Iona Prep Physics Puzzles

Puzzle: What is the resistance of the resistor?

Here is the story:

You are working on your Doctorate degree in Electronic Engineering. You are working as a teaching assistant in order to pay for your tuition. In order to create a paticular circuit, you need to know the value of a particular resistor. You know that the value can be read easily by using the resistor color code.

The problem is that some idiot dropped the resistor in a can of black paint, so the colors are obscured.

You know you could use an ohmmeter, but you do not have one. You do have the resistor, a voltmeter, an ammeter, a stopclock, a variable power supply, and various wires to connect things together.

STINK (stop/think): What measurements would you have to make? How should the components be hooked together?

Go to this link: (Resistance of a resistor), perform the experiment, and write up the lab including a proper schematic circuit, a procedure, the measurements, and your conclusion about the resistance of the resistor. Can you determine what the color code SHOULD be?

 

 

 

 

 


Click here to return to the contents page.

Last Update: by Br. R.W.Harris