Ohm’s Law Experiment

Name

University

1 April 2019
 Abstract

Series and parallel circuits were made to study the factors that affect resistance in the circuits.

The circuits consisted of a voltmeter, an ammeter and light bulbs. For the circuits in series

connection, the amount of current through all the components was the same, but for the

circuits in parallel connection, the current was shared by the components. The resistance for

all circuit arrangements was calculated. The results of the experiment showed that none of the

circuits obeyed Ohms Law. The reason for this was that the light bulb was non-Ohmic. Thus,

other factors influenced the resistance throughout the circuits.

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Introduction

The three electrical components that define Ohm’s law are current voltage and resistance

(Siyavula, 2019). Ohms law states that the electric current I flowing through a conductor is

proportional to the voltage V supplied and inversely proportional to its resistance R .

Mathematically;

V
I=
R

Voltage is the electromotive force needed to transfer an electrical charge between two points.

It is a measure of the electric potential or electric tension between two points. Electrical

current is defined as the rate of flow of charge past a point. An electric current is generated

when there is a net flow of charge through a point (All About Circuits, 2019). Electrical

resistance is a measure of opposition to the flow of electric charge. Electrical conductors are

used to transfer the electrons from the negative terminal to the positive terminal. There are

many factors that may affect the resistance of a conductor, among them the characteristics of

the conductor material, length of the conductor, its cross-sectional area and external factors

such as temperature (Practical Physics, 2019).

In this experiment, Ohm’s law was investigated using series and parallel circuits. The

difference between these two circuits is that, all components in a series circuit are connected

in series so that the current is shared. Removing any component in the circuit would break the

circuit. On the other hand, components in a parallel circuit are connected in parallel with all

having equal potential difference between them.

Aim

The aim of this lab was to verify Ohms Law.

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Methodology

Materials:

 Power source

 Ammeters

 Voltmeters

 Light bulbs

 Connecting copper wires

Procedure:

A light bulb was first connected in parallel to a circuit connected to a 5 V power supply. The

ammeter and voltmeter were connected across the bulb before the power switch was put on.

The ammeter and voltmeter readings were recorded, and the light intensity of the bulb

observed. The second and third bulbs were added to the circuit, while recording the ammeter

and voltmeter readings (table 1). In the second part of the experiment, the above devices were

connected in series with the same power supply voltage, and the ammeter and voltmeter

readings recorded for each bulb (table 2).

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Results

The results of the experiment are presented in table 1&2 below:

Table 1: Parallel circuit

# Bulbs Current Voltage Resistance (Ω ) ¿ V / I Total Resistance (Ω ¿

(mA) (V)

1 65 5 5/0.065=76.92 76.92
2 42 39 2.1 2.5 2.1/0.042=50 2.5/0.039=64.10 1 1 1
= +
R 50 64.10
R=28.09
3 27 2 30 2.1 1 1 2.1/0.027=77.71/0.028=35.71 1/0.030=33.3
8 1 1 1 1
= + +
R 77.7 35.71 33.3
R=14.10

Table 2: Series circuit

Number Current Voltage Resistance Total Resistance (Ω ¿

of bulbs
1 60 5 5 83.33
=83.33
0.06
2 60 60 5 5 5 5 83.33+83.33
=83.33 =83.33
0.06 0.06
=166.66
3 60 60 60 5 5 5 5 5 5 83.33+83.33+83.33
=83.33 =83.33 =83.33
0.06 0.06 0.06
=249.99
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Analysis and Discussion

The measurements for current and voltage were conducted in multiple trials to obtain average

readings that were recorded in tables 1&2. This increased the accuracy and reliability of the

results. In the parallel circuit, it can be seen that the total resistance drops from 76.92 Ω to

14.10 Ω as the number of bulbs increases from 1 to 3. Both current and voltage dropped in the

parallel circuit with the addition of more light bulbs. In the series circuit, it is observed that

the total resistance in the circuit increases from 83.33Ω to 249.99Ω as the number of bulbs is

increased from 1 to 3. The current and voltage throughout the series circuit was 60 mA and 5

V respectively.

When current flows through a parallel circuit, it splits into equal streams that flow through

the load (a bub in this case). The separated currents re-join after passing through the bulbs to

the negative terminal. The more the number of bulbs, the more the current streams. The

current picks up 5 V from the power source and loses the entire 5 V as it passes through any

of the bulbs. Since voltage is a measurement of energy per unit charge and voltage drop is a

measure of energy lost per unit charge, the current leaves behind a lot of energy in each of the

bulbs (Bhatnagar, 2016). Thus, the bulbs glow brighter. In the series circuit, current from the

source flows sequentially through each bulb before flowing back to the negative terminal. As

the current passes through each lamp, it loses some voltage – which is much smaller than in

the parallel circuit. This smaller voltage drop implies that the energy left behind by each unit

of charge is lesser each second. Thus, the bulbs glow dimly.

According to Ohm’s law, the current and voltage through a circuit are directly proportional as

depicted in the diagram below:

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Figure 1: Current and voltage are directly proportional (Ohms Law)

The results obtained from this experiment did not support Ohm’s law as depicted in figure 2

below.

Figure 2: Experimental voltage and current measurements in the parallel circuit

The above graph evidently shows that the current and voltage are not directly proportional.

The deviations were attributed to both instrumental and systematic errors.

A light bulb glows when heated up. The resistance of the bulb is largely influenced by the

temperature, given that the tungsten filament is a good conductor of electricity. The bulbs
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become brighter as they become hotter with increasing temperature because more power

becomes dissipated (Practical Physics, 2019). The bulb is non-Ohmic, hence the voltage and

current are not directly proportional. A comparison between an Ohmic resistor and a bulb is

shown in the graph below:

Figure 3: Comparison between Ohmic and non-Ohmic devices

Conclusion

In conclusion, the bulbs in the parallel circuit are brighter than the bulbs in a series circuit.

Current flowing through a parallel circuit is split into different streams, but more energy is

left behind each second for each bulb. The total resistance in parallel circuit drops with

increasing number of bulbs. In the series circuit, the same current and voltage flows through

all the bulbs, but the energy left behind each second is smaller. The total resistance in the

series circuit increases as more bulbs are connected. A bulb is a non-Ohmic device, which

means it does not obey Ohms law.

Evaluation

There were no significant limitations encountered during the experiment, only that the

ammeters and voltmeters used were analogue which could lead to inaccurate current and

voltage readings. Short-circuiting occurred occasionally, which means no readings could be

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obtained. The reliability of the results could be questionable due to the faulty instruments. If

more accurate results were to be obtained in a repeat of this experiment, then digital ammeter

and voltmeters should be used. Irrespective of these limitations, the bulb does not obey

Ohm’s Law because its resistance is largely influenced by the temperature in the bulb.
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Bibliography

All About Circuits, 2019. Ohm’s Law - How Voltage, Current, and Resistance Relate.

[Online]

Available at: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/direct-current/chpt-2/voltage-

current-resistance-relate/

[Accessed 13 June 2019].

Bhatnagar, S., 2016. Physics. New Delhi: Saraswati House Pvt Ltd.

Practical Physics, 2019. Ohm's law. [Online]

Available at: http://practicalphysics.org/ohms-law.html

[Accessed 13 June 2019].

Siyavula, 2019. Ohm'S Law. [Online]

Available at: https://www.siyavula.com/read/science/grade-11/electric-circuits/11-electric-

circuits-02

[Accessed 13 June 2019].