Zagazig University Electronic 1 (1st year )

Faculty of Engineering
Electronics and Communications Department Lab1 / 2018-2019

EXP. NO: 1
LIGHT-DEPENDENT RESISTOR (LDR)
CHARACTERISTICS

OBJECTIVE:
 To determine the characteristics of LDR.

Theory:
A photoresistor or LDR is an electronic component whose resistance decreases with
increasing incident light intensity. It can also be referred to as a light dependent resistor
(LDR), photoconductor, or photocell. A photoresistor is made of a high-resistance
semiconductor. If light falling on the device is of high enough frequency, photons absorbed
by the semiconductor give bound electrons enough energy to jump into the conduction
band. The resulting free electron (and its hole partner) conduct electricity, thereby lowering
resistance. Cadmium sulfide (CdS) cells rely on the material's ability to vary its resistance
according to the amount of light striking the cell. The more light that strikes the cell, the
lower the resistance. Although not accurate, even a simple CdS cell can have a wide range
of resistance from less than 100 Ω in bright light to in excess of 10 MΩ in darkness. Many
commercially available CdS cells have a peak sensitivity in the region of 500nm - 600nm
(green light). The cells are also capable of reacting to a broad range of frequencies,
including infrared (IR), visible light, and ultraviolet (UV). They are often found on street
lights as automatic on/off switches.

Equipments:
 DC power supply
 Labs with distance measurement
 Resistor 10 KΩ
 LDR resistor
 Ammeter and Voltammeter

Experimental steps
1. Connect the circuit shown in Fig.
2. Adjust the Light condition
3. Change the input voltage from 0 to 5V step .25V
4. Record the meters readings ( I & V)
5. Draw the curves and calculate the resistance value
6. Compare your result with simulator results
 Zagazig University Electronic 1 (1st year )
Faculty of Engineering
Electronics and Communications Department Lab1 / 2018-2019

 Complete the table below:

Light Condition Completely Dark Room light Flashlight far away Flashlight very close

V (voltage) I ( mA) I ( mA) I (mA) I (mA)

0.25

0.5

0.75

1.25

1.5

1.75

2.25

2.5

2.75

2.25

3.5

3.75

4.25

4.5

4.75

 From the above results calculate the resistance of LDR for the following 4 light conditions

Completely Dark Room light Flashlight far away Flashlight very close
Resistance
Zagazig University Electronic 1 (1st year )
Faculty of Engineering
Electronics and Communications Department Lab1 / 2018-2019