Sukkur Institute of Business Administration University

Department of Electrical Engineering

Applied Physics

Handout # 03: DC Parallel circuit

Instructor: Engr: Qasir Ali

Note: Submit this lab hand-out in the next lab with attached solved activities and exercises

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Lab Learning Objectives:
The objective of this experiment is to determine the equivalent resistance parallel circuit. You
will apply various voltages across the resistor (or circuit) using a power supply and measure
the current I through the resistor and the voltage V across the resistor for each setting of the
power supply. From a plot of V vs. I, you will determine the resistance. You will compare the
measured value of the resistance with the manufacturer's value.
Lab Hardware and Software Required:

Variable DC power supply, Breadboard, Resistors of different values, Multimeters &

connecting
wires.

Background Theory:
Combinations of Resistors
Resistors can be combined in simple circuit arrangements that increase or decrease the over- all
resistance in the circuit. These arrangements are called series and parallel circuits. Fig. shows the
resistors in a parallel arrangement.

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In order for charges to move in a conductor, there must be a potential difference across the conductor,
and there must be a complete path leading away from and back to the source of emf. In the parallel
arrangement shown in Fig. the current divides at the junction A and recombines at junction B. Therefore,
the current through R1 and R2 will be different. Notice that in this case ΔV = ΔV1= ΔV2: That is, the
potential drop across each resistor is the same. Using algebra, the relationships for determining
equivalent resistance Req for parallel can be derived. Parallel 1/Req = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + …….
The reciprocal of the equivalent resistance is the sum of the reciprocals of the individual resistances.
Resistance and Resistors
Resistance is a property of materials. Resistors are conducting devices made from materials,
which satisfy Ohm's Law. If the potential difference across a resistor is set at 1 volt, and if a
current of 1 amp is measured in the conductor, then its resistance is determined to be 1 ohm,
or 1. Instead of using thin wires as Ohm did in his original experiment, you will replicate his
results using small cylindrical ceramic resistors. You will notice colored bands on the resistors.
These bands form a code that indicates the resistance of the resistor. Later we will discuss how
to read this color code.

Measuring Current and Voltage

Measuring Current and Voltage Ammeters are used to measure the current owing in a circuit.
To do so, the ammeter should be connected in series with the circuit element through which
you want to measure the current. Introducing an ammeter into a circuit should not affect the
flow of current in the circuit and, therefore, ammeters have very low resistance.

Voltmeters are used to measure the potential difference or voltage drop across a circuit element.
To do this, the voltmeter should be connected to the two points across which you want to
measure the potential difference. In other words, the voltmeter should be connected parallel to
the circuit element. Voltmeters should not affect the current flowing through the circuit element
and, therefore, voltmeters have high resistance. This prevents current from flowing through
them.

Reading the Resistor Code

The resistance of most ceramic resistors can be determined from the colored bands printed

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on the resistor. Each color represents a digit from 0 to 9.

The first two bands indicate the mantissa of a number in scientific notation; the third indicates
the power of ten. The fourth band indicates the tolerance or the uncertainty expressed as a
percentage in the value of the resistance (gold: 5%, silver: 10%, no 4th band: 20%). Therefore,
in order to know which end of a resistor to start from when reading the color code, it is useful
to remember that the 4th band, if present, is metallic in color (gold or silver). If regular colours
are present instead of these metallic bands, sometimes the color bands will be spaced differently
or are closer to one end of the resistor to help indicate which end to start reading from. We will
not be concerned with five-band resistors in this lab. If a fifth band were present, the first three
bands indicate the mantissa, the fourth indicates the power of ten and the fifth indicates the
tolerance (as brown, red, orange, yellow, or gold). See the example in Fig. 3 below.

Lab Activities:
You will use the two unknown resistors to set up a series combination and experimentally
determine the equivalent resistance of the combination and compare it to the theoretical
equivalent resistance. You will connect the two resistors in parallel and find the equivalent resistance
of this parallel combination and compare this equivalent resistance to the theoretical equivalent
resistance.

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Procedure A: Reading the color code of unknown resistors.
Complete the data table below.

Table 1
Resistor Band 1 Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 Resistance

Color Value Color Value Color Value Color Value Ω

Procedure B: Determining Equivalent Resistance-Parallel Arrangement.

11. Connect the two resistors you used before in a parallel arrangement. Connect the voltmeter to
measure the potential difference across the parallel combination. You will use the second multimeter as
an ammeter to measure the current I flowing out of the power supply, as well as I 1 and I 2, The currents
flowing through R1 and R2, respectively. To do this you will first connect the ammeter in series with
the power supply to measure I. You will then disconnect the ammeter and connect it, first in series with
R1 and then in series with R2 to measure I1 and I2.
12. Set the power supply to deliver 5 V. Record the voltmeter reading in the first column in Data Table
3 on the worksheet.
13. Measure I, I 1 and I 2, the currents flowing from the power supply, and through R1 and R2,
respectively. Enter these in columns 2, 3, and 4 in Data Table 3 on the worksheet.
14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 for four more readings of the power supply.
14. Use the first two columns of Data Table 3 to draw a graph.
15. Compute the theoretical equivalent resistance of the parallel combination using Eq. 2 and the values
from Data Table 1.
16. Compute the percent error between the measured and calculated values of the equivalent resistance.
Record this on the worksheet.
17. Use the data in columns 3 and 4 of Data Table 3 to determine the total current flowing through
combination. Enter these values in the same data table.
18. Compare the measured and calculated total current in the circuit by computing the percent difference
between the two values. Record these in Data Table 3.

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 Worksheet
Parallel Arrangement
Complete the data table below for the parallel arrangement. Take I measured to be the current from
The power supply.

Data Table 3
Trial V(V) Imeas (A) I1 for R1 I2 for R2 Icalc for %
(R1+R2) Difference
V/ {(R1 x
R2)/(R1+R2)}

Answer the following questions

Qno:1 What are the characteristics of parallel circuit?

Qno:2 Define current divider rule.

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Qno:3 Define voltage divider rule.