Lab 1 : Learn to build the basic

electric circuits
Purpose: The aim of the lab is to become familiar with the basic electronic
components resistor, LED, power supply, breadboard, and multimeter to build the
small electric circuits using these components. The lab also taught to measure and
to observe the electric fluctuations when these components are interlinked with one
another in the circuits.
1) Measuring Resistance:
Resistance
100
100
100
1000
1000
1000

Measured Resistance
101.89
98.77
100.57
998.56
997.69
1001.108

Observation : Measured resistance values are varying with a deviation of

approximately +/- 2
2) An LED light:

Voltage from the power source = 5.101 V

Voltage drop
at
LED

with

R2=500

with

Voltage drop
at Resister

1.601 V

3.5 V

1.57 V

R2=1000

3.541

Actual current
flowing
through
the
resistor
7 mA

Computed
current in the
circuit
using
Kirchoffs law
10 mA

3.541 mA

5 mA

Calculations:
i=V/R
Actual current flowing through the resister of 500 of = 3.5 V/500 = 7 mA
Current flowing in the circuit using Kirchoffs law at resister 500 = = 5 V/500 =
10 mA

Actual current flowing through the resister of 1000 = 3.541 V/1000 = 3.541 mA
Current flowing in the circuit using Kirchoffs law at resister 1000 = = 5 V/1000
= 5 mA

Observation: As the resistance increases current flowing in the circuit decreases.

Re ordering the components doesnt affect the circuit.

Resisters
in series

Voltage
drop at
LED

Voltage
drop at
Resister
of
1000

Voltage
drop at
Resister
of
500

1.552 V

2.376 V

1.188 V

Actual
current
flowing
in the
circuit
at
R=
1000
2.376
mA

Actual
current
flowing in
the
circuit
at
R= 500

Total
current
flowing
in the
circuit

Computed
current in
the circuit
using
Kirchoffs
law

2.376 mA

2.736
mA

3.333 mA

Resisters
in
parallel

0.048 V

3.486 V

3.486 V

3.486
mA

6.972 mA

10.458
mA

15 mA

Calculations:
Series :
Current flowing through the resister of 1000 of =2.376 V/1000 = 2.376 mA
Current flowing through the resister of 500 = 1.888 V/500 = 2.376 mA

Total resistance R in series = R1+R2 = 1000 + 500 = 1500

Current flowing through the circuit = 2.376 mA
Computed current flowing in the circuit using Kirchoffs law = = 5 V/1500 = 3.333
mA

Parallel:

Current flowing through the resister of 1000 of =3.486 V /1000 = 3.486 mA

Current flowing through the resister of 500 = 3.486 V/500 = 6.972 mA
Total resistance R in parallel = 1/((1/R1)+(1/R2)) = 1/(0.001+0.002)=333.33
Current flowing in the circuit = 3.486 mA+6.972 mA = 10.458 mA
Computed current flowing in the circuit using Kirchoffs law = = 5 V/333.33 = 15
mA
Observations:

Current flowing through the resisters is same when they are connected in
series.
When two resisters are connected in parallel voltage drop across them is
same.

A voltage divider:

Computed voltage from the power supply used in the lab = 5.101 V
Voltage drop across R1 = 2.583 V
Voltage drop across R2 = 2.518 V
Voltage at the test point = voltage at power supply voltage drop across the
resister R1
= 5.101 V 2.583 V
= 2.518 V

Current flowing through the circuit = V/R = 5/2k = 2.5 mA

Assuming the same current flowing in the circuit

Voltage drop across the resister R1 = 5-3.6 V = 1.4 V

Voltage drop across the resister R2 = 3.6 V

R1 = V/i = 1.4V/2.5mA = 560
R2 = V/i = 3.6V/2.5mA = 1440
So R1=560 and R2=1440

3) A Mystery Circuit:

Voltage at A = 5.101V
Voltage at B = 0V
Voltage at C= 2.764V
Voltage at D= 1.430V
Voltage at E= 1.137V
Voltage at F= 1.579V

Solving the circuit using Kirchoffs law theoretically :

Loop I :
R1i1+R3(i1-i2)+R4(i1-i3)=5
I1+i1-i2+i1-i3=5
3i1-i2-i3=5 ----------------------------------------------------equation (1)

Loop II :
R1i2+R3(i2-i1)+R5(i2-i4)=0
I2+i2-i1+i2-i4=0
3i2-i1-i4=0 ------------------------------------------------------equation (2)

Loop III :
R4(i3-i1)+R6(i3-i4)+R8i3=0
I3-i1+i3-i4+i3=0
3i3-i1-i4=0 ---------------------------------------------------------equation (3)

Loop IV :
R5(i4-i2)+R7i4+R6(i4-i3)=0
I4-i2+i4+i4-i3=0

3i4-i2-i3=0 ----------------------------------------------------------equation (4)

From equation(2) :

i2= (i1+i4)/3

From equation (3) :

i3=(i1+i4)/3

So i2=i3=i
From equation(4) : i4=2i/3
From equation(1) : 3i1= 5+i2+i3
3i1=5+2i
I1=(5+2i)/3
From equation(2) :
3i2-i1-i4=0
3i-((5+2i)/3)-(2i/3)=0
I=1 mA
I1=7/3 mA=2.33mA
I2=1mA
I3=1mA
I4=2/3 mA=0.66 mA
Current flow in the circuit :

Caluclations to find the voltage drop across various points :

Theoretically voltage in the circuit :

Voltage at A = 5V
Voltage at B = 0V
Voltage at C= 2.666V
Voltage at D= 1.333V
Voltage at E= 1V
Voltage at F= 1.666V

Collaboration :
Me and Deeksha worked together to understand the basic functionalities. For the
first half of the lab she connected the circuits and I measured the readings. And
later we interchanged so I have connected the circuits and she measured the
readings.
Learnings from the lab :
From this lab I learnt to build the basic electric circuits and observed the voltage
and current fluctuations when the components are inter connected. Understand the
Kirchoffs current and voltage laws and observed their working by building complex
circuits. Also learnt that there will be an unexpected voltage drop across some
components like LED which kirchoffs laws doesnt consider. Finally, I am able to
produce desired output from the components available in the lab.