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EXPERIMENT NO. 3

Series and Parallel Circuits

Objectives:

1. Test the validity of Ohm’s law.

2. Learn the correct use of ammeters and voltmeters.
3. Verify that same amount of current flows through each series circuit element.
4. Verify that equal voltage appears across each parallel circuit element.

Apparatus:
Resistors
DMM
Breadboard
DC power supply
Connecting wires

PART 1: VERIFY OHM’s LAW

Ohm discovered that the ratio of voltage to current in a metallic resistor is constant as long as the
temperature is held constant. This ratio is called resistance. Ohm's Law is usually written as

V= IR

V is the potential difference across the resistor (often simply called voltage across the resistor), in
volts. I is the current in amperes and R is the resistance in ohms.

Procedure Exercise # 1:

Safety Precaution
✓ Look at each exercise carefully before connecting the circuits.
✓ Make sure all power is off before connecting or disconnecting components.
✓ Ask your instructor to check the circuit before turning on the power.
✓ When measuring voltage or current, make sure the DMM is correctly set for what
you need to measure.
 1. Take a resistance. Determine its value using color code. Measure it value using DMM as
well and records these values in table 3.1.

2. Connect DC power supply across resistance.

3. To measure the voltage across resistance, connect DMM parallel to resistance as shown in
figure 3.1 and record in table 3.1.

Figure 3.1

4. To measure the current though resistance, connect DMM in series to the resistance as
shown in figure 3.1 and record in table 3.1.

5. Now calculate resistance value using ohm’s law and record in table 3.1.

6. Do these resistance values match?

R ( Color Code) R (DMM) V ( Voltage ) I (Current) R ( Ohm’s Law )

Table 3.1

Calculations
PART 2: SERIES CIRCUIT

Procedure of Exercise 2:

1. Take any three resistors of your choice. Find their individual resistance values through
color code identification and record these in Table 3.2.
2. Connect the three resistors in series.
3. Calculate the value of equivalent series resistance Req and record the value in Table 3.2.
4. Measure the equivalent resistance of the circuit on breadboard using the Digital Multi
meter (DMM) being set for resistance measurement; and record the value in Table 3.2. Do
the measured and calculated equivalent resistance values agree?
5. Apply 6V across the terminals of the series combination of three resistors on breadboard.
The terminals are circled and shown in Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2: Resistors connected in series on the breadboard

6. Use Ohm’s law to calculate the value of current iT flowing in the circuit. Record this
value in Table 3.2.
7. Use DMM being set as ammeter to measure the value of total current iT flowing
through the circuit as shown in Figure 3.3. Record the value in Table 3.2. Do the measured
and calculated current values agree?
8. Connect the ammeter in series with the first resistor R1. The value would give the current I1
flowing through R1. Record the value of current in Table 3.2. Similarly, connect the
ammeter in series with the remaining two resistors R2 and R3; and record the I2 and I3
current values in Table 3.2. All these values should be same, which shows that when
connected in series, the resistors have same amount of current flowing through them.
Comment on the results.
 Figure 3.3: Ammeter connected to measure the total current flowing in the circuit

R1 R2 R3 Req Req
Calculated Measured

IT IT I1 I2 I3
Calculated Measured

V1 V1 V2 V2 V3 V3
Measured Calculated Measured Calculated Measured Calculated

Table 3.2: Resistors in Series

Calculations
Electric Circuits (EE-100) Lab Manual Handout #3

PART 3: PARALLEL CIRCUIT

Procedure of Exercise 3:

1. Take any three resistors of your choice. Find their individual resistance values through
colour code identification and record these in Table 3.3.

2. Connect the three resistors in parallel as shown in figure 3.4.

Figure 3.4: Resistors connected in parallel on the breadboard

3. Calculate the value of equivalent parallel resistance Req and record the value in Table
3.3.

4. Measure the equivalent resistance of the circuit on breadboard using the Digital
Multi-meter (DMM) being set for resistance measurement; and record the value in Table
3.3. Do the measured and calculated equivalent resistance values agree?

5. Apply 6V across the terminals of the parallel combination of three resistors on breadboard.

6. Use DMM being set as voltmeter to measure the voltages across the three resistors. Record
the values in Table 3.3. All these values should be equal to the supply voltage. Do the
individual resistor voltages is equal to the supply voltage?

7. Use Ohm’s law to calculate the total amount of current iT flowing in the circuit. Record
this value in Table 3.3.

8. Connect the ammeter in series with the parallel combination of resistors to measure the total
current flowing through the circuit, as shown in Figure 3.5. The value would give the
current iT flowing through equivalent parallel resistance. Record the value of current in
Table 3.3. Do the measured and calculated current values agree? Comment on the results.

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Electric Circuits (EE-100) Lab Manual Handout #3

Figure 3.5: Ammeter connected to measure the total current flowing in the circuit

Observations:

R1 R2 R3 Req Req
calculated measured

V1 V2 V3 IT IT
calculated measured

I1 I1 I2 I2 I3 I3
measured calculated measured calculated measured calculated

Table 3.3: Resistors in Parallel

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Electric Circuits (EE-100) Lab Manual Handout #3

Calculations

Summary

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