.
2. Describe the relationship between wire thickness and resistance.
3. By comparing the 50 cm, 26 SWG wire to the 100cm, 26 SWG wire explain the
relationship between resistance and wire length.
4. Draw a graph of Temperature vs Time and plot results for each sets of results you
collected.