Experiment No.

4
Parallel RC and RL Circuits
 Revision History
The contents of this laboratory experiment is based on a compilation of laboratory experiments
used in ECE 2120 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II, Clemson University by Dr. J. E. Harriss
dated January 2010 and is adopted for the undergraduate students of Mapua Institute of
Technology at Laguna (MITL) taking up EE102L – Circuits 2 Laboratory.
 Experiment No. 4
Parallel RC and RL Circuits
INTRODUCTION: This laboratory explores the behavior of parallel RC and RL circuits, and the
application of Kirchhoff’s current and voltage laws to such circuits. For series RC and RL
circuits, we saw that Kirchhoff’s voltage law applies, but that the voltages must be added as
phasors. Similarly, in parallel circuits, Kirchhoff's current law applies to any junction, but
again, the currents must be added as phasors.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
(1) Learn to apply Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL) and Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL) in parallel
circuits.
(2) Learn to draw current phasor diagrams for parallel circuits.
(3) Gain experience in the construction and use of phasor diagrams.
(4) Gain experience in calculating real, reactive, and apparent power.

EXPERIMENTAL OBJECTIVES:
(1) Confirm Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL) in parallel circuits.
(2) Draw current phasor diagrams for parallel circuits.
(3) Determine the real, reactive, and apparent power for a parallel RC circuit.

PRE-LAB:
Reading:
(1) Study the Background section of this Laboratory.
Written:
(1) In your lab notebook sketch the circuit diagrams to be used in the procedure.
(2) Prepare tables to record data.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
• NI-ELVIS II
o Function generator
o Oscilloscope
o Digital Multimeter
• Resistor, 10 kΩ
• Resistor, 2.2 kΩ
• Resistor, 100 Ω, Qty. 2 (discrete)
• Resistor, 22 Ω, Qty. 2 (discrete)
• Inductor, 100 mH
• Capacitor, 0.01 µF
BACKGROUND
As was seen in prior experiments, in a series circuit the same current is in all components, and so
current is generally used as a reference in series circuits. However, in parallel circuits, the same
voltage is across all components, so voltage is the logical and appropriate reference. The current
in each branch then evolves from the circuit voltage.

For series RC and RL circuits, we saw that Kirchhoff’s voltage law applies, but that the voltages
must be added as phasors. Similarly, in parallel circuits, Kirchhoff's current law applies to any
junction, but again, the currents must be added as phasors. The current entering a junction is always
equal to the current leaving the junction.

In a parallel circuit, if the impedance of each branch is known, then the current in that branch can
be determined directly from the applied voltage and Ohm's law. The current phasor diagram can
then be constructed, and the total current can be found as the phasor sum of the currents in each
branch.

Consider the current phasor diagram for the parallel RC circuit shown in Figure 4.1. The current
in the capacitor is shown at +90° from the voltage reference because the current leads the voltage
in a capacitor. The current in the resistor is along the x-axis because current and voltage are in
phase in a resistor.

Figure 4.1: Parallel RC Circuit

Figure 4.2: Parallel RL Circuit

Figure 4.2 shows a parallel RL circuit and its current phasor diagram. Here we have assumed all
components are “ideal”. The current in an ideal inductor is at -90° from the voltage reference,
because the current lags the voltage in an inductor. However, practical inductors contain resistance
that often is large enough to affect the phasor. The effect of the inductor’s resistance on the phasor
diagram would be to reduce the angle between the IL and IR. In a practical circuit, this angle will
be slightly less than the -90° of a pure inductor. This experiment will illustrate this difference
between the approximation of circuit performance based on ideal components and the actual
measured values.

For both RC and RL circuits, the Pythagorean theorem and ordinary vector addition can be applied
to the current phasors to determine the magnitude of the total current, I T.

𝐼𝑇 = √𝐼𝑅 2 + 𝐼𝐶 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝑇 = √𝐼𝑅 2 + 𝐼𝐿 2 .

Recall that in series circuits, the phase angle was measured between the source voltage VS and the
resistor voltage VR using the oscilloscope. The oscilloscope is a voltage-sensitive device, so
examining those voltages and phase angles is straightforward. But in parallel circuits, the phase
angle of interest usually is between the total current, I T, and one of the branch currents. To use the
oscilloscope to measure the phase angle in a parallel circuit, we must convert the current to a
voltage. This is commonly done by inserting a small resistor (a "sense" resistor) in the branch with
the current to be measured. Such a sense resistor makes it easy to determine the magnitude and the
phase of the current in that branch, but the resistor must be small enough not to have a significant
effect on the values to be measured.

PROCEDURE

Parallel RC Circuit

This part of the experiment will give you experience making the measurements with the digital
multimeter (DMM). Because the electrodes of this device are isolated from the circuit ground
and the grounds in NI-ELVIS, you may make voltage measurements directly across any of the
components, whether or not they are grounded.

1. Create a table similar to Table 4.1 for recording experimental data: R1, RS1, RS2, C, f, VS,
VRS1, VRS2, VR1, IT, IC, IR1.

Table 4.1

Nominal Measured Voltage Current

RS1 100 Ω VRS1 IT

RS2 100 Ω VRS2 IC

R1 10 kΩ VR1 IR1

C 0.01 µF IC
 VS 2.0 Vrms

f 1.0 kHz

2. Measure circuit components using the DMM: one 10 kΩ resistor, two 100 Ω sense
resistors, and one 0.01 µF capacitor. (Be sure to wait until the capacitance measurement
stabilizes.) Record the measured values in Table 4.1.

3. Construct the circuit shown in Figure 4.3. Set the function generator to provide a sine
wave with a voltage of 2.0 Vrms at 1.0 kHz. Verify the voltage and frequency with your
oscilloscope while the circuit is connected and operating; adjust if necessary.

C
Vs=2.0Vrms 0.01 µF
f =1.0 kHz R1 = 10kΩ
Sine wave
RS2 =100Ω
RS1 =100Ω

Figure 4.3

4. Using the DMM voltmeter in AC mode [V~], measure the voltage drop across each
resistor. The voltage drops are small, so measure as accurately as possible and keep three
significant figures in your measurement. Record the voltage drops in Table 4.1.

5. Compute the current in each resistor using Ohm's law, and record the calculated currents
in Table 4.1.

6. Draw the current phasors IR1, IC, and the total current IT in a plot similar to that of Figure
4.1. The total current is through sense resistor RS1. The current IC is through sense resistor
RS2. Ignore the small effect of the sense resistors on the phasor diagram. Note carefully
the direction of the phasors. Label each of the current phasors.

7. Compute XC for the 1.0 kHz frequency and record the value in Table 4.2. Using this value
and that of the sense resistor, calculate the expected current, IC, through the capacitor.
Record the value in the available space in Table 4.1 on the line listing the capacitor’s
value. How does this value compare to that found from the sense resistor?

8. Using the value of XC for the 1.0 kHz frequency and the measured resistance of R1, find
the total impedance, ZT, of the circuit. Remember that these impedances add like parallel
resistors. Ignore the sense resistors for this calculation. Show your work.

9. Using ZT and the applied voltage, VS, compute the total current, IT. Show your work. The
total current should reasonably agree with the value determined in step 5.
 Table 4.2

XC ZT VS ITcomputed

10. Change the frequency to 2.0 kHz at 2.0 Vrms. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6, recording the
results in a separate table.

PROBING FURTHER

1. Ignoring the effect of the sense resistors, compute the real, reactive, and apparent power
of the circuit in Figure 4.3 at 1.0 kHz and at 2.0 kHz.

2. Explain how increasing the frequency affected (a) the total impedance of the circuit, and
(b) the phase angle between the function generator's voltage and the function generator's
current.

3. If the capacitor C were made smaller, what would happen to the current phasor diagrams?

Parallel RL Circuit

This part of the experiment will give you experience making similar measurements using the
oscilloscope. Remember that the ground lead of the oscilloscope must be connected to circuit
ground, that is, the ground of the function generator, in this case. Do not try to make
measurements directly across ungrounded components.

Also, in this part of the experiment, record all voltages and currents as peak-to-peak values.

1. Create a table similar to Table 4.3 for recording experimental data: R1, RS1, RS2, L, f, VS,
VRS1, VRS2, VR1, IT, IL, IR1.

Table 4.3

Nominal Measured Voltage Current

RS1 22 Ω VRS1 IT

RS2 22 Ω VRS2 IL

R1 2.2 kΩ VR1 IR1

L 100 mH IL

VS 4.0 VPP
 f 4.0 kHz

2. Using the DMM, measure the actual values of a 2.2 kΩ resistor, two 22 ohm resistors,
and a 100 mH inductor.

3. Measure the winding resistance of the inductor, RW, with an ohmmeter.

L = 100 mH
Vs=4 Vpp
f =4.0 kHz R1 = 2.2kΩ
Sine wave
RS2 =22Ω
RS1 =22Ω

Figure 4.4

4. Construct the circuit shown in Figure 4.4. Using the oscilloscope’s CHANNEL 0 to monitor
the function generator, set the source voltage to a sine wave with a voltage of 4.0 VPP at
4.0 kHz. Verify both the voltage and the frequency with the oscilloscope.

5. Using oscilloscope CHANNEL 1, measure the peak-to-peak voltage across RS1. Apply
Ohm's law to calculate the peak-to-peak value of the total current, IT.

6. Because RS1 is small compared to R1, the source voltage VS is very nearly the voltage
across the resistor R1. Furthermore, since only resistors are in that loop, the phase of the
voltage across R1 — and current through R1 — is the same as the phase of the source
voltage VS.

With CHANNEL 0 of the oscilloscope displaying the voltage across the function generator
(VS), and CHANNEL 1 displaying the voltage across RS1, measure the phase angle between
the generator voltage, VS, and the generator current, IT, (i.e., the current flowing through
RS1). This is equivalently the phase angle between IR1 and IT.

To make the measurement, set the scope’s TRIGGER to EDGE and trigger on CHANNEL 0.
Use the AUTOSCALE button to ensure the waveforms are approximately the same height.
You may press STOP to improve accuracy when taking cursor measurements. Record the
measured phase angle between IR1 and IT.

7. Replace the sense resistor RS1 with a jumper wire. CHANNEL 0 is still measuring the output
voltage of the function generator, which now is also the voltage across R1. Connect
CHANNEL 1 of the oscilloscope across sense resistor RS2. Record the voltages across R1
and across RS2. Apply Ohm's law to calculate the current in each branch of the circuit,
and record the currents. Since L is in series with RS2, enter the same current for both in
Table 4.3.

8. Using the computed peak-to-peak currents from Table 4.3, draw the current phasor
diagram for the circuit. Ignore the effects of the sense resistors. Your diagram should
look somewhat similar to Figure 4.2 (b).
 9. The phasor diagram depicts visually the relationship between the total current and the
currents in each branch of the circuit. From the currents in the phasor diagram, compute
the phase angle between the total current (IT) and the current in R1 (IR1). Then compute
the phase angle between the total current (IT), and the current in L (IL). Ideally, what
should be the sum of these angles?

10. On the oscilloscope, measure the angle between IL and IR1. (The oscilloscope’s leads were
already connected to do this as a result of step 7.) Ideally, this measurement should be
90°, but resistance in the inductor, may reduce the angle. If necessary, adjust both scope
channels to have the same apparent height on the oscilloscope screen in order to make
the measurement.

11. In step 6 you measured the phase angle ΦRT between IR1 and IT. In step 10 you measured
the phase angle ΦRL between IR1 and IL. Compute the phase angle ΦTL between IT and IL
by subtracting ΦRT from ΦRL. That is, ΦTL = ΦRL – ΦRT.

12. Construct a table that will allow easy comparison of the computed and measured phase
angles from steps 6, 9, 10, and 11. Compare the measured phase angles versus the
computed phase angles. Discuss likely causes for any discrepancies.

PROBING FURTHER

1. The currents IR1 and IL were measured in step 7. If those currents are 90° apart, we can
calculate the total current IT using the Pythagorean theorem: 𝐼𝑇 = √𝐼𝑅1 2 + 𝐼𝐿 2 .

a. Compare this calculated total current to the total current measured in step 5.

b. What factors might cause any discrepancies observed between the values?

2. What effect does the inductor’s coil resistance have on the phase angle between the
currents in the resistor and the inductor?