Phys 162

Lab section #3
Lab 4: Kirchhoff’s Voltage and Current Laws
February 10th, 2020
Team members:​ Bereke Dauletkanov
Darkhan Zhambyl
Temirlan Zarymkanov
Objectives
● Use Kirchhoff’s Voltage and Current Laws to build different circuits and study them
using mesh and nodal analysis.
Experimental Data

Table 1. ​Measurements of Voltage and Current taken during lab

Branch voltage/ V(V) I(mA) R( Ω )

current

V 1, I 1 0.9846 ± 5.1 * 10−8 9.64 ± 8.7 * 10−5 99.8 ± 0.05

V 2, I 2 3.0847 ± 2.2 * 10−8 6.56 ± 4.6 * 10−5 550.5 ± 0.05

V 3, I 3 1.9718 ± 1.13 * 10−7 4.27 ± 4.5 * 10−5 462.1 ± 0.05

V 4, I 4 1.1450 ± 5.39 * 10−8 4.27 ± 4.4 * 10−5 269.2 ± 0.05

V 5, I 5 0.9718 ± 3 * 10−8 9.64 ± 8.71 * 10−5 99.4 ± 0.05

V S, IS 5.095 ± 1.6 * 10−7 9.64 ± 8.69 * 10−5 516.8 ± 0.05

 Data Analysis
Experimental values:
KVL for the first loop (5th formula):
- V s + I 1 R1 + I 2 R2 + I 5 R5 = -5.095V+9.64mA*99.8 Ω +6.56mA*550.5 Ω +9.65mA*99.4 Ω
=0.0038V
KVL for the second loop (6th formula) :
− I 2 R2 + I 3 R3 + I 4 R4 = -6.56mA*550.5+4.27mA*462.1+4.27mA*269.2=-0.049V

KCL for the first four nodes(from 7 to 10th formulas):

Node a: - I s + I 1 = -9.64mA+9.64mA=0
Node b: - I 1 + I 2 + I 3 = -9.64mA+10.83mA=0.00119A
Node c: - I 3 + I 4 = -4.27+4.27=0
Node d​: - I 2 − I 4 + I 5 = 9.64mA-10.83mA=0.00119A

Error propagation
Error propagation for KVL can be found with the following formula:
Loop 1:

△V = √ △V s 2 + △V 2 1 + △V 2 2 + △V 5 2

Loop 2:

△V = √ △V 2 2 + △V 3 + △V 4 2

Error propagation for KCL:

Node a:

△I = √△I s
2
+ △I 1 2

Node b:
 △I = √△I 1
2
+ △I 2 2 + △I 3 2

Node c:

△I = √△I 3
2
+ △I 4 2

Node d:

△I = √△I 2
2
+ △I 4 2 + △I 5 2

Table 2​. Theoretical values for current and voltage

# V,(V) I, (mA) R, ( Ω )

1 0.97 9.74 99.8 ± 0.05

2 3.06 5.56 550.5 ± 0.05

3 1.93 4.18 462.1 ± 0.05

4 1.13 4.18 269.2 ± 0.05

5 0.97 9.74 99.4 ± 0.05

Source 5.00 9.74 516.8 ± 0.05

 Discussion
From the results obtained it could be seen that circuits and junctions obey Kirchoff’s
Voltage Law and Kirchhoff’s Current Law, as the theoretical and experimental values for
currents and voltages are almost similar, with small deviations due to errors. In order to prove
Kirchhoff’s laws, in this experiment, circuits were build-up using junctions and the current and
voltage were derived using a multimeter; comparing the values obtained from sensors with
theoretical values, calculated using KVL and KCL, the Kirchhoff’s laws were proven. According
to our assumptions, the values of voltages on different loops, which theoretically were calculated
to be 0, should not be 0 as calculated using values on multimeter due to the errors; instead, we
calculated them to be 0.0038V for the first loop and -0.049V for the second loop. The obtained
value of the total voltage was 5.095 ± 1.6 * 10−7 V, compared to theoretical value of 5.0 * 10−7
V. Such tendencies could be explained by systematic errors, which mainly were the wires which
connected the circuit to the multimeter because the values on the multimeter were always
fluctuating and changing by any small movement of wires. Furthermore, as the instruments used
in this experiment were used multiple times before, the resistance on resistors decrease and some
current might flow into the wires contributing to the errors.

Conclusion
In conclusion, it could be said that the main objective of the laboratory work was
achieved since the results of the experiment prove that current and voltage in circuits follow
Kirchhoff’s laws. In order to improve the results of the experiment, the following suggestions are
applicable: use wires with higher conductivity to decrease energy leaks in wires, for the same
reason use high-quality resistors and use more precise and accurate sensors to get more reliable
values.