Indiana Science HS-PSII-5.3

ScienceGrades 9–12Physical Science

The Standard

Describe the slope of the graphical representation of current vs. voltage or voltage vs. current in terms of the resistance of the device.

Indiana Academic Standards for Science (2023) · Simple and Complex Circuits

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students graph current and voltage, then calculate the slope. They use the axis labels to decide whether the slope is resistance or its reciprocal.
What Mastery Looks Like: With voltage on the vertical axis, a student finds resistance from the slope in ohms. With current on the vertical axis, they take the reciprocal of the slope to find resistance.
Common Misconceptions: Students may call the slope resistance even when current is on the vertical axis. They may read a point's height as the slope, or think a steeper current-versus-voltage line means higher resistance.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: A resistor measures 2 V at 0.01 A and 4 V at 0.02 A. Find the slope with each axis choice and state the resistance.

Lesson moves

Connect one, two, then three AA cells to a 220-ohm resistor; measure voltage across it and current through it, then graph the results.
Plot (1 V, 0.01 A) and (2 V, 0.02 A) with each axis choice; ask why the slopes have different units.
Write 0.02 A/V, 0.01 A/V, 50 V/A, and 100 V/A on cards; students pair slopes that describe the same resistance.
Compare 100-ohm and 220-ohm resistors in model train wiring; ask which draws more current at 3 V and which voltage-current line is steeper.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to HS-PSII-5.3, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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