Series and Parallel Resistive Circuits

Physics Lab VIII

Objective
In the set of experiments, the theoretical expressions used to calculate the total resistance
in a combination of resistors will be tested experimentally. In addition, the expected
distribution of the voltage and current to each resistor in a network will also be tested.

Equipment List
DC Voltage Source, Three Resistors with resistance between 100 Ω and 900 Ω, Two
Multimeters, Various Connecting Leads.

Theoretical Background
According to Ohm’s Law, the current and voltage in a resistor are related by the resistance
of the resistor,

V = IR, (1)

where V is the voltage across the resistor, I is the current flowing through the resistor, and
R is the resistance of the resistor. In this lab, combinations of resistors will be considered.
There are two ways in which a pair of resistors can be connected to a battery. The first
way is to connect the resistors one after the other, as shown in Figure 1. This type of
arrangement is known as a series arrangement of the resistors.
2 Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits

Figure 1: Series Combination of Resistors

In this case, the same current flows through both resistors while the voltage from the
battery is split between the two resistors,
Itotal = I1 = I2 , Vtotal = V1 + V2 . (2)
In this equation, I1 is the current through the first resistor, I2 is the current through
the second resistor, Vtotal is the total voltage supplied by the battery, V1 is the voltage
across the first resistor, and V2 is the voltage across the second resistor. Substituting
Ohm’s Law into the voltage condition, and noting that the same current flows through
the circuit, gives
Itotal Rtotal = I1 R1 + I2 R2 =⇒ Rtotal = R1 + R2 . (3)
In this equation, R1 is the resistance of the first resistor and R2 is the resistance of the
second resistor. For more than two resistors, the total resistance is just the sum of the
individual resistances,
N
X
Rtotal,series = R1 + R2 + R3 + . . . = Ri . (4)
i=1

The other possible combination of two resistors involves connecting the ends of the
resistors to the battery. This arrangement, shown in Figure 2, is known as a parallel
combination.

Figure 2: Parallel Combination of Resistors

In this case, the voltage across each resistor is equal to the voltage of the battery
while the total current in the circuit is split between the two resistors,
Vtotal = V1 = V2 , Itotal = I1 + I2 . (5)

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Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits 3

Substituting Ohm’s Law into the current condition, and noting that all of the voltages
are the same, yields,
Vtotal V1 V2 1 1 1
= + =⇒ = + . (6)
Rtotal R1 R2 Rtotal R1 R2
For more than one resistor in parallel, based upon this relation, the inverse of the total
resistance is the sum of inverses of the individual resistors,

XN
1 1 1 1 1
= + + + ... = . (7)
Rtotal,parallel R1 R2 R3 i=1 Ri

In this set of experiment, these theoretical expressions for the total resistance of a com-
bination of resistors will be tested, along with the conditions that were used to derive
them.

Procedure
Individual Resistors
In this section, the resistance of the individual resistors will be determined.

1. The colors on each resistor indicate, roughly, the resistance of each resistor. The
color of the band closest to the end of the resistor gives the first digit of the
resistance. The color of the next band gives the second digit of the resistance. The
third band color is the power of ten that multiplies the digits indicated by the first
two bands. The last band indicates the error, as a percentage, in the resistance. Use
this information, along with Table 1, to determine the resistance of each resistor,
and the uncertainty in the resistance, based upon the color code. Record the value
of the resistance and the uncertainty on your data table.

Color Number Multiplier Tolerance (%)

Black 0 1
Brown 1 101
Red 2 102
Orange 3 103
Yellow 4 104
Green 5 105
Blue 6 106
Violet 7 107
Grey 8 108
White 9 109
Gold 10−1 5%
Silver 10−2 10 %
Colorless 20 %

Table 1: Color Code for Resistors

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4 Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits

2. Before making any connections, make sure the power supply is turned
off. Connect the first resistor first to the voltage supply, next to the multimeter
being used as an ammeter, and then to the multimeter being used as a voltmeter.
Your circuit should be similar to the circuit diagram in Figure 3. It may be of some
use for you to connect the voltmeter last when wiring the circuit.

Figure 3: Circuit Diagram for Individual Resistor Measurements

3. With the power supply turned off, turn the current control on the power supply to
half its maximum value. Turn the voltage control completely down to zero before
turning the power on. The voltmeter should be set to the 20 V (DC) maximum
scale, and the ammeter should be set to the 200 mA (DC) maximum scale.

4. Turn the power on, and increase the voltage slowly until one volt is displayed on
the voltmeter. Record the voltage and the current displayed from each meter on
your data sheet.

5. Continue slowly increasing the voltage until you have voltage and current measure-
ments for 2 V, 3 V, 4 V, and 5 V.

6. Reset the voltage to zero and turn the power supply off. Disconnect the first
resistor. Connect the second resistor to the power supply and multimeters. Repeat
the process outlined above for the second resistor.

7. After obtaining the current and voltage measurements for the second resistor, repeat
the above process for the third resistor.

8. For each of the resistors, use the voltage and current measurements, and Ohm’s
Law, to calculate the resistance of each resistor. For each resistor, calculate and
record the average resistance values. The average resistance will be used to calculate
the theoretical value of the resistance for combinations of resistors.

9. For each resistor, calculate the percent variation in the resistance.

Largest V alue − Smallest V alue

% V ariation = 100 × (8)
2 × Average V alue

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Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits 5

Series Combinations
In this set of experiments, the total resistance of resistors in a series combination will
be measured. In addition, measurements will be made to check the validity of the as-
sumptions used to derive the theoretical expression for the total resistance of a series
combination.

1. Before making any connections, make sure the power supply is turned
off. Connect the first and second resistors in series. Connect the series combination
first to the voltage supply, next to the multimeter being used as an ammeter, and
then to the multimeter being used as a voltmeter. Your completed circuit should
be similar to the circuit diagram in Figure 4. It may be of some use for you to
connect the voltmeter last when wiring the circuit.

Figure 4: Circuit Diagram for Series Resistors Measurements

2. With the power supply turned off, turn the current control on the power supply to
half its maximum value. Turn the voltage control completely down to zero before
turning the power on. The voltmeter should be set to the 20 V (DC) maximum
scale, and the ammeter should be set to the 200 mA (DC) maximum scale.
3. Turn the power on, and increase the voltage slowly until one volt is displayed on
the power supply. Record the voltage and the current displayed on each meter on
your data sheet.
4. Continue slowly increasing the voltage until you have voltage and current measure-
ments for 2 V, 3 V, 4 V, and 5 V.
5. Disconnect the voltmeter. Use the voltmeter to measure the voltage drop across
each individual resistor for the last trial, when the total voltage is about 5 V. Record
these voltages on your data sheet. In addition, record the total voltage VT otal and
the total current IT otal in the circuit.
6. Reset the voltage to zero and turn the power supply off. Disconnect the resistors,
and connect the second and third resistors in series. Connect the series combination
to the power supply and multimeters according the circuit diagram above. Repeat
the process outlined above for this second series combination.

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6 Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits

Parallel Combination
In this set of experiments, the total resistance of resistors in a parallel combination will be
measured. In addition, measurements will be made to check the validity of assumptions
used to derive the theoretical expression for the total resistance of a parallel combination.

1. Before making any connections, make sure the power supply is turned
off. Connect the first and second resistors in parallel. Connect the parallel combi-
nation first to the voltage supply, next to the multimeter being used an ammeter,
and then to the multimeter being used as a voltmeter. Your completed circuit
should be similar to the circuit diagram in Figure 5. It may be of some use for you
to connect the voltmeter last when wiring the circuit.

Figure 5: Circuit Diagram for Parallel Resistors Measurements

2. With the power supply turned off, turn the current control on the power supply to
half its maximum value. Turn the voltage control completely down to zero before
turning the power on. The voltmeter should be set to the 20 V (DC) maximum
scale, and the ammeter should be set to the 200 mA (DC) maximum scale.

3. Turn the power on, and increase the voltage slowly until around one volt is displayed
on the voltmeter. Record the voltage and the current displayed on each meter on
your data sheet.

4. Continue slowly increasing the voltage until you have voltage and current measure-
ments for about 2 V, 3 V, 4 V, and 5 V.

5. Disconnect the voltmeter. Use the voltmeter to measure the voltage drop across
each individual resistor for the last trial, when the total voltage is about 5 V. Record
these voltages on your data sheet. In addition, record the total voltage VT otal and
the total current IT otal in the circuit.

6. Reset the voltage to zero and turn the power supply off. Disconnect the resistors,
and connect the second and third resistors in parallel. Connect the parallel combi-
nation to the power supply and multimeters according the circuit diagram above.
Repeat the process outlined above for this second parallel combination.

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Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits 7

Series and Parallel Combination

In this set of experiments, the total resistance of resistors in a parallel and series combi-
nation will be measured. In addition, measurements will be made to check the validity
of assumptions used to derive the theoretical expression for the total resistance of this
combination.

1. Before making any connections, make sure the power supply is turned
off. Connect the first, second, and third resistors in a series and parallel com-
bination as indicated in Figure 6. Connect the combination first to the voltage
supply, next to the multimeter being used an ammeter, and then to the multimeter
being used as a voltmeter. Your completed circuit should be similar to the circuit
diagram in Figure 6. It may be of some use for you to connect the voltmeter last
when wiring the circuit.

Figure 6: Circuit Diagram for Parallel and Series Resistor Combination Measurements

2. With the power supply turned off, turn the current control on the power supply to
half its maximum value. Turn the voltage control completely down to zero before
turning the power on. The voltmeter should be set to the 20 V (DC) maximum
scale, and the ammeter should be set to the 200 mA (DC) maximum scale.

3. Turn the power on, and increase the voltage slowly until around one volt is displayed
on the power supply. Record the voltage and the current displayed on each meter
on your data sheet.

4. Continue slowly increasing the voltage until you have voltage and current measure-
ments for about 2 V, 3 V, 4 V, and 5 V.

5. Disconnect the voltmeter. Use the voltmeter to measure the voltage drop across
each individual resistor for the last trial, when the total voltage is about 5 V. Record
these voltages on your data sheet. In addition, record the total voltage VT otal and
the total current IT otal in the circuit.

6. Estimate the measurement uncertainty in the current I and the voltage V mea-
surements. Use these values and the smallest measured value of each to calculate

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8 Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits

the percent uncertainty in each.

M easurement U ncertainty
% U ncertainty = 100 × (9)
Smallest M easured V alue

7. Use the largest percent variation in the individual resistor measurements as the
percent uncertainty in the resistance.

8. Record the largest percent uncertainty in the experiment in the space provided.

Data Analysis
Individual Resistors
1. For each resistor, graph the voltage V as a function of the current I. Draw a
straight line that comes closest to the data points, and determine the slope and
y-intercept of each of these lines. You may graph all three resistors in a single
graph, if you wish.

Series Combination
1. Use the voltage V and current I measurements to determine the experimental value
of the resistance for the series combination of the first two resistors. Average these
resistance values to obtain the average experimental resistance, Rexp,ave .

2. Record the values of the resistances of the first and second resistors, R1,ave and R2,ave
on your data sheet in the spaces provided. Use these values, and the theoretical
expression for the total resistance of a series combination provided in the theoretical
background Rtotal,series , to calculate the theoretical value for the total resistance of
the series combination. Record this theoretical value Rtheo on your data sheet.

3. Calculate the percent difference between the average experimental value of the total
resistance Rexp,ave and the theoretical value of the total resistance Rtheo . Record
this value on your data sheet.

T heoretical V alue − Experimental V alue

% difference = 100 × (10)
T heoretical V alue

4. Calculate and record the percent variation in the experimental values of the resis-
tance Rexp,ave .

Largest V alue − Smallest V alue

% V ariation = 100 × (11)
2 × Average V alue

5. Use the average experimental value of the individual resistors R1,ave and R2,ave to
calculate the current through each resistor during the last trial.

6. Repeat this process for the series combination of the second and third resistor.

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Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits 9

Parallel Combination
1. Use the voltage V and current I measurements to determine the experimental value
of the resistance for the parallel combination of the first two resistors. Average these
resistance values to obtain the average experimental resistance, Rexp,ave .

2. Record the values of the resistances of the first and second resistors, R1,ave and
R2,ave on your data sheet in the spaces provided. Use these values, and the theo-
retical expression for the total resistance of a parallel combination provided in the
theoretical background Rtotal,parallel , to calculate the theoretical value for the total
resistance of the parallel combination. Record this theoretical value Rtheo on your
data sheet.

3. Calculate the percent difference between the average experimental value of the total
resistance Rexp,ave and the theoretical value of the total resistance Rtheo . Record
this value on your data sheet.

T heoretical V alue − Experimental V alue

% difference = 100 × (12)
T heoretical V alue

4. Calculate and record the percent variation in the experimental values of the resis-
tance Rexp,ave .

Largest V alue − Smallest V alue

% V ariation = 100 × (13)
2 × Average V alue

5. Use the average experimental value of the individual resistors R1,ave and R2,ave to
calculate the current through each resistor during the last trial.

6. Repeat this process for the parallel combination of the second and third resistor.

Series and Parallel Combination

1. Use the voltage V and current I measurements to determine the experimental value
of the resistance for the series and parallel combination of the resistors. Average
these resistance values to obtain the average experimental resistance, Rexp,ave .

2. Record the values of the resistances of the first, second, and third resistors, R1,ave ,
R2,ave , and R3,ave on your data sheet in the spaces provided. Use these values,
and the theoretical expressions for the total resistance of a parallel combination
and a series combination provided in the theoretical background to calculate the
theoretical value for the total resistance of the combination. Record this theoretical
value Rtheo on your data sheet.

3. Calculate the percent difference between the average experimental value of the total
resistance Rexp,ave and the theoretical value of the total resistance Rtheo . Record
this value on your data sheet.

Experimental V alue − T heoretical V alue

% difference = 100 × (14)
T heoretical V alue

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10 Series & Parallel Resistive Circuits

4. Calculate and record the percent variation in the experimental values of the resis-
tance Rexp,ave .

Largest V alue − Smallest V alue

% V ariation = 100 × (15)
2 × Average V alue

5. Use the average experimental value of the individual resistors R1,ave , R2,ave , and
R3,ave to calculate the current through each resistor during the last trial.

Selected Questions
1. Review the color code values for each measured resistor. Determine whether or
not these values correspond to the calculated average values with respect to the
uncertainty factor of each resistor. Do any of the color code resistor values fall
well above or below the calculated average value? What reasons can explain this
discrepancy?

2. For the Series cases, the voltage and current of each resistor was determined. What
should they have been based upon the assumptions made in the Theoretical Back-
ground? Does your data support these assumptions?

3. For the Parallel cases, the voltage and current of each resistor was determined.
What should they have been based upon the assumptions made in the Theoretical
Background? Does your data support these assumptions?

4. For the Combination case, the voltage and current of each resistor was determined.
What should they have been based upon the assumptions made in the Theoretical
Background? Does your data support these assumptions?

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