Palestine Polytechnic University

Electrical Engineering Department

Electrical Circuit Laboratory

 Experiment name: ………………………….…… Capacitance……………………………….………

 Student names:-…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..

 Date: - …………………………………………………………………………………………….......................

 Objectives :
1- You will be able to describe the effect of a capacitor has on DC and AC circuits by using measured
value.
2- You will be able to determine the total capacitance of a circuit containing capacitors in Series and
Parallel.

3- You will be able to measure the phase difference in RC circuit.

4- You will be able to know the relation between frequency and phase difference in RC circuit.

 Equipment required:
 F.A.C.E.T base unit.

 AC1 FUNDAMENTALS circuit board.

 Function Generator.

 Bread board.

 Oscilloscope.

 Digital multimeter.

 Connecting Wires.

 Capacitor (0.1 µf), Resistor (1k Ω).

 Palestine Polytechnic University
Electrical Engineering Department
Electrical Circuit Laboratory

 Practical Exercises:

 Exercise #1 : Effect of Capacitor in DC and AC circuits :

1- Locate the RC TIME CONSTANTS CIRCUIT BLOCK on AC1 FUNDAMENTALS circuit board
(Lab –Volt training kit), as shown in figure (7.1).

2- Connect (R2) resistor with (C1) by putting connecter in the circuit, as shown in figure (7.2).
3- Connect oscilloscope to show the charging and discharging of a capacitor (C1),as shown in figure (7.2)
 Note : Calibrate the Oscilloscope :

4- Use push button switch (S1) to charging capacitor (C1) and observe the charging curve on oscilloscope
screen.
5- Use push button switch (S2) to discharging capacitor (C1) and observe the discharging curve on
oscilloscope screen.
6- Draw the charging and discharging curves on graph paper, as shown in figure (7.3).
 Palestine Polytechnic University
Electrical Engineering Department
Electrical Circuit Laboratory

VC1 (Volt)

T(Sec)
Fig (7.3)

 Effect of a Capacitor in AC circuits :

1- Locate the CAPACITANCE / CAPACITIVE REACTANCE CIRCUIT BLOCK on AC1
FUNDAMENTALS circuit board (Lab –Volt training kit), as shown in figure (7.4).

2- Adjust function generator for (sine wave, 10V (P- P) and frequency 1KHZ).
3- Connect function generator to the circuit block, as shown in figure (7.5).
 Palestine Polytechnic University
Electrical Engineering Department
Electrical Circuit Laboratory

4- Measure the AC current (I ac) and voltage across C3 (VC3ac), as shown in figure (7.5).
 Note: write your results in table (7.1).
5- Use your measured data in step (4) to calculate total capacitance in the circuit (ZC3).
 Note: write your results in table (7.1).

ZC3 measured Percentage

I ac(mA) VC3ac(volt) VC3 ac ZC3 calculated Error (%)
( ) )Ω) 1
I ac ((2∗𝜋∗𝑓∗𝑐3) )Ω)

Table (7.1)
6- Simulate all circuits in this exercise by soft ware program.
 Palestine Polytechnic University
Electrical Engineering Department
Electrical Circuit Laboratory

 Exercise #2 :Capacitor in series and parallel circuits :

 Capacitor in series circuit:

1- Adjust function generator for (sine wave, 10V (P- P) and frequency 1KHZ) and connect it to the circuit
block, as shown in figure (7.6).
2- Complete the connection of the circuit, as shown in figure (7.6) (connect C1 and C2 in series).

3- Connect ammeter to measure (Iac T), and connect voltmeter to measure (VcT), as shown in figure (7.6).
 Note: write your results in table (7.2).
ZCT measured
Iac T (mA) VCT (volt) 𝐕 ZCT calculated )Ω) Percentage Error (%)
( 𝐂T ) )Ω) 1
𝐈 𝐚𝐜 T ZCT =(2∗𝜋∗𝑓∗𝐶𝑇)

Table (7.2)
 Palestine Polytechnic University
Electrical Engineering Department
Electrical Circuit Laboratory

 Capacitor in parallel circuit:

1- Adjust function generator for (sine wave, 10V (P- P) and frequency 1KHZ) and connect it to the circuit
block, as shown in figure (7.7).
2- Connect (C3 and C4) to the circuit, as shown in figure (7.7).

3- Connect ammeter to measure (Ic3) and (Ic4), then calculate (IcT =Ic3+Ic4), as shown in figure (7.7).
 Note: write your results in table (7.3).
4- Connect voltmeter to measure (VCT), as shown in figure (7.7).
 Note: write your results in table (7.3).

ZCT measured
(IcT =Ic3+Ic4) (mA) VCT (volt) 𝐕 𝐂T ZCT calculated )Ω) Percentage Error (%)
( ) )Ω) 1
𝐈 𝐚𝐜 T ZCT =(2∗𝜋∗𝑓∗𝐶𝑇)

Table (7.3).

5- Simulate all circuits in this exercise using software program on PC.

 Palestine Polytechnic University
Electrical Engineering Department
Electrical Circuit Laboratory

 Exercise #3 : Phase Difference in RC Circuit:

1- Adjust function generator for (sine wave, 5V r.m.s and frequency 1KHZ) and connect it to the circuit
block as shown in figure (7.8).
2- Connect the circuit on your bread board, as shown in figure (7.8).
3- Calibrate the oscilloscope for equal deflection on both axes.
4- Connect the oscilloscope as shown in figure (7.8).

5- Measure (∆t) between two waveforms shown on an oscilloscope, also measure the time period (T).
 Note: write your results in table (7.4).

Phase Difference
Input frequency (HZ) ∆t (sec) T (sec) ∆t
𝜃 = ( ) ∗ 360°
T
1000

5000

Table (7.4).

6- Repeat your measurement for (5000HZ).

7- Observe the waveforms of voltage and current in RC circuit.
 Write your conclusion about it in your own conclusion.
8- Simulate the circuit by software program loaded on PC.