Done by: Maliha Tariq 10G1 28Apr 2020 Assigned By: Ms.

Dhanya S

How does the temperature affect the resistance

of a thermistor?
A thermistor is used in a wide range of products and applications that shape
the modern world. It is a type of resistor whose resistance is dependent on
temperature. A resistor is an electrical component that regulates the flow of
current in an electrical circuit. The creation of the first thermistor was by
Michael Faraday who was a British physicist and chemist. However, a
commercially viable thermistor was invented by Samuel Ruben in 1930.
There are 2 types of opposite fundamental thermistors:
 NTC (negative temperature coefficient) thermistors: resistance
decreases as temperature rises.
 PTC (positive temperature coefficient) thermistors: resistance increases
as temperature rises. These thermistors are commonly installed in series
with a circuit, and used to protect against overcurrent conditions, as
resettable fuses.
Thermistors are used as temperature sensors. They can be found in every
day appliances such as fire alarms, ovens and refrigerators. They are also used
in digital thermometers and in many automotive applications for regulation.
The working principle of a thermistor is that its resistance is dependent on its
temperature. This can be investigated by looking at how temperature affects
the resistance of a thermistor.
To find the relationship of temperature with resistance with both of the
thermistors (NTC and PTC), we need the following equipments:-
Small Beaker 250ml Stopwatch 2 Batteries
Thermometer Thermistors Crocodile Clips
Ammeter Electric Kettle Voltmeter

Based on research, my hypothesis is that resistance decreases as the

temperature increases in NTC thermistors while in PTC thermistors as the
temperature increases the resistance increases.
The independent variable in this investigation is temperature of the water
while the dependent variable is the resistance of the thermistor. The control
variables are interval time, the same thermistor, voltage and the volume of
the water. Using the same thermistor is important as different thermistors will
have different internal resistance.
Firstly, water needs to be heated in the kettle and then pour the boiling water
into the beaker. Add a thermometer in the beaker of hot water. An electric
circuit needs to be setup. Our power supply will be from 2 batteries which are
connected to an ammeter, voltmeter and the NTC thermistor with crocodile
clips. Place the thermistor in the beaker.

Figure 1: Circuit setup diagram (spark.iop.org)

Figure 2: The setup with all the equipments (via YouTube: judgemeadowsci)
Secondly, take the readings of potential difference from the voltmeter and
record it in the table and then the voltmeter can be removed as the voltage
remains constant throughout the investigation.
Thirdly, take readings of the current flowing through the thermistor as the
temperature falls every minute. There’ll be 15 intervals, each for 1min. Record
the temperature and the current in the table.
Finally, calculate the resistance using the formula. Plot the graph of
resistance/ ohm (y-axis) against temperature/ °C (x-axis) based on the results:
𝑽𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆
𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 =
𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕
Results Table for 3 trials of each component (voltage remains the same):
Temperature (OC) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ω)
An example of a graph:

Figure 3: Graph of temperature against resistance (source: researchgate.com)

This experiment can be repeated using PTC thermistor instead of NTC to
compare them.
In order to ensure reliability, we need to carry out this experiment 3 times at
each temperature and then find the mean before plotting it on to the graph.
There are some safety precautions that needs to be taken. Wear safety goggles
to protect eyes as this investigation involves heating and wear heat-resistant
gloves as they’re designed to protect hands from burns or other injuries that
can result from coming into contact with hot liquids.
In conclusion, we learn that as the temperature increases, the resistance
decreases in NTC thermistors while in PTC thermistors as the temperature
increases the resistance increases.
 References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxofc52g4PY
https://www.scribd.com/doc/201434934/Investigating-How-the-
Resistance-of-a-Thermistor-Varies-With-Temperature
https://www.teamwavelength.com/thermistor-basics/
https://www.kitronik.co.uk/blog/how-a-thermistor-works/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermistor
https://www.sensorsci.com/a-brief-history-of-thermistors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzzqyVU3Oro
https://spark.iop.org/effect-temperature-thermistor#gref