| Lesson Plan |
| Grade: |
Date: 25/02/2026 |
| Subject: Physics |
| Lesson Topic: Describe an experiment to determine resistance using a voltmeter and an ammeter and do the appropriate calculations |
Learning Objective/s:
- Describe the experimental setup for measuring resistance with a voltmeter and ammeter.
- Apply Ohm’s law to calculate resistance from measured voltage and current.
- Analyse recorded data to determine an average resistance and assess sources of error.
- Communicate findings using appropriate scientific terminology and units.
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Materials Needed:
- Adjustable DC power supply
- Unknown resistor (component under test)
- Digital voltmeter
- Digital ammeter
- Connecting wires with crocodile clips
- Switch (optional for safety)
- Worksheet with data table
- Projector or whiteboard for diagram
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Introduction:
Begin with a quick demonstration of a simple circuit lighting an LED to spark curiosity about how components resist current. Review Ohm’s law and the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance that students have previously learned. Explain that today they will design an experiment to measure an unknown resistor’s value and will use the data to calculate and average the resistance, which will be the success criteria.
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Lesson Structure:
- Do‑now (5’) – Students complete a short worksheet recalling V = IR and rearranging to R = V/I.
- Teacher mini‑lecture (10’) – Present the experimental circuit diagram and safety checks.
- Hands‑on set‑up (15’) – In pairs, students assemble the circuit with the ammeter in series and voltmeter in parallel, connect the power supply and verify connections.
- Data collection (15’) – Students vary the supply voltage (2 V, 4 V, 6 V, 8 V, 10 V), record V and I for each, and calculate R for each point.
- Analysis & discussion (10’) – Groups compute the average resistance, identify possible errors, and share results with the class.
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Conclusion:
Summarise how measuring voltage and current allows us to determine resistance and why averaging multiple readings improves reliability. Ask each group to write one exit‑ticket sentence stating the calculated average resistance and one source of error they observed. For homework, assign a problem set where students predict resistance values for different circuits using Ohm’s law.
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