Nichrome Wire Kettle

A coil of nichrome wire is used to heat water in a beaker by converting electrical energy into heat energy through resistance, demonstrating the principle behind an electric kettle.

1. Wrap a length of nichrome wire around a pencil to form a tight coil, leaving about 5–6 cm of wire free at each end.
2. Remove the coil from the pencil and place it into a beaker so the coil sits near the bottom.
3. Use Blu-tack if necessary to secure the wire ends on the edge of the beaker.
4. Fill the beaker with enough water to fully cover the nichrome coil.
5. Attach one alligator clip to each end of the nichrome wire.
6. Connect the clips to a power pack or a 9-volt battery.
7. Place the setup on a heat-proof mat.
8. Switch on the power and observe the water heating with a thermometer.

How to make an electric kettle experiment - Caleb Salagaras:

• Use different voltages from the power pack to compare heating speed.
• Try using different lengths or thicknesses of nichrome wire to observe how resistance affects heating.

• The nichrome wire becomes extremely hot - do not touch it while the power is on.
• Always place the experiment on a heat-proof mat.
• Keep the power source and connections dry at all times.
• Disconnect the power before adjusting the wire or moving the setup.
• Supervision is required when using electrical equipment.

• What form of energy is converted into heat in this experiment? (Electrical energy.)
• Why does nichrome wire get hot when current passes through it? (Its high resistance converts electrical energy into heat energy.)
• What are the bubbles that form on the wire? (They are air or water vapor produced as the water heats up.)
• How does increasing voltage affect the heating rate? (Higher voltage increases current and therefore produces more heat.)
• How does this model demonstrate the operation of a real electric kettle? (Both use a resistive heating element to convert electrical energy into heat to boil water.)