This virtual lab uses the PHET Circuit Construction Kit to study how to determine the emf and internal resistance for a battery by graphing voltage and current.
TutorialPart 1: Setting up your circuit
Display the circuit values by making sure that the “values” checkbox is marked Part 2: Collecting DataWith this set up, you are measuring the total current flowing through the circuit as well as the terminal voltage of the battery. To collect multiple measurements, adjust the external resistance and record the resulting current and voltage in the table below. (see the video tutorial above for an example
Part 3: The Mathematical ModelCopy the table from part 2 into Excel and create a scatterplot from only the “Current” and “Terminal Voltage” columns. Add a trendline with an equation to your graph. Make sure that the current is graphed on the x-axis. Part 4: Analysis of the ModelCompare your mathematical model with the battery values that you selected in part 1: 1. What electrical property does the slope represent? 2. What electrical property does the y-intercept represent? Part 5: Extending our UnderstandingIf we were to do this lab in real life, we wouldn’t have a simulation displaying the emf and internal resistance of our battery. Analyze the data shown in the screenshots below to determine the mystery battery’s properties that are covered up by the emoji.
Part 6: Checking your WorkTo check if your values for the mystery battery are correct, create a test circuit with your battery values to recreate one of the example configurations shown in part 5. All values and measurements should match. CLICK FOR MORE LABSClick for more Electricity resources ⬇
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