PHYSICS

INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT

BY: RAVI KUMAR ZALA

CLASS: xII
Aim
To study the variation in potential drop with length of a
wire for a steady current.

Apparatus and material

Apparatus. Potentiometer:
Material: A fully charged 4.5 V battery or battery
eliminator, a low resistance rheostat, a voltmeter of
range (0-3.0 V), an ammeter (0-3) A, a one way key, a
jockey, a set square, connecting wires and a piece of
sand paper.
 Acknowledgement

I am thankful to and fortunate enough to get constant

encouragement, support and guidance from all teaching
staff of Physics Mr. Anand sir who helped me in
successfully completing my project work. Also I would
like to extend my sincere esteems to all staff in
laboratory for their timely support.
 Theory
What is a Potentiometer?
A potentiometer (also known as a pot or potmeter) is
defined as a 3 terminal variable resistor in which the
resistance is manually varied to control the flow of
electric current. A potentiometer acts as an adjustable
voltage divider.

Working Of Potentiometer

The principle of a potentiometer is that the potential

dropped across a segment of a wire of uniform
cross-section carrying a constant current is directly
proportional to its length. The potentiometer is a simple
device used to measure the electrical potentials (or
compare the e.m.f of a cell). One form of potentiometer
is a uniform high-resistance wire attached to an
insulating support, marked with a linear measuring scale. In
use, an adjustable regulated voltage source E, of greater
magnitude than the potential to be measured, is connected
across the wire so as to pass a steady current through it.

Between the end of the wire and any point along it will be a
potential proportional to the length of wire to that point. By
comparing the potential at points along the wire with an
unknown potential, the magnitude of the unknown potential
can be determined. The instrument used for comparison must
be sensitive, but need not be particularly well-calibrated or
accurate so long as its deflection from zero position can be
easily detected.
 Procedure

1. Draw a circuit diagram showing the scheme of

connections as in figure.
2. Remove the insulation from the ends of the connecting
copper wires with a sand paper.
3. Connect the positive pole of the battery (eliminator) (a
battery of constant e.m.f.) to the zero end (P) of the
potentiometer and the negative pole through a one-way
key, an ammeter and a low resistance rheostat to the other
end (Q) of the potentiometer.
4. Connect the positive terminal of the voltmeter to the end
P of the potentiometer and the negative terminal to the
jockey.
5. Touch the end of the jockey to the end Q of the
potentiometer.
6. Close the key and set the rheostat such that the voltmeter
gives full scale deflection (3 V).
7. Touch the jockey at end P at 0 (zero) cm. The voltmeter
will give zero deflection.
8. Touch the jockey at marks separated by 50 cm length of
wire. Note the voltmeter reading in each case.
9. Record your observations in tabular form as given ahead.
Observations and calculations
 Calculation from Graph

Plot a graph choosing a suitable scale, for the values of

potential drop V along y-axis and length l along x-axis.
 Result
The graph between V and l is a strait line. Therefore, te
potential drop along the length of the wire is directly
proportional to its length.

The potential drop per unit length of the wire is ___

V /cm.
THANK
YOU