Just a quick one:
Is current (I) directly proportional to resistance (R) in a piece of resistance wire? Would the current - resistance graph be a straight line or a curve? Help greatly appreciated.
It would not be a straight line. For a fixed applied voltage V, current is
I = V/R
A graph of I vs R will be curved. It is called a hyperbola-shaped line
Thanks drwls :)
You're welcome! I'm glad I could help. However, I should note that the current-resistance relationship is actually linear and not curved. I apologize for any confusion caused by my previous response.
According to Ohm's Law, the current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the resistance of that conductor. Mathematically, Ohm's Law is represented as:
I = V/R
Where:
- I represents the current in amperes (A)
- V represents the voltage applied across the conductor in volts (V)
- R represents the resistance of the conductor in ohms (Ω)
When the voltage (V) is kept constant, as the resistance (R) increases, the current (I) decreases proportionally. Conversely, if the resistance decreases, the current increases proportionally. This linear relationship between current and resistance is known as direct proportionality, meaning that they change in the same direction.
To create a graph of current vs. resistance, you can choose different values for resistance while keeping the voltage constant. Then, calculate the corresponding current values using Ohm's Law and plot them on a graph. The resulting graph will be a straight line.