Resistance and Resistivity

Grade 12 · Physics

Semester 1 | Period 2 | Week 8

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Subject: Physics

Semester: 1

Period: 2

Week: 8


School Name:

Teacher’s Name:

Subject: Physics

Grade Level: Grade 12

Week & Period: Week 8, Period II

Date:

Topic: Resistance and Resistivity
Sub-topics:

  • Ohm’s Law
  • Factors affecting the resistance of a conductor

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to:

  1. Define resistance and state its unit.
  2. State and apply Ohm’s Law in circuit problems.
  3. Identify and explain factors that affect the resistance of a conductor.
  4. Perform and interpret experiments to verify Ohm’s Law.
  5. Solve problems on resistance and resistivity.

 

Instructional Materials:

  • Dry cells or battery packs
  • Resistors of known values
  • Connecting wires
  • Switch
  • Rheostat
  • Ammeter
  • Voltmeter
  • Multimeter
  • Ruler, copper wire of known length and thickness
  • Calculator

 

Anticipation (Warm-Up):

Ask: “Why does a longer wire make a bulb dimmer?”
Demonstrate connecting a short and long wire between a bulb and battery, then observe brightness.

 

Building Knowledge (Main Lesson):

  1. Resistance
  • Opposition to the flow of electric current.
  • Symbol: R, Unit: Ohm (Ω)

 

  1. Ohm’s Law
  • States that:
    V=IR
    Where:
    V = Voltage (Volts),
    I = Current (Amperes),
    R = Resistance (Ohms)
  • Valid for conductors where current and voltage are directly proportional.

 

  1. Factors Affecting Resistance
  • Length (L): Resistance increases with length.
  • Area (A): Wider wires have less resistance.
  • Material: Copper has less resistance than iron.
  • Temperature: Higher temperatures increase resistance in metals.
  • Formula:
  • Where ρ is the resistivity of the material.

 

Experiment: Verifying Ohm’s Law

Title: Relationship Between Voltage and Current in a Resistor
Materials: Resistor, dry cell, voltmeter, ammeter, switch, wires
Procedure:

  1. Connect circuit as per standard Ohm’s Law setup.
  2. Gradually increase voltage and record corresponding current.
  3. Plot V against I.
    Observation: The graph is a straight line, proving Ohm’s Law.
    Conclusion: Resistance remains constant; V∝I

 

Assessment Questions:

  1. Objective Questions
  • Ohm’s Law relates:
    A. Voltage, current, resistance
    B. Current, power, energy
    C. Charge, mass, time
    D. Voltage, frequency, period
  • Which of these will decrease resistance in a wire?
    A. Increase length
    B. Use thinner wire
    C. Use copper instead of iron
    D. Heat the wire
  1. Short Answer Questions
  • Define resistance and give its unit.
  • Explain why resistance increases with temperature.
  1. Problem Solving
    A wire has a resistance of 5Ω and a current of 2A flows through it.
    i. Find the voltage across the wire.
    ii. What energy is dissipated in 10 seconds?

 

Homework:

  • Measure the resistance of various materials at home (e.g., pencil lead, foil) using a battery and bulb.
  • Draw a labeled diagram showing an Ohm’s Law experiment.
  • Use Ohm’s Law to calculate current if 12V is applied across a 4Ω resistor.

 

Expanded Notes:

  • Materials with low resistivity are good conductors (e.g., copper).
  • Resistance leads to heat generation in electric cookers and irons.
  • Carbon resistors are commonly used in electronics.
  • Multimeters help measure resistance directly.

 

Differentiation:

  • Diagrams for visual learners
  • Hands-on circuit assembly for kinesthetic learners
  • Group calculations for peer learning

 

Teacher’s Reflection:

  • Were learners able to grasp the concept of resistance practically?
  • Was the Ohm’s Law graph interpreted correctly?
  • Did all groups complete the calculation and experiment?