Lab 4

Ryan Buckingham
Physics 1444.006
Alexander Fairchild
10-20-15
Unit 18
D.C. Circuits
Introduction:
In the study of D.C. Circuits it is useful to understand how they work in order to use them
effectively, as well as trouble shoot problems such as shorts or opens if they arise.
Objectives: The objective of this lab is to identify 3 such problems (faults) as either
opens or shorts. Figure 1 shows the circuit that we will be dealing with in this experiment as
well as the faults that we will be identifying.
Figure 1
Theory:
A D.C. circuit consists of direct currents connected to a network of elements. These
elements however need to obey Ohm’s law (that is, they are ohmic). If they are Ohmic, this
means that the current is directly proportional to the voltage across the elements and thus obey
Ohm’s Law.
Ohm’s Law: V=IR
(Equation 1)
R is the resistance of the element in units of Ohm’s. Resistors, which are commonly used
in electronics, are ohmic.
When two or more resistors are part an electric circuit in series (as illustrated in Figure
18-1 of the Physics Lab Manuel), they act together as a single resistor of equal magnitude:
Rseries = R1 + R2 + R3 + … + Rn
(Equation 2)
If two or more resistors are part of an electric circuit in parallel, then they behave as an
equivalent single resistor (Equation 3). Figure 18-2 of the Physics Lab Manuel illustrates what
this looks like.
1/Rparallel = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 +…+ 1/Rn
(Equation 3)
Faults are what we say to describe either a shortage in a circuit, or an open circuit. Figure
18-4 in the Physics Lab Manuel illustrates what these look like.
Kirchhoff’s Laws are as follow: (adapted from the student help file)
1) Current Rule
“At any junction in a circuit, the algebraic sum of the currents entering the junction is
equal to the algebraic sum of the currents leaving the junction.”
2) Voltage Rule
The algebraic sum of the change in potential encountered in a complete transversal of a

loop in a circuit must be zero.
I 1+ I 2 +…+ I n=Total Current∈ Loop
(Equation 4)
With equations 1, 2, 3, and 4, it is possible to calculate the currents in any array of circuitry.
Procedure:
1. Turn all faults to the off position.
2. Make sure that nobs S1 and S2 are pointing to points A and E.
3. Turn on Power Supply
4. Make connections between the power supply and the multimeter (red to red; black
to black), as well as connections from the multimeter to the D.C. circuit box (red
to red; black to black).
5. Turn the nob on the power supply to measure 3 volts on the multimeter.
6. Set the multimeter to measure resistance (Ohms). Remember that k stands for
1,000 and so the displayed measurement is multiplied by 1,000.
7. Now to measure the resistance in the D.C. Circuit:
a. Switch S1 to point B and measure the resistance from B to C.
b. Leaving S1 at point B, Switch S2 to point D and measure the resistance
from B to D
c. Switch S1 back to A and leave S2 at point D, now measure resistance from
point D to C.
8. Record the measurements on data sheet 1 as RBC RBD and RDC. You will need
equations 1 and 2 as well as knowledge of the first part of Kirchhoff’s law to be
able to solve for the theoretical values on the right side of the data sheet.
9. Now to measure the Current:
a. Remove the multimeter probes from the circuit and change the red probe
to the mA/µA socket. Set the multimeter to the DC A range at 200m
(remember that m means 0.001).
b. Switch both S1 and S2 to points A and E.
c. Reconnect the probes to the D.C. circuit into points B and C.
d. Switch S1 to point B and record the measurement of the current I1 onto
Data Sheet 1.
e. Switch S1 back to point A and switch S2 from point E to point D.
f. Now record the current (I2) onto Data Sheet 1.
g. Use the second part of Kirchhoff’s law to find the total Current (I3) of the
D.C. circuit.
10. Now repeat steps 4-7 but with one fault switched on at a time for all three faults.
Record them on the appropriate Data Sheets. Do not have more than one fault on
at a time.
11. Clean up the mess after all data is taken
12. Use Kirchhoff’s laws to calculate theoretical values for currents I1, I2, and I3.
Calculations and Results:
Summary:
First we measured the resistance and currents of a D.C. box with no faults. Then, with
the use of Kirchhoff’s laws we calculated values for what those resistances and currents should
be theoretically. Using this as a control test, we then triggered three separate faults and repeated
the same process as with the control. Then by comparing the data to the control we postulated
whether each fault was an open circuit or a short circuit and calculated theoretical values by way
of Kirchhoff’s laws to determine whether there was either infinite resistance or zero resistance—
or rather, an open circuit or a short circuit. The final conclusion was as follows:
Fault 1 is a short circuit occurring at RDC.
Fault 2 is an open circuit occurring at one of the three resisters in R3.
Fault 3 is a short circuit occurring at all of R3.
References
Physics Lab Manuel Electricity and Light. Department of Physics University of Texas at Arlington
http://www.uta.edu/physics/labs/fall-1444.html. Unit 18 Help file.

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Ryan Buckingham

The algebraic sum of the change in potential encountered in a complete transversal of a

http://www.uta.edu/physics/labs/fall-1444.html. Unit 18 Help file.

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