THE HYDERABAD PUBLIC SCHOOL
RAMANTHAPUR HYDERABAD- 500013.
PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
2024-2025
TOPIC: RESISTIVITY OF PENCIL LEAD
NAME: ANAS ANEES
XII – A
HALL TICKET NUMBER:
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that ANAS ANEES of Class XII A, Hall Ticket No.
. has successfully completed his
investigatory project in PHYSICS (042) on the topic / title RESISTIVITY
OF PENCIL LEAD
Under the guidance of Faculty of Biology T.S Sheela Rani during the
academic year 2024-2025 as a part of SSCE PHYSICS PRACTICAL
EXAMINATION CURRICULUM.
SIGN. OF INTERNAL EXAMINER SIGN. OF EXTERNAL EXAMINER
CONTENTS
AIM
INTRODUCTION
THEORY (OR) PRINCIPLE
APPARATUS
PROCEDURE
OBSERvATIONS
RESULT
CONCLUSION
SCOPE Of PROjECT
PRECAUTIONS
SOURCES Of ERROR
BIBLIOgRAPHY
IMAgES
DECLARATION
INTRODUCTION
The electrical resistance of pencil lead, often composed of graphite, is
an important factor in understanding how it can conduct electricity. This
resistance is influenced by several variables, primarily the length and
cross-sectional area of the pencil lead. The relationship between these
factors can be analyzed using Ohm's Law and the concept of resistivity,
where resistance increases with longer lengths and decreases with
larger cross-sectional areas. By varying the length and diameter of the
pencil lead, it is possible to measure and determine how these physical
properties affect the material's ability to conduct electric current. This
experiment provides valuable insights into the practical applications of
graphite in electrical circuits and materials science.
AIM
To determine the resistance of pencil lead
varying in length and area
APPARATUS
1. Pencil lead
2. Voltmeter
3. Ammeter
4. Connecting wires
5. Battery eliminator
6. Alligator clips
7. Rheostat
PROCEDURE
1. Set up the apparatus as shown above.
2. Use crocodile clips to connect lead to the circuit.
3. Measure the length of the lead and take the readings by changing
its length.
4. After taking the readings with its length, increase the area of the
pencil lead by adding one more in it.
5. Repeat these steps till 6mm-8mm (i.e. 3-4) leads.
6. Record these observations in the observation table.
7. Now, we can calculate the electrical resistance ‘R’ by using the
relation,
R=V/I
OBSERVATIONS
Area : 2mm 1lead
Voltage(V) Current (I)
Resistance (R)
Length of the
lead
(Ω)
(V) (A)
7cm 1.1 V 0.25 A 4.04 Ω
6cm 0.95 V 0.25 A 3.8 Ω
4cm 0.8 V 0.25 A 3.2 Ω
2cm 0.5 V 0.25 A 2Ω
Area : 6mm 3leads
Voltage(V) Current (I) Resistance (R)
Length of the
lead
(V) (A) (Ω)
7cm 0.75 V 0.25 A 3Ω
6cm 0.7 V 0.25 A 2.8 Ω
4cm 0.5 V 0.25 A 2Ω
2cm 0.45 V 0.25 A 1.8 Ω
Area : 4mm 2leads
Resistance
Voltage(V) Current (I)
(R)
Length of the
lead
(V) (A)
(Ω)
7cm 0.95 V 0.25 A 3.8 Ω
6cm 0.85 V 0.25 A 3.4 Ω
4cm 0.6 V 0.25 A 2.4 Ω
2cm 0.55 V 0.25 A 2.2 Ω
RESULT
The resistance of pencil lead decreases with
length and decreases with increase in area.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the experiment demonstrated that the resistance of pencil
lead is influenced by both its length and cross-sectional area. As expected,
the resistance increased with length, following the direct proportionality
predicted by Ohm's Law, since a longer conductor provides more resistance
to the flow of current. On the other hand, the resistance decreased as the
cross-sectional area of the pencil lead increased, which aligns with the
inverse proportionality outlined in the formula R=ρLAR=ρAL , where ρρ
is the resistivity, LL is the length, and AA is the area. These results
confirm the theoretical relationships between resistance, length, and
area, and provide a better understanding of how physical properties of
materials, like the geometry of pencil lead, can affect electrical
resistance. Further investigations could explore the impact of varying
materials or testing under different environmental conditions to gain
deeper insights into the factors influencing resistance.
PRECAUTIONS
1. Make sure the connections are tight
2. Use ammeter and voltemeter of proper division
3. make sure you dont heat up the setup
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
The scope of this experiment is to investigate how the electrical
resistance of pencil lead varies with changes in its length and
cross-sectional area. Pencil lead, primarily made of a mixture of
graphite and clay, is known to conduct electricity, and its
resistance can be influenced by its physical dimensions. The
experiment aims to measure the resistance of pencil lead as a
function of both the length (from one end to the other) and the
cross-sectional area (which can be adjusted by varying the
diameter of the lead). By varying these two parameters, we
seek to explore the relationship between resistance, length,
and area, and to verify Ohm's Law in the context of pencil lead
as a conductor. The results will help to understand the factors
that affect the resistivity of graphite and will contribute to a
broader understanding of how the geometric properties of a
material impact its electrical conductivity. The experiment will
involve systematically altering the length and cross-sectional
area of pencil lead samples, measuring the corresponding
resistance, and analyzing the data to establish a mathematical
model for resistance in terms of these variables.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Google.com
2. https://lens.google
3. Wikipedia.com
SOURCES OF ERROR
1. Connection is not tight
2. Ohms law is not being followed
3. Connections is not correct
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the project titled “RESISTIVITY OF PENCIL
LEAD”, submitted to the department of physics, The Hyderabad
Public School (Ramanthapur).
ANAS ANEES
12A
IMAGES
DECLARARTION
I hereby declare that the project titled “Chlorophyll content in
different colored leaves ”, submitted to the department of
Biology, The Hyderabad Public School (Ramanthapur).
ANAS ANEES
12A
THEORY (OR) PRINCIPLE
The experiment to determine the resistance of a pencil lead varying in length
and cross-sectional area is based on Ohm’s Law and the formula for electrical
resistance in a conductor. According to the formula, the resistance of a
conductor is directly proportional to its length and inversely proportional to its
cross-sectional area, where is the resistivity of the material, which remains
constant for a given material at a specific temperature. In this experiment, the
pencil lead acts as the conductor, and its resistance is measured while
systematically varying its length and area. By analyzing the data, one can
observe that longer pencil leads exhibit higher resistance due to increased path
length for electrons, while leads with a larger cross-sectional area show lower
resistance, as more electrons can flow simultaneously. This illustrates the
dependency of resistance on physical dimensions and material properties.
