Finding out internal resistance of a lemon when used as a power supply

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on determining the internal resistance of a lemon used as a power supply through an experimental setup involving a voltmeter, ammeter, and variable resistor. Participants emphasized the importance of plotting voltage (in millivolts) against current (in microamperes) and finding the electromotive force (EMF) and internal resistance using the slope of the graph and the y-intercept. The intercept represents the voltage when no current flows, which is critical for calculating the EMF. Additionally, adjusting the graph scale may be necessary to clearly identify the intercept.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Ohm's Law
  • Familiarity with graphing techniques in physics
  • Knowledge of electromotive force (EMF) concepts
  • Experience with basic electrical measurement tools (voltmeter, ammeter)
NEXT STEPS
  • Learn how to calculate EMF from voltage and current measurements
  • Research methods for determining internal resistance in circuits
  • Explore graphing techniques to accurately find intercepts
  • Study the principles of variable resistors and their applications in experiments
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics, educators conducting experiments on electrical properties, and hobbyists interested in practical applications of basic electrical concepts.

Dearster
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Hi There,

Right I recently did an experiment in Physics to find out the internal resistance of a lemon when used as a power supply.

We connected the lemon to a voltmeter, ammeter and variable resistor, changed the resistance on the variable resistance and measured the voltage and current against each other.

So i have a table of voltage against current.

I have drawn a graph of voltage against current, voltage on y axis, and current on the x axis. And drawn a line of best fit. Voltage is in milli volts, 10^-3 and current is in micro volts 10^-6

How would i go about finding the EMF and eventually the Internal resistance of the lemon when used as a power supply.

Also how would i go about finding the intercept of the graph if the line of best fit does not go through the y-axis on the scale i have used.

Anything to help would be fantastic

Thank you in advance.
 
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The intercept is the point at which the line crosses the Y axis.
This would be the voltage with no current (hint what's the definition of the emf of a cell?)
The slope of the graph is voltage/current, ( hint what's ohm's law?)
 
Dearster said:
Also how would i go about finding the intercept of the graph if the line of best fit does not go through the y-axis on the scale i have used.

A straight line must pass through the y-axis somewhere if it's extended far enough, unless it's vertical (and therefore parallel to the y-axis).

I suspect you need to "zoom out" your graph scale so the intercept is actually visible on the graph.
 

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