EECE200: Laboratory 01 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law

Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)

School of Engineering, American University in Dubai

Course Code: EECE200 Course Name: Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)
Semester & Year: Fall 2023 Lab Date: September 11, 2023
Instructor: Wael Bazzi Report DUE Date: September 11, 2023

Name: ………………………………………………………… ID / Major: ……………………………………………

Directions
- Provide your answer to each of the following lab questions. You must clearly and neatly show your work to qualify for
full credit.
- The lab report should be submitted with this cover page.
- One objective of your lab activity is to communicate, so neatness counts. 20% will be deducted for lack of neatness or
not following directions.
- Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Answer these questions on your own. Although this is a teamwork activity, make sure that you have a full
understanding of the lab experimental activity.
- Notes and textbooks are allowed.
- Your work must be original: no copying from any other term or any other class, and no copying from any classmate.

Learning Outcomes Lab Report

O1. Apply knowledge of physics, differential and integral calculus, and circuit theory laws to analyze x
resistive, capacitive, and inductive circuits, RC, RL, RLC, and ideal OpAmp circuits
O2. Operate electronic testing equipment such as multi-meters, function generators, oscilloscopes, and
x
power supplies and utilize software tools to collect and analyze data related to the steady-state and transient
response of electric circuits
O3. Follow standard safety regulations and specifications in relation to the use and operation of electric x
equipment

O1 O2 Total
/6 /4 /10
By signing above, you confirm that the submission has been fully prepared by you. Any suspicion of copying or plagiarism in
this work will be reported to the Dean or Chair for appropriate investigation and appropriate disciplinary actions, which
may result in a “0” on the work, an “F” in the course, or other penalties as described in the Student Handbook, which can be
found online at: https://www.aud.edu/media/catalogs/undergraduate/index.html
Objectives:
 EECE200: Laboratory 01 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law
Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)
School of Engineering, American University in Dubai

After the successful completion of this experiment, students will be able to:
 Understand the resistor color code and find the value of the resistor using its color bands.
 Experimentally verify Ohm’s law.
 Locate the breadboard connectors and determine which holes are connected
 Calculate the maximum current allowed to flow through a resistor given its value and its
power rating
 Calculate the maximum voltage allowed to be placed across a resistor and give its value
and power rating

Part 1: RESISTOR COLOUR CODES

The code below applies to resistors with three or four bands. If there is no 4 th band, the tolerance
is ±20%.

For resistors with five bands, the fifth band refers to temperature tolerance.
The color bands on a resistor enable its resistance to be determined once you understand what
they mean! A typical resistor will have color bands as shown in the diagram below.

Figure 1 resistor color code. (circuitbasics.com)

The colors used for A, B, and C represent the digits 0-9 as shown in the table below
Color Digit
Black 0
Brown 1
Red 2
Orange 3
Yellow 4
Green 5
Blue 6
Violet 7
Grey 8
White 9
 EECE200: Laboratory 01 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law
Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)
School of Engineering, American University in Dubai

Orient the resistor so the tolerance band is on the right. The resistance can now be figured out
using the formula,
R = (10A + B) x 10C Ω

In other words, A and B represent the two digits in the resistance and C represents the number
of trailing zeroes.
As an example, consider the resistor below:

Figure 2 Resistor color code example (digikey.com)

1) Determine the resistance of the following resistors:

a) _______________________________________

b) _______________________________________

c) _______________________________________
 EECE200: Laboratory 01 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law
Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)
School of Engineering, American University in Dubai

Part 2: Ohm’s Law

Theoretical background:

The breadboard:
A breadboard provides a simple and fast method for connecting circuit components for
experimentation without the need of soldering iron, or printed circuit boards. To mount a
component on a breadboard, you need only to insert its terminals in the connecting holes on the
board. Caution is to be experienced to the way in which the holes are interconnected on the
board. The following figure shows these terminal connections.

Figure 3 Two Breadboard examples (left) and its internal connections(right)

(Source: Banaao.co.in)

A 22-gauge solid insulated wire is used to connect the circuit on the board, and external
equipment, like power supplies, meters, or oscilloscope etc.

When using a breadboard, avoid the use of high voltage power supplies. Use power
supplies equipped with suitable short circuit protection, or current limiters. When using an
interconnecting wire, attempt not to strip more than quarter an inch of insulation from each end
(about 8 millimeters), since excessive lengths can increase the probability of occurrence of short
circuits.

The following video shows details of how to do breadboard connections.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9jcHB9tWko
 EECE200: Laboratory 01 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law
Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)
School of Engineering, American University in Dubai

Equipment and components needed:

 1 kΩ resistor
 3 kΩ resistor
 Digital AVO meter
 Adjustable power supply
 Online circuit simulator: www.multisim.com

Procedure
2) Calculate theoretically the current flowing through the following circuit,
corresponding to each voltage entry in the table:

Power supply voltage (V) Current (mA)

0V
3V
6V
9V

3) Assemble the circuit using the provided components

 EECE200: Laboratory 01 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law
Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)
School of Engineering, American University in Dubai

4) Measure the actual current flowing through the resistor corresponding to each
voltage entry in the table.

Power supply voltage (V) Current (mA)

0V
3V
6V
9V

5) Insert a screenshot for 6V supply.

6) Compare the calculated and the measured values in the tables above. Justify
differences if you find any.
7) If the resistor is disconnected from the circuit, and reconnected in the reverse polarity
(its terminal reversed) do you expect changes in the values of measured current?
Why?
8) Replace the 1kΩ resistor with 3 kΩ resistor and repeat steps (2), (3) and (4)

Calculated values for 3 kΩ case.

Power supply voltage (V) Current (mA)
0V
3V
6V
9V

Measured values for the case of 3kΩ

Power supply voltage (V) Current (mA)
0V
3V
6V
9V

9) Justify differences between the calculated values and the measured values, if any.
 EECE200: Laboratory 01 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law
Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)
School of Engineering, American University in Dubai

10)What is the impact of replacing the 1kΩ with the 3kΩ resistor in the circuit on the
current flow? Why?

Practical questions related to ohm’s law, and resistor’s power handling capability.

11)Write down the equation that gives directly the power dissipation in a resistor given
the value of voltage across the resistor and the current flowing through it.

12)Write down the equation that gives directly the power dissipation in a resistor given
the value of resistance and the current flowing through it

13)Write down the equation that gives directly the power dissipation in a resistor given
the value of resistance and the voltage across it.

14)Calculate the absolute maximum voltage that can be placed across a 3.3 kΩ- 2Watts
resistor, without damaging it due to overheating.

15)Calculate the absolute maximum current that can be made to flow through a 2.7 kΩ-
2Watts resistor, without damaging it due to overheating.

Note: when selecting a resistor during circuit design, in addition to determining the resistor’s
value, the designer must choose a power rating for the resistor that should exceed the actual
power dissipation in it during normal circuit operation, by at least 50%. This is needed to
provide long term reliability.
For example, if the normal power dissipation in a resistor is found to be 1Watt, during the design
stage, the designer should choose a resistor that can handle at least a power of 1.5Watt. If this is
impossible (the 1.5W resistor is not available), the designer should choose a resistor with 2W
rating.
You may choose any power rating, as long as you are sure that it is higher than needed in the
circuit by a factor of 1.5. However, your choice should satisfy space limitations and economy
considerations.

16)Knowing that a constant voltage of 42 volts will be placed on a 1 kΩ resistor during

normal operation in an electronic circuit still in the design phase, considering the
space limitations and economy considerations, the power rating for that resistor
should be:
a. 1 W
b. 2W
EECE200: Laboratory 01 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law
Linear Circuit Analysis I (With Lab)
School of Engineering, American University in Dubai

c. 3 W
d. 4W
e. 5W
Show your calculation steps

17)Knowing that a constant current of 10mA will flow through a 10 kΩ resistor during
normal circuit operation, the most suitable power rating for that resistor should be:
a. 0.5W
b. 1W
c. 1.5
d. 2W
e. 2.5W
Show your calculation steps