Ohms Law
Ohms Law
Ohms Law
V=IR
Georg Simon Ohm (1789-1854)
Contents
I. II. III.
IV.
Equivalent Resistance
A. B.
V.
Ohms Law
Electric current, I, is a measure of the flow of charge. It is rate of change of charge with time across a given point in a conductor and is measured in amperes (A). In order to have a current, a potential difference or voltage, V, must exist across the wire. It is measured in volts (V) and is the electric potential energy per unit charge. The relationship between current and voltage is defined by the objects resistance, R. It is a measure of the resistance to the motion of charged particles and is measured in ohms (). The current that flows through an object is related to the potential difference. This relationship is the subject of Ohms law. A resistor ( ) is any object that passes current (a conductor) and has some resistance R. Ohms law states that for a conductor with resistance R carrying a current I, the potential difference across the resistor is V IR
Resistors in series - A number of resistors are in series when the current through each resistor is the same. You can recognize two resistors in series by the fact that there is only one path for the current to follow and as result the current goes through one at a time. (As illustrated in the diagram below.)
R1
R2
Resistors in parallel - A number of resistors are in parallel if the voltage across each resistor is the same. You can recognize two resistors in parallel by the fact that there are multiple paths for the current to take. In the diagram below the current I splits into two different currents, passes through the two resistors (larger current through smaller resistor) and then recombines to the original current I. I1 I I2 R1 R2 I
Equivalent Resistance
The formula for equivalent resistance depends on how the resistors are connected. When multiple resistors are connected in a circuit it is useful to consider the equivalent resistance, Req, which is the resistance of a single resistor that could replace the multiple resistors and have the same effect on the circuit i.e. draw the same current from the power supply. The formula for the equivalent resistance is different for both types of connections:
Series
Req R1 R2
1 1 1 Req R1 R2
Parallel
The Equipment
Equipment list Power supply Resistors
unknown resistors (R1,R2) Multimeter: device that measures multiple electric quantities; voltage, current and resistance.
Multimeter
When you use the multimeter you will be instructed to (see diagram):
1.
Place one lead in the Common Port and one in the VmA (or VRI) Port
2.
3.
setting for current I setting for resistance R VmA or VRI Port Common Port
in Parallel for V in Series for I in Parallel with the power disconnected for R
This is a diagram with the appropriate circuit symbols for the circuit you are about to construct.
I
+ -
A V
ammeter (multimeter set to measure current) voltmeter (multimeter set to measure voltage) resistor
+ -
power supply
Plug in the power supply but keep the main switch OFF while assembling the circuit. Connect the + terminal of the 0-30 Vdc output on the power supply to the VmA terminal on the multimeter. Connect the COM terminal of the multimeter to the red (i.e. +) terminal of one of the resistors on the wooden box. Complete the circuit by connecting the other terminal of the resistor to the terminal of the 0-30 Vdc output of the power supply. Connect a second multimeter in parallel with the resistor. Parallel means connecting positive to positive and negative to negative.
Both of the multimeters should have a reading. If not, it is likely that the circuit is not complete i.e. you may have some loose connections. If you have this problem check your circuit thoroughly. If you cant find the problem check with an instructor. If you have a negative reading, you should check the instructions to make sure youve connected the leads in the correct terminals of the power supply.
You should see an empty table with graph of Voltage versus Current. Enter the values from Table 1 into the appropriate columns in the Graphical Analysis. Do a linear fit by clicking Analyze then Linear Fit. Display standard deviations by double clicking on the fit box that appears and check off standard deviations for slope and intercept. Print the graph by clicking File -> Print. Record your fit parameters in Table 2. Have an instructor check your slope and initial your Lab Worksheet.
1st
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
2nd
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Multiplier
1 10 100 1000 10000 100000 1x106
Tolerance
Example:
1.
Interpret Colors
1st is red = 2
2nd is yellow = 4
Multiplier is green =100000 Tolerance is silver = 10%
Violet
Gray White Silver Gold None
7
8 9
7
8 9
10x106
2.
R=24100000=2.4106
3.
4.
0.01 0.1
10% 5% 20%
Measuring Resistance
You will now measure the resistance of the two unknown resistors using the multimeter. Make sure that your resistors are not connected to the power supply. Switch a multimeter to the 200 setting. Measure R1 and R2 by placing leads from the Common and VmA Ports into the terminals of the resistor. Record the readings in Table 3 and in next two questions.
R
R
0.008
Measure the equivalent resistance by connecting the multimeter to the open terminals and record the reading in Table 3.
Show any workings for uncertainties in the space below Table 3.
Req
( R1 )( R2 ) ( R1 R2 )
QUESTION 9:
QUESTION 11:
Wrap it Up!
Check that you have completed all the tables in your Laboratory Workbook. Be sure that you have answered completely all parts to all questions. Make sure that you have printed your voltage vs current graph and stapled into your laboratory workbook. Tidy away your work area and log out of your computer.