Experimental Analysis of V-I-R Relationships using Ohm's Law in

Ohmic and Non-Ohmic Conductors

Queenie Cocjin1, Roy Edison Ildesa2 and Gill Wendell Quijano2
1
2

College of Architecture, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101

College of Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101

Abstract
This experiment was primarily conducted to analyze the relationships between voltage,
current and resistance. The data gathered in the experiment were measured using a digital
thermometer, multimeter and micrometer. Resistivity was also determined in order to
compute for the resistance of the conductor. The resistance wire was then subjected to
multiple tests to expose these existing relationships. A light bulb was also used to investigate
the link between voltage and current using a non-ohmic material. The conclusion was the
observance of the relationships qualitatively and quantitatively directly for ohmic and indirectly
for non-ohmic condictors.

1. Introduction
It was Georg Simon Ohm who derived Ohm's Law as denition for the fundamental relationship between voltage
and current in an ideal conductor. This relationship was derived by the physicist by describing measurements of applied
voltage and current through various electrical circuits that involves varying lengths of wire. Ohm's Law was not easily
summarized into what people know of the formula today. It involved several steps to derive the present representation
of Ohm's Law.
This law states that the potential difference across an ideal conductor is proportional to the current that passes
through it. This relationship is then derived to the equation:
I=

V
.
R

(1)

According to standards, I stands for the current through the conductor that equals to the potential differenceV
across the two points and is inversely proportional to resistance R between them. I then contains the SI unit of Ampere
(A) while potential difference has the SI unit of Volts (V) and R is signied by the SI unit Ohms (). More so, the
law states that R represents a constant in the given law and is independent of the current. Ohm's Law can therefore be
applied to solve simple closed circuits that should contain a power source to provide voltage.
A material can be classied as an ohmic or a non-ohmic material. Ohmic materials follow Ohm's Law and
its resistance is independent of the current and voltage, while non-ohmic materials exhibit the property of having its
resistance dependent of the current and voltage of the system which can be seen in a non-linear relationship using a
Cartersian plot:
V

V
m=

V
= R =constant
I
m

V
= R constant
I

I(A)

I (A)
Figure 1. Voltage vs. Current plot of an Ohmic material

Figure 2. Voltage vs. Current plot of a particular Non-ohmic material

The resistance of the conductor can be calculated using the mathematical equation:
R=

L
A

(2)

where is the resistivity of the material, L being the length and A as the cross-sectional area of the conductor. Note
that the resistance only depends on the composition and dimensions of the material, in this case, the wire. Moreover,
resistivity is also dependent on the geometry of the material and can be calculated using
(T ) = 20 [1 + (T 20C)]

(3)

with 20 being the resistivity of the material at 20C, as the temperature coefcient resistance and T the measured
temperature of the material.

2. Methodology
The materials needed for this experiment are the PASCOTM power supply, multimeter, digital
thermometer, 2-m long resistance wire, micrometr caliper, small light bulb and connects that consists of alligator clips
and banana plugs.
The temperature of the German Nickel wire was determined using a digital thermometer while
it's diameter was found using the micrometer caliper. From the temperature and diameter of the wire, the resistivity
and resistance was determined. The Ohmmeter was used to compare the calculated resistance to the actual value by
computing for the percent deviation of the calculated value from the ohmmeter reading.
The two meter resistance wire was then connected to the power supply using the same connectors
used through the ohmmeter so that the resistance is held constant with the value given by the ohmmeter. Initially, the
voltage knob was set zero while the current knob was set maximum. The voltage knob was then adjusted in order to
take 5 current-voltage reading pairs with uniform increase of 0.1 A in the current. This is done to observe the voltagecurrent relationship of the wire with the resistance of the wire held constant.
The set-up was then rearranged so that the current vs. the reciprocal of the resistance relationship
be analyzed. The power supply being turned off, a banana plug was used to connect a terminal of the power supply
and on the other side of the plug was connected to the end of the resistance wire so that current run through the entire
length of the wire. Setting the voltage to zero and current maximum, the power supply was then turned on. The voltage
knob was adjusted until there would be a current reading of about 0.3 to 0.6 A. Then, the alligator clip was adjusted
to determine the current in the specied lengths in Table W3. The power supply was turned off after and was replaced
by the ohmmeter. The ohmmeter was used to determine the resistance in each of the specied length.
The voltage - resistance relationship was then investigated. Initially, the alligator clip was placed
to one end of the wire in order for the current to ow through its entire length. Having the voltage zero and current
maximum, the power supply was turned on and the voltage knob was adjusted until a 0.4 to 0.8 current reading was
obtained. The alligator clip was then placed in decrements of 20 cm and the voltage knob was adjusted per decrement
in order to get the same current in the 200 cm mark.
The last part of the experiment was to determine the relationship between voltage and current,
but this time using a small light bulb. The multimeter was set to ammeter mode such that it would give reading in the
range of milliAmperes (or mA) in at most three decimal places. Then the small light bulb was connected in series to
the power supply and the ammeter. The current was then obtained for different values of voltages varying in 0.1 V
increments starting from 0 to 1.0 V range. After the 1.0 V was reached, the current was determined by increasing the
voltage in increments of 0.5 V but not exceeding 5.0 V.

3. Results and Discussion

In the experiment, the resistance and resistivity of the wire was determine using the caliper, digital
thermometer and multimeter, which was set to ohmmeter mode. The relationships between voltage and current, current
and resistance, resistance and length of wire, and voltage and resistance were investigated and analyzed using Cartesian
plots.
Comparing the resistance calculated using Equation 2 and the ohmmeter reading, the computed
resistance has deviated from the reading. The reason behind this is that the wires that connected the resistance wire
from the ohmmeter, which is made of copper, also experienced resistance since it is a conductor as well.
Based from Figures 3 to 5, the linear t obtained by each curve almost coincides to the data
gathered from the experiment. This simply implies that the material used, in this case a German Nickel wire, is an
ohmic material since the relationships between voltage, resistance and current are linear.
I (A)
0.7

V
2.0

0.6

y = 3.5x + 0.045

R2 =0.9617

R 2 = 0.9943

1.6

y =1.0757x + 0.0286

0.5
0.4

1.2
0.3

0.8
0.2

0.4

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

I (A)

0.1

Figure 3. Relationship between Voltage and Current in a resistance wire

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

1/R (1/ )

Figure 4. Relationship between Current and 1/R in a resistance wire

V
y = 0.6114x + 0.0614
2.0

R2 = 0.9869

1.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

R ()

Figure 5. Relationship between Voltage and Resistance in a resistance wire

The components of the linear t equation for the curves represent certain quantities in the experiment and
is summarized in the table below:
x
Figure
1
2
3

corresponding quantity
slope
y-int
Resistance
Voltage
Voltage
Current
Current
Resistance

experimental value
slope
y-int
3.5
0.045 V
1.0757 V
0.0286 A
0.6114 A
0.0614
3

expected value
slope
y-int
3.3
0V
1.1 V
0A
0.69 A
0

% devation
slope
y-int
6.06%
4.5%
2.21%
2.86%
11.39%
6.14%

And in order for us to solve the resistivity given the resistance vs. length plot, we must rearrange the
formulae for resistance:
R =

L
A

=
L
A
=

R
A
L

R
since is the slope of the line. Substituting the values into the equation and comparing it to the resistivity obtained in
L
Table W1 ( o = 3.112107 m):
R
A
L
= (1.6143 /m)(2.19610 7m2)
l = 3.545107 m
=

% deviation



 o l 


 o  100%


 (3.11210 7 m) (3.545107 m) 

 100%


3.11210 7 m

=
=
=

|0.139139...| 100%

13.91 %

For the voltage vs. current plot of a light bulb, the plot before the light bulb started to radiate portrays a
non-linear relationship with current and voltage but as it reaches a point wherein the laments in the light bulb started
to heat up, the resistance increases and since current also increases, the power dissipated by the light bulb increases thus
making the light bulb radiate. The lament in the light bulb is not an ohmic material since its resistance is not constant,
causing it to behave non-linearly in a voltage vs. current plot. Thus, it can be concluded that the light bulb doesn't obey
Ohm's Law linearly.
V
5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

Figure 6. Relationship of Voltage and Current in a Light bulb

25.0

I (A)

4. Conclusion
From the data obtained in the experiment, the relationships between voltage, resistance and current
was determined. It was seen that in ohmic materials that the resistance is constant and is independent of the voltage
and current since it depends on the geomtry of the material while for non-ohmic materials, it may obey Ohm's Law
indirectly, meaning resistance is dependent on the voltage and current.

References
1. H. Young., University Physics, 12th ed., Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. USA (2008).
2. J. Breithaupt., New Understanding Physics for Advanced Level., Nelson Thornes Publishing Great Britain (2000).
3. L. Lerner, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 2nd vol., Jones and Barlett Learning (1997).
4. Ohmic and Non-Ohmic Devices. Retrieved October 31, 2014 from http://physics.kuniv.edu.kw/phys107/Exp1.pdf
5. Electric Current: Ohmic and Non-Ohmic Conducion. Retrieved November 3, 2014 from
http://mas.lvc.edu/walck/phy104/labs/conduction.pdf

Appendix
Calculations
o(T )

= 20 [1 + (T 20C)]
= (3107)[1 + 0.004 (29.367C 20C)]
=3.11210 7 m

=
=

L
A
(3.11210 7 m)(2.0m)
h
i2
1
(5.29104 m)
2

=3.115