Joyce M.

Magdaong
MEXE – 2101

Experiment 2
Resistors in Series and Power Rating

Introduction
This experiment is about measurement of resistance directly and also through voltage and
current measurement.

Objectives
1. Measure the equivalent resistance of a series circuit
2. Determine current in each resistor
3. Determine voltage across each resistor
4. Determine equivalent resistance
5. Demonstrate Kirchhoff’s voltage law

Materials
One dc voltage supply
One multimeter
Five dc 0-10 V voltmeters
Five dc 0-5mA ammeters
Assorted resistors

Figure1. Measurement with multimeter

 a b c d e

g
k j i h

Figure 2: Resistors in series

Procedure

1. Draw Figure 1 using the Multisim simulation software. Connect the multimeter as
ohmmeter between ‘a’ and ‘b’. Click the simulate switch to run analysis. Record the
measured resistance. Calculate the total value just by addition and record it.

Req (measured) = 1.27 kOhm Req (calculated) = 1270 Ohm

Question: How did the measured value compare with the calculated value? Comment.

The total resistance in an ohmmeter is kiloohm, while the total resistance of the circuit
in figure 1 is ohms, but they are the same value. The only difference is that the multimeter
calculates automatically, whereas we calculate manually by adding all of the resistors in
the circuit. We can see that one ohm is equal to one thousand kiloohms because our
manual calculation yielded 1,270 ohms, and dividing it by one thousand kiloohm yields the
same result as using a multimeter, which is 1.27 kOhm.
2. Draw Figure 2. Run the simulation and record the currents and voltages.

Iab Icd Ief Ihi Ijk Vbc Vde Vfg Vgh Vij

7.875mA 7.876mA 7.875mA 7.874mA 7.874mA 0.788V 1.181V 1.732V 2.598V 3.701V

3. Based on the equivalent resistance Req calculated in step 1 and value of the voltage source
(V), calculate the source current (Is).
I=V/R
I=10/1270= 7.874015748x10^-3
Question: How did the measured current Iab compare with the calculated current (I)?
When the calculated answers from Iab and current (I) are compared, we can see that
they both have the same output or nearly the same answer value.
4. From the measured value of voltages across the resistances, calculate the current. Compare
these calculated values of currents with the measured values of currents.

Iab Icd Ief Ihi Ijk

Measured
7.875mA 7.876mA 7.875mA 7.874mA 7.874mA

Iab=Vbc/R1 Icd=Vde/R2 Ief=Vfg/R3 Ihi=Vgh/R4 Ijk=Vij/R5

Calculated
7.88x10-3 7.873333333x10-3 7.872727273x10-3 7.872727273x10-3 7.874468085x10-3

Question: How do they

compare?

Inspection shows that information started gathering output values are nearly identical,
or are exactly equivalent if we round off each of them..

5. Calculate the sum of the voltages Vbc, Vde, Vfg, Vgh, Vij

Vbc + Vde + Vfg + Vgh + Vij = 18.031V

Question: What is the relationship between the supply voltage (VS) and the sum obtained?
Does it confirm Kirchhoff’s law? Explain.
A voltages current that flows in our complete system are the supply voltage and the
sum of the voltages obtained. Kirchoff's law is confirmed because it is the law that governs
all of the data in the form that we performed.