Mir

Lab #7-

OP AMP PD

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

An apprentice engineer wants to design a signal to warn the driver of a car to turn on
the headlights when it becomes dark. As a Physicist, how would you help him to design
the signal?

HYPOTHESIS:

Using an operational amplifier as a comparator, a signal can be designed to alert a

driver to turn on the headlight when it is dark.

AIM:

To design an operational amplifier that illuminates a signal to alert the driver to turn on
the headlight when it becomes dark.

DIAGRAM OF SETUP:

APPARATUS:

12 V power supply, connecting wires, operational amplifier, 3 10kΩ resistors, LED,

buzzer, 1 MΩ LDR
PROCEDURE:

1. Setup apparatus as shown in the diagram above.

2. Expose the LDR to sunlight to lower the resistance, then cover it with a box.

3. Record the observations in a table.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, two more times.

VARIABLES:

1. Controlling:
a) Source Voltage
b) 10kΩ resistors.

2. Manipulating:
a) Exposure of the LDR to a bright environment.

3. Responding:
a) The signal produced by the LDR and buzzer to the driver.

DATA COLLECTION/RESULTS:

TABLE SHOWING THE RESPONSE OF LDR & BUZZER WHEN PLACED IN A BRIGHT AND
DARK ENVIRONMENT

Environment Signal

ON ON ON

Sunlight

Darkness
EXPECTED RESULTS:

It is expected that the buzzer and LED will turn on when exposed to darkness. However,
in the presence of light, no signal will appear. This is because, in the dark environment,
the resistance of the LDR increases to 1 MΩ thus creating a low voltage at the inverted
terminal.

Consequently, the open-loop amplifier saturates giving a positive 12V. On the contrary,
in the light environment, the resistance of the LDR falls to 100Ω, thus creating a high
potential difference at the inverted terminal, causing the amplifier to saturate at a
negative voltage, which will not pass through the LED since current doesn't flow in
reverse bias. Hence the LED and buzzer will not turn on.

SOURCE OF ERRORS:

1. Faulty connections in the circuit.

2. Incorrect polarities.

PRECAUTIONS:

1. Ensure that the LED is connected in forward bias.

2. Ensure that all connections are secure and tight.

3. Ensure the polarities are connected correctly.

LIMITATION:

1. Resistance developed in the wires due to heat.