(Rev 4/19)

Experiment 27U: AC Circuits II: LR & LCR Circuits

Using an Oscilloscope
Purpose
(1) To study the properties of an AC circuit containing a resistor and an inductor (coil).
(2) To observe the basic properties of a series LCR circuit.
(3) To observe resonance in an LCR circuit.

Apparatus
(a) an AC Power Supply; an AC multimeter
(b) a sample containing an inductor (coil)
(c) two resistors, and a capacitor
(d) a dual channel oscilloscope

Theory
Faraday’s Law
When an inductor (coil) is inserted in the path of an alternating current (AC), then an
induced EMF, εIND , appears across the terminals of the coil, according to Faraday’s Law of
Electromagnetic Induction. It is commonly called an induced voltage. The instantaneous value
of εIND will be denoted by VL and is expressed by the formula:

π
VL = ω L · ÎMAX · cos ω t = ω L· ÎMAX · sin( ω t - 2 )
(1)

The inductor voltage opposes the change in voltage of the power supply and peaks before the
π
current peaks. We say that the “induced voltage leads the current by 90˚ (or 2 , in radians)”
or, alternatively, “the current lags VL by 90˚”. See Fig. 1 and compare it with Fig. 2 in
Experiment 26U.


Before reading this, make sure you have read and understood the Theory Section in
Experiment 26U.

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 Experiment 27U

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 Experiment 27U

The parameter L is the inductance of the coil and the quantity

XL = ω ·L (2)

is the inductive reactance of the coil. If L is measured in henries (SI unit for inductance) and
ω in hertz, then X is in ohms.
L
Employing the RMS values (see Exp. 26), the RMS voltage across the inductor is:

VRMS = IRMS XL (3)

(Compare with equations (6) and (7) in Exp. 26.)

The Phasor Diagram of an LR Series Circuit

The principles of the phasor diagrams were explained in Exp. 26. The phasor
diagram for a coil and a resistor connected in series is shown in Fig. 2, together with
relevant formulae (4).

Important Note: As well as its reactance, a coil also has a resistance R´ which creates
an additional voltage VR' = R´i across the coil. This voltage is in phase with the current,
so that it lags VL by 90º. What a voltmeter connected across a coil actually measures
is the phasor sum of the RMS magnitudes of VL and VR' - that is the quantity

VLR2 =  VL2 + VR'2 (4a)

rather than VL. However, if VR' is much smaller than VL then the voltmeter essentially measures
VL .

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 Experiment 27U

The LCR Series Circuit

When a coil, a capacitor, and a resistor are connected (in that order) in series, then
Fig. 3 applies:

Relevant formulae are

VLCR =  VR2 + (VL – VC) 2 tan φLCR = VL – VC (5)

VR
It is also customary to define:

XTOTAL = XL – XC = TOTAL REACTANCE

ZTOTAL =  R2 + XTOTAL 2 = TOTAL IMPEDANCE (6)

and the following formulae then hold:

I = VLCR tan φLCR = XTOTAL

ZTOTAL R (7)

Resonance.
The total reactance

XTOTAL = XL – XC = ω L– 1
ω C (8)
depends on frequency f (recall: ω = 2πf ).
When the frequency happens to be

f RES = 1

2π √ LC (9)

then XTOTAL = 0 and the circuit is in resonance with the applied frequency.

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 Experiment 27U

Procedure Part I. The LR Circuit

(a) Copy the following table to your data sheet:

frequency from power supply: frequency from scope = 1/T

T
Vout VL VR VLR
(period)
scale per box

# of boxes
peak-to-peak
value
RMS value X X
Remember: V = BOXES x VOLTS/BOX; T = BOXES x TIME/BOX; VRMS = VPP/(2√2)

* Review Experiment 26U if you don’t remember how

to use the AC power supply and the oscilloscope.
With the AC power supply unplugged and off, set up
the circuit in Fig. 4, using resistance from your sample
R1 ~ 4,000Ω. Record its exact value.

Set the frequency to f 1 = 2,000 hertz and record

this power supply value in your data table. Measure the
period using the oscilloscope by entering the scale per box and number of boxes in one cycle in
your data table. Calculate the time per cycles (period T) and the frequency = 1/T.

b) With your instructor’s approval, turn on the power. Set up your oscilloscope to
read the output voltage. Adjust the output peak-to-peak voltage to be between 9.80 and
9.95 volts (or to YOUR maximum voltage if you can’t reach 9.80 V).
After making note of the voltage scale, record the number of boxes under VOUT.

c) Similarly measure and record the voltages VL across the coil and and VR across the resistor.
Measure and record the voltage VLR across both of them together as accurately as possible.
Return the output voltage knob to its minimum position. Calculate the peak-to-peak and
RMS values.

d) Copy the data table again. Change the frequency to f 2 = 4,000 hertz and repeat (c).

e) Repeat (d) with f 3 = 6,000 hertz.

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 Experiment 27U

Procedure Part II. The LCR Circuit

frequency from power supply: frequency from scope (1/T)

T
VL VC VR VLCR
(period)
scale per box

# of boxes
peak-to-peak
value
RMS value X
f) With the power OFF, assemble the circuit in
Fig. 5, carefully observe the L-C-R sequence.
Use the resistance R2 ~ 1,000Ω from your
sample and record its exact value.
Set f = 2,000 hertz and record.

g) With your instructor’s approval turn on the

power. Use your oscilloscope across the
inductor (NOT the output voltage, as before!)
and adjust VL to be between 9.80 and 9.95 volts (or your maximum value). Record the
exact value of VL. Measure the period and calculate the frequency as before.

h) Measure and record VC , VR , and VLCR (as in Fig.3) as accurately as possible and
calculate RMS values.

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 Experiment 27U

Procedure Part III. Resonance

resonance frequency resonance frequency fRmax

fVLCmin from power supply from power supply
TVLC-min TR-max
VLC-min VR-max Vout
(period) (period)

scale per box

# of boxes
peak-to-peak
value
fresonance from scope
(1/T) X X X
RMS value X X
i) Copy the above data table.

With your circuit the same as in (f), start with the output voltage at the MINIMUM
value. Set f = 1,000 hertz. Set the oscilloscope to measure VLC (the total voltage
across the LC combination).
Slowly increase the power until VLC pp is about 17 volts. Next, slowly increase the
frequency. You will notice that VLC decreases until it reaches a minimum at
some frequency = fVLCmin. Record the minimum value of VLC. Record the value
of fVLCmin from the power supply and from the oscilloscope. This is the resonance
frequency.

j) Use the same set-up as in (i) above (start with MINIMUM VOUT) but now use
the oscilloscope to measure VR.
Slowly increase power out until VR-pp is about 10 volts (NO MORE!).
Next, increase f and watch VR increasing, until a maximum is reached at some
frequency fVRmax. Record fVRmax and the maximum value of VR . Also record
VOUT in this situation. This is also the resonance frequency.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE LAB:

Make sure that you have recorded the values of L and C marked on your samples and the
values of resistances and frequencies which you used.
Please unplug and turn OFF the AC power supply and leave your station in order.

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 Experiment 27U

Lab Report

Part I. LR Circuit
1) Using your calculated RMS values of VL , and VR , draw phasor diagrams (see Fig. 6)
for each or your three runs.

2) Draw a table as shown. Quote all physical units. The graphical values are to be
measured by ruler and protractor from your phasor diagrams.

TABLE ONE: LR CIRCUIT

FREQUENCY %
f RMS VALUES GRAPHICAL VALUES DISCREPANCY
V
. . . . . . . .(quote units). . . . . . . . . . IN LR
VL VR VLR VLR ØLR

Part II
3) Using your RMS TABLE TWO: LCR CIRCUIT
values of VL, VC, and RMS:
%
VR, draw the phasor VL VC VR VLCR CALCULATED DISCREPANCY
VLCR (VOLTS)
diagram (see . . (volts). . IN VLCR
Fig.7).

4) Using your measured RMS values of VL, VC, and VR, calculate the expected value of
VLCR according to formula (14) and complete Table Two.

5) From the RMS values of L, C, and R2 on your data sheet, construct and fill out
Table Three. The graphical value of φLCR comes from your phasor diagram. The
calculated value of ØLCR comes from Equation (16), the calculated value of ZTOTAL

comes from Equation (6).

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 Experiment 27U

TABLE THREE: LCR CIRCUIT. FREQUENCY: 2,000 Hz

GRAPHICAL ABSOLUTE
VALUE DISCREPANCY
CALCULATED VALUES: OF φLCR IN φLCR
(DEGREES) (DEGREES)

XL XC XTOTAL ZTOTAL φLCR

. . . (units (DEGREES
are?). . . . . . )

Part III. Resonance.

6) Show the average of the frequencies fVRmax and fVLCmin from your oscilloscope
measurements. Use the given values of L and C to calculate the expected resonance
frequency from Equation (9). Compare your measured value with the calculated value
by displaying the % discrepancy.

7) Answer the questions:

Question #1: What is the RMS value of the current in your LCR circuit at the
resonance frequency?

Question #2: Should VL and VC be equal at resonance frequency (explain why “yes”
or “no”).

Question #3: In your experiment, can the value of R′ be ignored? Explain why or
why not.

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