California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Electrical Engineering Department

Memorandum To: Professor R. Frank Smith Group Members: Joseph Arias Jordan Quintana Sergio L. Zaragoza III Subject: Kirchhoffs Law The objective of this laboratory was to verify Kirchhoffs voltage and current law by mean of building and analyzing two circuits, one on series and one in parallel (Figures 1 and 2 respectively). In so doing, experience using both an ammeter and voltmeter was gained. The basis of Kirchhoffs Laws, circa 1845, is that the current into a node must equal the current leaving a node where a node is a point where two or more components are connected together (Figure 3). This is known as Kirchhoffs Current Law (KCL) and it is best observed circuits that have elements in parallel. Kirchhoffs Voltage Law (KVL) is best explained with a hiking analogy. If you go on a hike from your car around a mountain, independent of path, your net change in potential energy is zero. No matter how voltage is measured around a circuit, when you return to your starting point (usually the voltage source) the change in voltage is zero. This is best observed in circuits that have elements in series. In the first part of the experiment the in series circuit in Figure 1 was constructed to verify KVL. The voltage was then measured at each node (A thru E) relative to the power supply ground. Then the same voltage was measured relative to node C. Table 1 below shows our data demonstrating that the sum of the voltages comply with KVL, ergo
n k=1

Date: April 20, 2011

Vk = 0:

KVL-Series Circuit Voltage (V) 1.142 5.44 0.36 -7.04 -0.098 Current (mA) 1.023 1.023 1.023 1.023 Rexp ( ) 1.12 5.32 0.35 source Power (mW) 1.1683 5.5651 0.3683 -7.2019 -0.1003

Table 1 Summary of data used to demonstrate KVL

Figure 1 Circuit with 3 resistors in series with a power source used to demonstrate KVL Since the circuit was in series, a current of 1.023 mA (table 1, column 2) from the source was of the same value through each resistor. By implementing Ohms law, the experimenters were able to calculate the experimental resistance for each resistor (table 1, column 3) by using the voltage and current. The power (table 1, column 4) was calculated by means of implementing the power equation. To demonstrate KVL, the summation of voltages with appropriate polarity was performed as shown at the bottom of table 1, column 1. This value should have been equal to zero but the discrepancies could be explained by anomalous behavior of the lab equipment due to age and/or factory blemishes. To demonstrate the concept of power delivered being equal to the power dissipated, the summation of the powers with negative values representative of power

delivered was performed at the bottom of table 1, column 4. This value should have also been equal to zero but discrepancies have been carried over from anomalous measurements of the voltages and current due to reasons previously stated. Sample calculations are provided in Appendix, pages 5-6. In the second part of the experiment the in parallel circuit in Figure 2 was constructed to verify KCL. The current from the power supply was then measured and recorded by rewiring our circuit to have the ammeter in series with the power supply and the resistor branching. The current from each individual resistor in the circuit I1, I2, and I3, were then measured and recorded. Table 2 below shows our data and power calculated, demonstrating that the currents comply with KCL: Rexp ( ) 1116 5371 351.9 source Voltage (V) 3.08 3.08 3.08 3.08 Current (mA) 2.760 0.573 8.752 -11.490 0.596 Power (mW) 8.5004 1.7662 26.9577 -35.3892 1.8350

Table 2 Summary of data used to demonstrate KC

Figure 2 Circuit with 3 resistors in parallel used to demonstrate KCL

Figure 3 Node used to analyze currents in the parallel circuit. The experimental resistance for each resistor was taken from the KVL experiment and placed in table 2, column 1. Since the circuit was in parallel, a voltage from the power source of 3.08 V was constant at each resistor and placed in table 2, column 2. The current was calculated by means of implementing Ohms law as seen in the sample calculations (reference Appendix, page 5) using the experimental resistance and voltage. KCL was demonstrated by means taking the summation of the currents at the node shown in figure 3 with currents into the node designated positive and currents out of the node designated negative. The result is shown at the bottom of table 2, column 3. This value should have been equal to zero but the discrepancies, as previously stated, could be explained by anomalous behavior of the lab equipment due to age and/or factory blemishes. The concept of power delivered equaling the power dissipated was demonstrated again for the parallel circuit with the result shown at the bottom of table 2, column 4. This value should have also been equal to zero but, as previously stated, discrepancies have been carried over from anomalous measurements of the voltages and current. Through the different circuit configurations we are able to verify Kirchhoffs Law for both voltage and current. Our data demonstrates that the sum of the current provided by the power supply is equal (or close by a margin of error) to the sum of the current going across each of the resistors in the parallel circuit. It also demonstrated that the sum of the voltage provided by power supply is equal (or, again, close by a margin of error) to the sum of the voltages drop across each resistor in the series circuit.

Appendix
Sample Calculations Ohms Law sample calculation for experimental resistance
Rexp ! Rexp ! V I

1.142 1.023(103 ) Rexp ! 1.12K;

Ohms law sample calculation for current



I! I!

Rexp

3.08 1116 I ! 2.76mA Power sample calculation 

P ! IV P ! (1.023)(1.142) P ! 1.1683

Power delivered and power dissipated sample calculation



Power delivered = power dissipated Pdelivered ! Pdissipated Pdelivered  Pdissipated ! 0 Psource  (P1  P2  P3 ) ! 0 7.2019  (1.1683  5.5651 0.3683) ! 0 0.1003mW } 0

KVL Sample Calculation

V
k!1

!0

V1  V2 ... Vn1  Vn ! 0 Vsource  V1  V2  V3 ! 0 7.04  1.142  5.44  0.36 ! 0 0.098V } 0

KCL Sample Calculation


n

I
k!1

!0

I1  I2 ... In1  In ! 0 Isource  I1  I2  I3 ! 0 V V  !0 R1 R2 R3  1 1 1  Isource  V    ! 0 R1 R2 R3   1 1 1  11.49(103 )  3.08   ! 0  1116 5371 351.9  0.01149  0.01208 ! 0 0.00059A } 0 Isource