PHYS101L

REPORT NO. 5

NAME (LAST, FIRST): MEDINA, BRENNAN WENDELL G.

SUBJECT & SECTION: PHYS101L / A13
SUBMISSION DATE: JULY 15, 2023
MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13

EXPERIMENT NO. RESISTORS IN SERIES AND PARALLEL

109
Most frequently, when referring to electrical circuits, the word "resistor" refers to

constructing a circuit composed of resistors coupled to a power source. A resistor is a two-

sided electrical component that regulates or inhibits the flow of electricity in electrical

circuits. Both series and parallel connections with two or more additional resistors are

acceptable for connecting resistors. An experiment was done to understand more about

resistors in series and parallel. The experiment evaluates the resistors in parallel and series

circuits by measuring the voltage across in parallel and the current flowing in series and

parallel while monitoring the voltage across.

TABLE 1. RESISTORS IN SERIES

R1 = 10 W R2 = 15 W RT = 25W

Experimental Computed Percentage Difference

Voltage Across Battery (V) 27V (VT 27V

) 𝟎%
Voltage Across R1 (V1 (V1) %𝟎
) 10.8V 10.8V
Voltage Across R2 (V2 16.2V %𝟎
) 16.2V
Current Flowing 1.08 A
(I1) A
through R1
Current Flowing 1.08 A
(I2) A
through R2
Total Current 1.08 A 1.08 A A %𝟎

Table 1. Results from Resistors in Series.

From the data above, it is observable that the current values remained the same in

every trial. This is in line with the equation 2 where one (1) current value is equal to

another. With the exception of the first trial, the voltages across the resistors varied for
MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13

every trial. Noticeably, adding all 𝑉௡ values will have a sum same or similar to the battery

voltage with an absolute error of 0. The reason for some trials not having total voltages

across resistors equal to the battery voltage may be because of rounding off numbers. The

voltages across resistors for trial 1 remained constant as the resistances for all resistors

shared one (1) value. Another observable result is that the conventional current flow for all

trials moved clockwise while the electron current flow for all trials moved

counterclockwise. This is because conventional current flow flows out of the positive

terminal of the battery to the negative terminal while the electron current flow moved

opposite the conventional current flow ("Conventional Current vs. Electron Current",

2018). It can also be observed that as the difference between the battery voltage and

equivalent resistance increase, the total current decreases.

TABLE 2. RESISTORS IN PARALLEL

R1 = 10 W R2 = 15 W RT = 6W
Experimental Computed Percentage Difference

Voltage Across Battery (V) 27 V (VT) 27 V 0%

Voltage Across R1 (V1) 27 V
Voltage Across R2 (V2) - 27 V
Current Flowing through 2. 7 A 2. 7 A 0%
(I1) (I1)
R1
Current Flowing through 1.8 A 1.8 A 0%
(I2) (I2)
R2
Total Current (I) 4.5 A (IT) 4.5 A 0%
Table 2. Results from Resistors in Parallel.

It is observable from the data on Table 2 that the voltages across the resistors are equal to the

battery voltage in all trials. Similar to the relationship observed with voltage, resistance, and current from

the series circuit, Table 2 shows that as the difference between the voltage and resistance increases, current
MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13

decreases. This result also conforms with Ohm’s Law where current is directly proportional to voltage but

inversely proportional to resistance. Similar to the results from the series circuit, the conventional current

flow moved clockwise as it flows out of the positive terminal of the battery to the negative terminal while

the electron current flow moved counterclockwise as it flows opposite the conventional current flow

("Conventional Current vs. Electron Current", 2018).

The conventional current flow of the series circuit and parallel circuit was observed

to move in a clockwise direction while the electron current flow of both circuits was

observed to move in a counter clockwise direction. With the multi-loop circuit having two

(2) loops with batteries faced opposite each other, the conventional current flow of loop 1

moved clockwise while the conventional current flow of loop 2 moved counterclockwise.

The electron current flow of loop one moved counterclockwise while that of loop 2 moved

clockwise. This is because conventional current flow is assumed to flow out of the positive

terminal of the battery to the negative terminal while the electron current flow describes

the movement of the electrons from the negative terminal to the positive terminal

("Conventional Current vs. Electron Current", 2018).

MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13

EXPERIMENT NO. KIRCHOFF’S LAW

110
The first part of this report includes an experiment on Kirchhoff's Law. In this

experiment, the voltage across the resistors in a DC circuit will be estimated using

Kirchhoff's Law, and the calculated and observed values will be compared. The current

flowing through the resistors in a DC circuit will also be computed using Kirchhoff's Law,

and the calculated and observed values will be contrasted. In this case, we use Kirchhoff's

laws to solve such challenging circuits carefully. According to this law, the current entering

a junction or node equals the current exiting one. Therefore, no net current flows into or

out of the intersection. According to Kirchhoff's principles, each component in a circuit's

full loops must have an average voltage equal to all the other parts in that loop. At this

time, the sum of all voltages is zero. The experiment was designed to measure the voltage

across resistors in a DC circuit and the current flowing through them to better comprehend

Kirchhoff's current and voltage equations.

MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13

TABLE 1. KIRCHHOFF’S LAWS

Experimental Computed Percentage Difference

𝟎. 𝟕%
I1 2.52A 2.36A

1.44A 1.32A 𝟎. 𝟗%
I2
𝟎. 𝟔%
I3 1.08A 1.02A

25 V
Power Supply 1 Voltage (V1)
8.1 V
Power Supply 2 Voltage 2 (V2)

Resistance 1 (R1) 5W

Resistance 2 (R2) 10 W

Resistance 3 (R3) 5W

Table 1. Results from Kirchoff’s Law

To complete the table, the experiment was run using a simulation website. The

equipment used by students utilized had supplied the experimental results. The current

through R1 or the I1 is 2.52 A, 1.08 A through the I2, and 1.08 A through the I3.

The results of the experiment, which are shown in Table 1, demonstrate that the

circuits under investigation follow Kirchhoff's laws. The computed values of the currents

at each node and the experimental values of the power supply's voltage agree to within an

error range of 0.7% to 0.9%. This demonstrates that the KCL and KVL ideas may

accurately explain the behavior of the circuits.

Our study shows that the current flows in the series counterclockwise, hence the

value of current I1 equals the sum of currents I2 and I3. As a result, since the currents 2
MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13

and 3 likewise follow its course, their values are added to the current 1's value when

computing it.

Kirchhoff's law was observed in this experiment; a summary of all the data gathered

and the computed values are included in the table above. Using the junction rule from the

first constructed equation 1, the total current flowing through the circuit was calculated,

and the results are displayed in the computations below. The outcome was zero. Kirchhoff's

first law, which asserts that the sum of currents flowing through a junction equals zero, was

proven via this. Equation 2 was also used to calculate the total voltage in the loop, which

was zero, as seen in the calculations below. Thus, this also supported Kirchhoff's second

law, in which the sum of potential drops and voltages coming from any loop's sources

equals zero.

As a result of our team's ultimate understanding of Kirchhoff's Law and its

application, the experiment was carried out. Using Kirchhoff's Law and a simulation, the

current flowing over and through the resistors in the DC circuit was determined. Since the

current and polarity of the voltage in the circuit were assumed, Kirchhoff's law is applied

to DC circuits. Now that the overall circuit current and the current flowing in each circuit

segment had been calculated and determined, Kirchhoff's law for DC circuits had been

created.
MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13

SAMPLE PROBLEMS
MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13
MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13
MEDINA, Brennan Wendell G.
PHYS101L - A13