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This “Required Practical: Investigating Resistance” PowerPoint lesson is designed for AQA GCSE Physics students. It focuses on experimentally determining how the length of a wire affects resistance, reinforcing the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance using Ohm’s Law. The lesson follows the AQA required practical method, ensuring students understand data collection, analysis, and graph plotting.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Investigate how the length of a wire affects resistance using a circuit with an ammeter and voltmeter.
- Apply Ohm’s Law (R=V/I) to calculate resistance at different wire lengths.
- Analyze and interpret results, including identifying patterns and sources of error.
- Develop practical skills by setting up circuits, recording measurements, and plotting graphs.
Lesson Features:
The lesson begins with a starter activity where students solve Ohm’s Law problems to recall resistance calculations:
Core Topics Covered:
Aim of the Practical:
To investigate how changing the length of a wire affects resistance.
Explanation of how resistance occurs as electrons collide with metal ions in the wire.
Method (Step-by-Step Practical Guide):
Set up the apparatus using a power supply, wires, a ruler, crocodile clips, an ammeter, and a voltmeter.
Measure the wire length using a ruler and record it in a table.
Turn on the power supply, record the voltage and current.
Repeat the experiment for different wire lengths (e.g., 20 cm, 40 cm, 60 cm).
Turn off the power supply between readings to prevent overheating.
Use Ohm’s Law (R=V/I) to calculate resistance.
Plot a line graph of wire length vs. resistance.
Expected Results:
Resistance should increase with wire length, as a longer wire means more collisions between electrons and metal ions.
The relationship between length and resistance is directly proportional.
Interactive Activities:
✔ Complete the missing steps in the practical method.
✔ Predict what will happen to resistance as wire length increases.
✔ Analyze example data, perform resistance calculations, and plot a graph of wire length vs. resistance.
✔ Answer key GCSE-style questions, such as:
Why must the power supply be turned off between readings?
How does increasing wire length affect current?
File Details:
Format: Editable PowerPoint (.pptx)
Updated: February 2025
Aligned with: AQA GCSE Physics Required Practical Specification
This lesson provides clear guidance, structured activities, and real-world applications, making it an essential resource for mastering resistance investigations in GCSE Physics.
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It has everything included, example data, video showing how to set everything up and even a graph. Very good resource.
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