ECE 204 Experiment 1

Ohms Law and Kirchhoffs Laws

Objective:
The purpose of this experiment is to verify Ohms Law and Kirchhoffs Laws.
1!0" #roced$re: %erif&in' Kirchhoffs %o(ta'e Law
1" Before constructing the voltage divider circuit shown below, measure and
record each resistor value.
2" onstruct the circuit without connecting the power supply. !easure the total
resistor of all three resistors and record this value as the e"uivalent resistance of
the circuit.
)" #et up the power supply to $% &olts' turn the output of the power supply off
and connected the power supply to the circuit. Turn the output on and measure
and record the voltage drops across each resistor, &
$
, &
%
, and &
(
. reate a table
and show the individual voltages sum to the voltage applied. The sum should be
the approximate value of the power supply voltage setting. This should verify the
Kirchhoffs voltage law' the sum of all the voltage drops in the circuit is e"ual to
the total voltage applied. Turn the output of the power supply off.
4" )pply Ohms Law and use the e"uivalent resistance of the circuit. *ind and
record in your noteboo+ the current , by calculating &-.!easure /
e"
0, that is,
eq
R
V
I =
.
*" )pply Ohms Law again and calculate and record in your noteboo+
&
$
1 .calculated ,0.measured 2K30,&
%
1 .calculated ,0.measured %K30, and
&
(
1 .calculate ,0.measure (K30.

+i'$re 1: %o(ta'e ,ivider Circ$it!
$
-" Ta+e the formula shown below and use the value of resistors measured and
calculate by voltage division, the values of each voltage, and put it in a table in your
noteboo+.

s
i
n
n
V
R
R
V

series
2!0" #roced$re: %erif&in' Kirchhoffs C$rrent Law
1" The same resistors used in the procedures above will be used in this part of
the experiment. onstruct the current divider circuit shown below. *rom the
lecture at the beginning of class, it should have been shown that the .$%ma.0
independent current source is actual a the voltage source set at $% &.
2" Before connecting the power supply, measure and record the parallel
e"uivalent resistance of the circuit.
)" onnect the power supply to the circuit and turn the output of the power
supply on. !easure and record the total current flowing out of the voltage source
and the individual currents, ,
$
, ,
%
, and ,
(
. ) discussion on how current
measurements are made should have been discussed prior to the experimental
exercises' therefore, as a reminder, turn the output of the power supply off when
inserting the meter into the circuit to measure the re"uired currents in the circuit.
Turn the output of the power supply off.
4" 4se the measured currents ,
$
, ,
%
, and ,
(
and show that the sum of these three
currents is the approximately e"ual to the current flowing out of the voltage
source. The results should verify Kirchhoffs current law that the currents flowing
out of the node is e"ual to the current flowing into the node.
*" 4sing the measured e"uivalent resistance of the circuit found above and
measured total current flowing out of the voltage source, use Ohms Law and
show that
eq t
R I V =
.
& should be the voltage of the power supply.
%
+i'$re 2: C$rrent ,ivider Circ$it
-" Ta+e the formula shown below and use the value of resistors measured and
calculate by current division, the values of each current, and put it in a table in your
noteboo+.
s
n
n
I
R
R
I

=
e"
)!0" #roced$res: %erif&in' Kirchhoffs Laws.E/$iva(ent 0esistance
1" Keep the 2K3 and %K3 resistor used in the procedures above. #elect the rest
of the resistors necessary to construct the circuit for this part of the experiment
shown below. !easure the individual resistor, record the values, and identify the
placement of the resistors in the circuit corresponding to the resistors labeled in
the circuit.
2" Before connecting the power supply, measure and record the e"uivalent
resistance of the circuit at the nodes labeled )5B.
)" onnect the power supply and turn the output on. !easure and record in a
table the voltage drops, &
$
through &
2
. *ollow the convention of measurement
discussed at the beginning of class. Turn the output of the power supply off.
4" 6ith the precautions for measuring currents in mind, measure and record in a
table the currents in the circuit. !easure ,
$
, ,
%
, ,
(
, ,
7
, and ,
8
. *ollow the
convention of measurement discussed at the beginning of class. Because of ,
$
1 ,
#
and ,
8
1 ,
2
, there is no need to measure ,
#
or ,
2
but do list these currents in the
table.
*" &erify Kirchhoffs voltage law' show that the voltage drops measure around
the mesh loops in the circuit sums up to approximately 9ero. #how this for loops
L
)
, L
B
, and L

.
(
-" &erify Kirchhoffs current law' show that the currents flowing through nodes
:
$
, :
%
, and :
(
sums up to approximately 9ero.
+i'$re ): Circ$it to %erif& Kirchhoffs Laws and E/$iva(ent 0esistance!
7