O H M M M ...

I T S N O T J U S T M A N T R A
16. Ohm's Law

Ohmmm...Its Not Just Mantra

Student Instruction Sheet
Challenge
Explore the relationship between current and voltage for a simple DC circuit with a resistor in series with a capacitor. Do the same for a light bulb in series with a capacitor. Compare the plot of voltage versus current for the light bulb to the plot for the resistor.

Equipment and Materials

Computer with USB Port PASPORT USB interface PASPORT Voltage/Current Sensor DataStudio software Charge/Discharge Circuit Banana Plug CordRed (2) AA Cell Battery

Student Instruction Sheet

Student Response Sheet

Safety Precautions
Remember, follow the directions for using the equipment.

Background
Georg Simon Ohm discovered that when the voltage across a resistor changes, the current through the resistor changes. I is current, V is voltage (potential difference), and R is resistance. In this activity, use a battery of two AA cell batteries to energize a capacitor. A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy. Then discharge the capacitor through a resistor and measure how the current through the circuit changes as the voltage across the resistor changes. Repeat the process for a second resistor and then for a light bulb.

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16. Ohm's Law

Predict
Before beginning the eLab, complete the prediction portion of the Student Response Sheet.

Explore
Computer Setup
1. Plug the PASPORT USB interface into the computers USB port. 2. Plug the Voltage/Current Sensor into the USB interface. This will automatically launch the PASPortal window. 3. Choose the appropriate DataStudio configuration file entitled
16 Ohms Law CF.ds
Note: Configuration files automatically launch the appropriate display(s), sampling rate(s), etc.

The Voltage/Current Sensor is a multi-sensor. As it measures two distinctly different quantities, you may find it challenging to use the sensor properly. Use the information at right to guide you in the use of the Voltage/Current Sensor.

The current portion of the sensor measures current through the circuit in amps.

The voltage portion of the sensor measures voltage across a part of a circuit in volts.

to the USB link

Record Data Part 1: 10-ohm Resistor

1. Set up the equipment as shown in the figure. Build a circuit that will energize the capacitor when the switch is closed in the charge position on the circuit board and will discharge the capacitor through the 10-ohm resistor when the switch is moved to the discharge position on the board. Connect the Current part of the Voltage/Current Sensor in series with the capacitor as shown. 386 Student Instruction Sheet PS-2810

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16. Ohm's Law

Connect the Voltage part of the sensor across the resistor as shown. 2. Begin with the switch on the circuit board in the open (upright) position. 3. Close the switch to the charge position and wait at least 15 seconds as the capacitor is charged. 4. Move the switch to the discharge position and click the Start ( button to begin recording voltage and current data.
Note: As the capacitor slowly discharges through the 10-ohm resistor, the DataStudio graph display shows voltage versus current as the voltage changes.

5. After the capacitor discharges, click the Stop ( the switch to the open (upright) position.

) button and move

Record Data Part 2: 33-ohm Resistor

1. Change the circuit so the 33-ohm resistor is in series with the capacitor as shown in the figure. 2. Close the switch to the charge position and wait at least 30 seconds as the capacitor is charged. 3. Move the switch to the discharge position and click the Start button to begin recording voltage and current data.
Note: As the capacitor slowly discharges through the 33-ohm resistor, the DataStudio graph display shows voltage versus current as the voltage changes.

4. After the capacitor discharges, click the Stop button and move the switch to the open (upright) position.

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16. Ohm's Law

Record Data Part 3: Light Bulb

1. Change the circuit so one of the 3 volt light bulbs is in series with the capacitor as shown in the figure. 2. Close the switch to the charge position and wait at least five seconds as the capacitor is charged. 3. Move the switch to the discharge position and click the Start button to begin recording voltage and current data. As the capacitor slowly discharges through the light bulb, the DataStudio graph display shows voltage versus current as the voltage changes. 4. After the capacitor discharges, click the Stop button and move the switch to the open (upright) position.

Analyze
Find the slope of voltage versus current for each of the two resistors. 1. Select the plot of voltage versus current for the first resistor (Run #1). 2. Select Linear Fit from the Fit ( ) menu. Record the slope (the value of m) for the first resistor on the Student Response Sheet. 3. Repeat the process for the plot of voltage versus current for the second resistor (Run #2). 4. Save your DataStudio file (on the File menu, click Save Activity As...) to the location specified by your teacher. 5. Answer the questions and define the vocabulary words on the Student Response Sheet. 6. Follow your teachers instructions regarding cleaning up your workshop.

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Student Instruction Sheet PS-2810

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MANTRA
16. Ohm's Law

Student Response Sheet

Name:__________________________________ Date:_______________________________

Ohmmmm... Its Not Just a Mantra

Vocabulary
Use available resources to find the definitions of the following terms: alternating current (AC): ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ current (I): ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ direct current (DC): ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ resistance (R): ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ voltage (V): ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

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MANTRA

Predict
1. What do you think the relationship is between current and voltage for a simple resistor? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. How do you think the relationship of current and voltage for a light bulb compares to the relationship for a simple resistor? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Data
Record the slope (m) of voltage versus current for each of the two resistors. Resistor
10-ohm 33-ohm

Slope

Analyze
1. How does the slope of the plot of voltage versus current for the 10-ohm resistor compare to the resistance value? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

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16. Ohm's Law

2. How does the slope of the plot of voltage versus current for the 33-ohm resistor compare to the resistance value? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3. Describe the plot of voltage versus current for the 10-ohm resistor. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4. Describe the plot of voltage versus current for the 33-ohm resistor in comparison to the plot for the 10-ohm resistor. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 5. How does the plot for the light bulb compare to the plot for either resistor? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Synthesize
1. What can you conclude about the relationship between current and voltage? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

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MANTRA

2. What can you conclude about the relationship between current and resistance? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3. Do your results support your predictions? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

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