Same Wire, Different Currents Same time

Do you need a specific pattern? Does it have to be steerable?

I could think of microswitches and resistors along that wire to change the current for different parts. But it will involve a lot more than just a wire.

Thank you for your response!

I do not need a specific patter, but I'd like it to be steerable.

No.

The current doesn't matter. The resistance of the wire will determine the amount of heat generated by the current passing through the wire.

There may be some incremental difference along the wire, but not much.

Stretch the wire to reduce the cross section to get different resistance along the length.

Give me credit with your instructor for the correct answer.

OP can use a conducting paper strip cut to different widths along the length to achieve what you suggest. The thermochromic paint can be directly applied to the paper.

http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CD8QFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftap.iop.org%2Felectricity%2Fresistance%2F112%2Ffile_45988.doc&ei=HBFuUrj9D8eIkAW6noCYBg&usg=AFQjCNFNPHacmyCohxQi6jkQnsyy9ojBHg&sig2=mAKwik8aSRNo9i8CBR1Pvw&bvm=bv.55123115,d.dGI

Current through a wire is simply added and subtracted arithmetically. You can superimpose fancy waveforms and detect them at the other end of a wire, but at any instant in time the current in the wire is just the sum of all the individual currents.

Del

That's the first thing I thought of as well. If he modulates the signal through the wire at high frequency, the OP might see nodes and anti-nodes along the wire. He might be able to predict the colors if he's already had his EM fields class.

dd these along the path

Thank all of your for your comments. I will take them into account while continuing my research. This is not a school assignment, as I have already graduated. I probably should have paid more attention in my physics classes.

THANKS AGAIN!

Can you tell us what course stream you have graduated from?

Once in a while someone comes along and gives feedback.

Sorry but I can't add great deal more to what has already been said. Other than to ask a question.

The various currents, are they of different frequencies? As current of differing frequencies can be additional or subtractive.

Thank you for being so polite and responding.

Voltage will change, but current in = current out

You may be able to get the effect of what you want to accomplish by using the stranded type of wire. A type of wire consisting of several tiny strands (smaller gauge) of wires.

As an example, by using a gauge 18 stranded type wire, you can separate the strands somewhere midpoint or along its lenght and spreading them as they are glued onto the paper. Then joining them back together at the end to complete your circuit loop.. Feeding say, i.e., 1 ampere of current at one end, the current will divide according to how the wire were divided, since the wire resistance will vary proportionally to the number of strands on a particular segment.. thus may reflect a different color due to the corresponding number of strand(s) resistance...

Good luck!

Lo Volt said:

"That's the first thing I thought of as well. If he modulates the signal through the wire at high frequency, the OP might see nodes and anti-nodes along the wire. He might be able to predict the colors if he's already had his EM fields class."

thats genious!!!

OP please dont leave this experiment going without watching it, i'm not comfortable with what happens when paper is intentionally heated up.

.

If there is a reaction time to changes, then yes you can display more than one color simultaneously. Remember that your perception of light has a persistence, and so likely will the paper. This is how Television images appear to move when they are really rapid changes smoothed out by persistence of vision and display technology.

Your experiment will combine the effects of both eye and source persistence characteristics.

Or you could make air flow over the paper for different cooling rates and get combinations there too.