Resistance Object ~™ The FEEDBACK TEKNIKIT Assignment 7 To investigate methods of measuring resistance. Apparatus required Quantity i 1 or or with Apparatus Teknikit Consolette TK288 Voltmeter d.c 0-20V Teknikit Console TK290 Teknikit Baseplate TK289 PSU 0-26V d.c variable, metered output Teknikit Manifold TK291 Teknikit Baseplate TK289 Module, type 2948, Ammeter d.¢ 0-100mA Ammeter dic 0-1mA Voltmeter d.c 0-1V Voltmeter d.c 0-10V Decade Resistance box with Resistance range from 109 to 10k. Prerequisites None Theory Assumed Ohm's Law Approximate time required One hour. 1$204-01-1Preliminary Procedure 1. _ Attach the Console TK290, or the Manifold TK291, to the Baseplate TK289 by means of the magnetic fixings. This does not apply if a Consolette TK288 is used, 2. Connect the power supply unit used to the mains supply line. Do NOT switch on yet. 3. ‘Turn the variable d.c control knob to minimum, Select the 0 to 4V variable d.c range if Console TK290 or Consolette TK288 is used. 4, If a Manifold TK291 is being used, connect the manifold to the power supply unit by means of the connecting cable supplied, Connect the GREEN leat the OV output and the YELLOW lead to the variable positive output. The other'leads in the connecting cable may be left unconnected. 5. Plug your module, type 294A, into one of the sockets on the Console or Manifold. It does not matter which-socket you choose. The act of plugging in the module connects it to the power supply in the correct manner. Switch on the mains supply. xperimental Procedure The most fundamental method of determining resistance is by measuring the current flowing through a specimen and the voltage across the specimen, and using Ohm's Law to calculate che resistance value (see Teknikit, Kit One, Basic Electricity, Assignment 2). There are two ways of connecting a voltmeter and an ammeter to a component to measure resistance, These are shown in fig 1.1 below. (a) The FEEOBACK TEKNIKIT (Nsing the 0-100mA d.c milliammeter, and the Q-1V dc voltmeter, with thé 10@Vesistor on the decade box as Ry, set up the Bxcu#t of fig 1.112) This is shown in the module connection of fig 1 ‘Slowly increase the variable voltage d.c output and set it to approximately 1 volt d.c. Read the resuitant current, Repeat the readiags fgetwo or three voltage sm SFA Now, disconnect the positive side of the volt meter from the positive side of the ammeter, and connect it to the negative side of the am: js will give the circuit connection of (2.1(b))2s shown by the module connection ji Again, read the currents and voltages indicated for several voltage settings between 0 and 1V. Law, calculate the resistance for rent and voltage readings. lodlate the average value of resistance re circuit of fig 1.1(a), and also rhe average for the circuit of fig 1.1(b). 1.2. Are they the sarrie? 1.3 If not, what is the percentage difference borween them? 1.4 Which_circuit gives the higher resistance value? Return the variable di fol knob to mini- mum, and conpect, th esistor in circuit instead of thé 109) rests. Also change the 8 Rt Fig.1.1The FEEDBACK TEKNIKIT 100mA d.¢ meter for a 10mA meter, and the 0- 1V dic voltmeter for a0 - 10V d.c meter. Repeat the procedure as before using voltages between 0 and 10V d.c. The variable d.c voltage Fange switch must be changed to the OV to 20V range for this part of the experiment, —— ot ° °° MODULE 294 A Change to the circuit of fig 1.1{b and” again repeat the procedure. @ 1.5 Calculate the two average resistance values again. 1.6 Are these the same? 1.7 If not, what is their percentage difference? _ ‘ )using 2 0 - 1mA d.c ammeter. 42 Are the resulting resistance values the same? 19 What is the percentage difference? t should be seéh from the resuits you obt>in that the calculated value of resistance depenos ©a the circuit connection used, and that the Sifference between the two values is areatér for 2 low or a high resistance value component than for one with an intermediate resistance valuc. tus try to explain this. The ammeter A will have some resistance Normally this will be of a low value, ranging from a tracuon of an ohm for a lamp tsd meter, to perhaps 1002 for a ImA fsd meter The voltmeter will also have a resistance. This will generally be high in value, ranging from about 20kQ for a I-volt fed meter to perhaps 2MQ for a 100-volt fsd meter. There/is bound to be some voltage drop across the ammeter and some current flowing through the voltmeter. iG 1.10 In the circuit of fig 1.1(a), what voltage ere you actually measuring with the voltmeter” The current indicated on the ammeter is the actual current flowing through the resistor, but the voltage reading will not be the true voltage present across the resistor. The ammeter and the resistor form a potential divider, as shown in fig 1.4, Now R, = YR R, meee And Var=_ote, The FEEDBACK TEKNIKIT Therefore, to get reasonable accuracy with this connection, Rr must be very small comparec with R), If this is so, then Rr may be neglected, ke | A << Ra (Bm +R) By Rr Vine Bovev Vs v Y as calculated ie ‘Thus the circuit of fig 1.1{a) is only accurate When the resistor measured has a value much oreater than the ammeter resistance. Now considering the circuit of fig 1.1(b). 1.11 What current are you actually measuring with the ammeter? The current paths are shown in fig 1.5. fim | fim I Rm RV. Fig. 1.5 Mi calculated Here R, = Y and not +-as calculates Rav Ad tant pe, «tl Thus to obtain accuracy, Rm, must be very much greater than Ry, 50 that Ri may be nealected in the above expression, Ry >> Ri (Rey +R) + Bin as calculated 016The FEEDBACK TEKNIKIT Thus the circuit of fig 1.1(b) is only accurate when the resistor measured has a value less than the voltmeter resistance. 1.12 Which is the more correct answer for the resistance of the nominally 109 resistor? 1.13 Which is the more correct answer for the nominally 10k resistor? 1.14 Does it matter which form of connection is used for the intermediate value of 1k2? For low value resistances, connect the circuit as in fig 1.1(b). For high value resistances connect the circuit as in fig 1.1(a). For connection Intermeaiate values, either form of ill do. Practicel considerations & applications The first coAciusion that, may be drawn from the experiment just performed is that measure- ment of resistance by this method can easily Beige, to sateatial erroneaealy if the wrong form ot connection is used, or if the measuring instruments are not of ‘reasonably good quality. If the resistance of each of the meters is known, then this method may’ be used, and some cal- culations can be pertormed to obtain a correc: tion factor which can be used to find the true value For example, suppose tiie resistance of the am- meter is Rm and the circuit is as in fig 1.4, We said Rye and Vai = From these, or directly from Law, we can see: If Ry is known then the true Ri can be found From the experiment and from the calculations above, it ‘snouid be clear that this method of measuring resistance is not very quick or conver ient. The fain disadvantages are: it is not a ‘anreet reading method, it reqisires two meters, it needs calculations to ‘achieve a result. It would be much more convenient, and much easier to use if 2 airect reading method could be found By ‘direct reading’ is meant @ method that gives an output which is directly calibrated in the quantrty to be measured. For example a method for measuring resistance which ges an output on a meter calibrated in ohms would be a direct reading method, If in the circuit of fig 1.4 the resistor R, is very much greater than the resistance of the meter, Rony then we can say that: le % if V is constant Thus an ammeter usec in such a circuit could be directly calibrated in chms, and the value of R, read directly off the scale. This is the principle of operation of most multimeters when used on their ohins ranges. The voltage V is supplied from an internal battery, and the value of the resistor under test is read directly off the relevant scale on the meter. As the current is inversely proportional to the resistance under test then a full-scale reading on the meter corresponds to zero resis: tance, and conversely a zero reading on the meters given by an open circuit. If you examine the ohms scale on a multimeter you will find that it is back to front compared with the other scaies. This is because of the inverse prooortion- ality. Further Readit