Section 1 Electrical Principles and Measurements
Section 1 Electrical Principles and Measurements
Section 1 Electrical Principles and Measurements
ELECTRICITY
Candidate #:
Territory: Guyana
Apparatus:
1. Digital Multi-tester
1 1
2. Resistors; 1 KΩ watt, 2.2 KΩ watt
4 4
3. Battery; 3V
4. Solderless board (Bakerlite)
5. Connecting wires
Method:
1. The colour codes of the required resistors was decoded.
2. Resistor values were measured and recorded
3. The resistors and battery were connected on the solderless board as shown in the diagram.
4. The voltage across the battery, each resistor and both resistors was measured and recorded.
5. The two resistors were then moved to separate rows in order to measure and record the current
through the circuit.
Schematic Diagram:
Image of Setup:
Relevant Theory: Resistor Required Value Colour Code
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law, his second law, 2.2 KΩ 2 Red
states that the algebraic sum of voltages 2 Red
around a closed circuit is 0. This means that x 102
Red
the voltage across the battery is the same as 1 KΩ 1 Brown
the voltage drops across both the resistors 0 Black
and the sum across each resistor. x 102 Red
Ohm’s Law states that, the voltage is directly proportional to the current in a closed circuit at a fixed
temperature. (V ∝ IR)
Where V represents voltage, I represents current and R represents resistance, which is the constant of
proportionality in this case.
Resistors are electronic devices that pose a fixed amount of resistance to a current in the circuit. The
resistance is represented with bands of specific colour around the body of the resistor. It is necessary to
know the colour code of the resistors.
In this series circuit, the resistors used are a 1KΩ and a 2.2 KΩ resistor, therefore the colour codes are
Colour Numerical Value brown, black, red and red, red, red respectively. Values are as
Black 0 shown below:
Brown 1
Red 2
Orange 3
Yellow 4
Green 5
Blue 6
Violet 7
Grey 8
White 9
Gold ± 5%
On this solderless board, the positive is connected to the first
Silver ± 10%
resistor (R1) with the white connecting wire on row 21. It is
No colour ± 20%
then connected to R2 on row 14. The rest of the circuit is
connected with the black connecting wire and the negative column.
Observations:
The first observations are the values of the resistors and the variation from the decoded value.
The voltages across the battery, R1, R2, and (R1 + R2) are as shown below.
According to Kirchhoff’s second law, the voltage across the battery should be roughly equivalent to the
sum R1 + R2.
R1 0.99 V
R2 2.18 V
(R1 + R2) 3.17 V
3.17V ≈ 3.18 V
Therefore, proving Kirchhoff’s Law that the net voltage around the circuit is equal to zero and the voltage
across the e.m.f. is equal to the sum of voltage drops across the circuit. In this case, the battery is the e.m.f
and the difference between the values is attributed to the resistance of the wires and the board.
The final observation is the current through the circuit. This is done by moving one of the resistors to
another row, thereby allowing the multi-meter to be connected in series with the circuit.
V 3.18 V
∴I = I= I =0.001 A=1 mA
R 3174 Ω
The calculated value is equal to the measured value, therefore proving Ohm’s Law, that voltage is directly
proportional to current and the constant of proportionality is resistance.
Conclusion:
Both Kirchhoff’s Law and Ohm’s Law can be proven by measuring a series circuit.
References:
Halls, M. (2011). Basic Electricity and Electronics: A Complete Course for CSEC, Vol. 1. La
Romaine, Trinidad:: Caribbean Educational Publishers.