MEHRAN UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY,

JAMSHORO
Department of Electronic Engineering
Electronic Workshop (ES-102)
24ES

Lab # 3: Resistors, Resistor color coding & Potentiometers

Name Roll #
Signature of Lab Tutor Date

OBJECTIVE(S)

# # Of Lectures CLO Taxonomy level

Topic
The purpose of this lab is to become familiar
1 with resistors, variable resistors and resistor 3 2,4 P2,A2
color coding

OUTCOME(S)

a. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern PLO5: Modern Tool Usage
engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
b. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams PLO9: Individual and Team Work

RUBRICS:

Performance Metric Good (5-4) Average (3-2) Poor (1-0) Score

Apply Applies the appropriate Applies the relevant Fails to apply
Knowledge knowledge and concepts knowledge and concept relevant
to the problem with to the problem, possibly knowledge and
accuracy and in a roundabout way; concepts to the
proficiency; shows understands the major problem;
precise understanding points of the knowledge, misunderstands
of these knowledge and with possible or fails to recall
concepts. misunderstanding or critical points.
failure to recall minor
points;
Equipment Logically and carefully Able to select Does not
Selection and selects equipment to be equipment to be used understand the
Setup used for the experiment; for the experiment with connection
correctly setup the guidance; correctly between the
connection/wiring of the setup the equipment and
equipment connection/wiring of the
the equipment, with measurement
minor error to be used; or

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 did not know
how to setup
the
connection/
wiring
Equipment Operates equipment in Operates equipment in Does not know
Operation correct & careful fashion, correct & careful how to operate
Selects optimum fashion, with guidance, equipment; has
range/setting for understand the no knowledge of
operation optimum range/setting measurement
for operation optimum
range/setting
for operation
Participation Plays actively the Plays own role Frequently
assigned role, takes on appropriately, and absent,
extra work to assist ineffective, and
blames
Teamwork Actively engages and Cooperates with other Distracts or
cooperates with other group members in a discourages
group members in an reasonable manner. other group
members from
effective manner.
conducting the
experiment.

Equipment:

1) A Digital Multimeter (DMM)

2) Few fixed Resistors
3) Few Variable Resistors

Theory:

A Resistor is a component used to reduce the amount of current through a circuit. The measure of the
capability of the resistor to limit the current is known as Resistance and its unit is Ohm. Mathematically,

V=IR or R=VI
Resistance is given by Ohm’s Law:

Where V is the voltage applied across the material and I is the current flowing through it. Resistors are
mostly made from poor conductors, the most common material being Carbon film or Metal film, low
value resistors are however made by wires wound over ceramic former. There are some special types of
resistors which are made from semiconductors.
Resistors come in two types, fixed or variable. Fixed resistors, as the name suggests are the ones whose
resistance cannot be varied whereas the resistance of variable resistors can be changed. The symbols for
fixed resistors are shown in the figure:

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 Figure 3.1: Symbols of Fixed Resistors

The resistance is not the only thing to be taken in to consideration when choosing a resistor, the
tolerance and the power rating also need to be considered. Tolerance is the maximum deviation a
resistance (or any other component for that matter) can exhibit. The power rating indicates how much
power the resistor can safely withstand.

Fixed resistors come in standard values which are specified by the manufacturer using colored bands on
made on the resistor itself, there are three band standards, the 4-Band, 5-Band and the 6-Band
standard.

Figure 3.2: 4 Band and 5 Band and 6 Band

Standard of Resistors

Table 3.1: Color codes to resistor bands

Color Value Multiplier Tolerance

Black 0 0 -
Brown 1 1 ±1%
Red 2 2 ±2%
Orange 3 3 ±0.05%
Yellow 4 4 -
Green 5 5 ±0.5%
Blue 6 6 ±0.25%
Violet 7 7 ±0.1%
Grey 8 8 -
White 9 9 -
Gold - -1 ±5%
Silver - -2 ±10%

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As seen in the above table, Gold and Silver are not used in either the Units, Tens or Hundreds bands,
also, not all the colors are used in the tolerance band. As an example, if a 4 band resistor has the
following color codes, Brown in 1st, Black in 2nd, Red in the 3rd and Gold in the 4th, then its resistance is
going to be: Brown Black Red Gold

1 0 x 102 ±5%

Its minimum and maximum resistance can be calculated using the tolerance value:

Minimum Resistance: 1000-1000x5100Ω

(1000-50)Ω

950Ω

Maximum Resistance: 1000+1000x5100Ω

(1000+50)Ω

1050Ω

Variable resistors consist of a slider by which one can change their resistance. There are two types of
variable resistors, the Potentiometer and the Rheostat. The potentiometer has 3 terminals whereas the
Rheostat has 2. These find applications as dimmers in fans, volume control in radios etc.

(a) (b)

Figure 3.3: Symbols of Variable Resistors (Rheostat (a), Potentiometer (b))

Some potentiometers have values written on them, on others though, the value needs to be decoded:

Figure 3.4: Potentiometer outlook

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As seen in the potentiometer above, the number 503 is written on it, its value can be calculated by using
the formula:

(1st Digit) (2nd Digit) x 10Multiplier

So, its value becomes

50x103Ω or 50000Ω

Some Fixed and Variable Resistors have values written on them, the suffixes that they use are shown in
the table below:

Table 3.2: Suffix meanings

Suffix Denotation
R,E Decimal Point
K Times 1000
M Times1000000

So if a resistor has the value 20E0, it means its value is 20Ω and 2K2 would mean 2.2x1000Ω or 2200Ω.

Power ratings of resistors used in common electronics circuits are 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 Watts, higher
ratings are also available. One can use the following formula for finding out an appropriate power rating
for a specific resistor value:

P=I2R

Where P is the power dissipated by the Resistor, I is the current flowing through it and R is the value of
the Resistance. As a rule of thumb, choose a resistor having power rating equal to twice the calculated
value.

Procedure:

1. Take any Resistor and decode its Resistance from the Color Bands (CR).
2. Take a Multi-meter. Select the option of Ohmmeter with appropriate range.

Calculate the Percent Error as (CR-MR)x100/CR.

3. Place the probes on the terminals of the Resistor to measure the Resistance (MR).
4.
5. If the Percent error is less than the Tolerance, the Resistor is reliable and is in accordance with
specifications.
6. Repeat (1) through (6) four times.
7. Take a Potentiometer and connect its two end terminals with the Ohmmeter.
8. Turn the knob of the Potentiometer in any direction, while observing its Resistance.
9. Connect the probe of the Ohmmeter across the middle terminal of the Potentiometer and any
one of the end-terminals.
10. Turn the knob of the Potentiometer fully clockwise and note down its Resistance.

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 11. Turn the knob of the Potentiometer slowly in counter-clockwise direction while observing its
Resistance on the Ohmmeter.

Observations:

Table 3.3: Difference between rated and real value of a Resistor

S. N.o
Resistance Percent Error Tolerance Implication

Coded Measured

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Activities:

1. A 100-watt light bulb, and 200-watt bulb both connected to 220V voltage source? Which one
will glow brighter and which one dimmer, when connected in
Series
Parallel
2. Control the Light intensity using potentiometer (variable resistor)

Note: Attach the Screenshots.

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