Dependence of Resistance on Temperature

Evaluation:
In general the method and apparatus worked well. However, there were some faults which were not stated in the original plan.
1. The amount of water in the beaker was not the same each time the experiment was repeated; the beaker was refilled with water to speed up the cooling process but the amount of H2O was measured only approximately. This might have created an error as the thermistor’s heating process was not uniform.
2. Two thermistors were used instead of one; trial 1 and trial 2 took place at the same time. This was done because to keep the experiment within a reasonable time limit. The thermistors were supposedly identical; however, the raw data indicates that in trial 1 (in which the second thermistor was used) the resistance is slightly higher.
Suggested Improvements:
The investigation could have yielded more accurate results if the following modifications were made in future:
1. To eliminate the first error, the water should be measured to be the same volume (with a volumetric flask). Another option is to wait until the water and thermistor cool off instead of changing the water every time the experiment is repeated.
2. The second error can be eliminated by using only one thermistor instead of two.…