HERBERT MORRISON TECHNICAL HIGH

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY

LAB #1

Name: Alrae Jackson

Candidate Number: 100047

Centre Number: 100047

Title: Voltage Divider circuits (Loaded)

Objectives:

The candidate will be required to:

i. Determine analytically the effects of a load on the voltage relationship in a resistive

voltage-divider circuit.
ii. Confirm experimentally the results of (i) above.

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 SCHEMATIC DIAGRAMCS:

S1

Key = A

R1
330Ω
V1
9V

LED1

R4
R2 10kΩ 20 %
5kΩ Key=A

Figure 1 showing Voltage Divide Circuit

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 S1

Key = A c
R1
330Ω
V1
9V

+ U1 LED1
0.09z V DC 10MOhm
-
U4
+ -
0y A

b
DC 1e-09Ohm

+ U3
U2 R4
+ 0y A DC 1e-09Ohm
0.015y V DC 10MOhm -
10kΩ 24 %
-
Key=A

R2
5kΩ

Fig.2 showing how to place and measure current & voltage.

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Step 1
XMM1
S1 LED1

Key = A c

R1
V1 330Ω
9V

+ U1
1.689 V DC 10MOhm
-
U4
+ -
3.655m A

b
DC 1e-09Ohm

+ U3
U2 R4
+ 1.463m A DC 1e-09Ohm
7.311 V DC 10MOhm -
10kΩ 20 %
-
Key=A

R2
5kΩ

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Step 2
S1

Key = A c
R1
XMM1
330Ω
V1
9V
LED1
+ U1
3.106 V DC 10MOhm
-
U4
+ -
2.947m A

b
DC 1e-09Ohm

+ U3
U2 R4
+ 1.18m A DC 1e-09Ohm
5.894 V DC 10MOhm -
10kΩ 20 %
-
Key=A

R2
5kΩ

Step 3

Step 4

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 S1

Key = A c
R1 XMM1
330Ω

V1 LED1
+ U1
9V
2.082 V DC 10MOhm
-
U4
+ -
3.459m A

b
DC 1e-09Ohm

+ U3
U2 R4
+ 1.384m A DC 1e-09Ohm
6.918 V DC 10MOhm -
10kΩ 20 %
-
Key=A

R2
5kΩ

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Apparatus:

 Power supply – regulated variable d.c

 0 – 10 mA meter, ohmmeter
 Resistors – ½ W, 330 W, ½ W, 5 KW
 10 KW, 2W potentiometer
 LED
 Bread board
 Connectors
 SPST switch

Procedure:

i. The circuit was connected as shown in figure 1.

ii. A constant 9 V was maintained from the power supply throughout the test.
iii. With a load current, IL, of zero (load resistor, RL, open circuit), the values of I1, Vbc, and
Vab was measured and inserted in Table 1.
iv. The load circuit was closed and the load resistor was adjusted to give a load current of 3
mA.
v. The values of I1, Vbc, Vab were recorded.
vi. The resistance of RL was measured.
vii. Procedure (iv – vi) was repeated for values of load current of 4 mA and 6 mA.

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 MEASURED VALUES

V I LOAD
L I1 I2 V bc V ab R L

CURRENT mA
mA
mA VOLTS VOLTS OHMS

Step 1 9 0 Infinite

Step 2 9 3

Step 3 9 4

Step 4 9 5

Table 1 showing Measured Values

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 OBSERVATION (Answers to questions):

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

a) Explain how load current varies with load resistance.

b) What is the effect on I1, as the load current IL, increases?

c) Explain the effect of Vab and Vbc at the divider taps as the load current increases.

d) At Step 4, if R2 is open circuited, what would be the effect on the voltage across RL?

ANSWER TO QUESTIONS:
While the circuit was simulating, when the potentiometer percentage goes up the load current is
decreased and the load resistance increased. When the potentiometer percentage goes down the
load current increased and the load resistance decreased. This statement shows load current is
indirectly proportional to the resistance. When the circuit was simulating I 1 current increases the
load current increases also which shows that current is directly proportional to each other. When
the load current increased Vbc increased but V ba decreased and and when load current
decreased Vba increased and Vbc will decrease. When R 2 was open circuited current stopped
flow to R2 which created a series circuit connecting R1 to RL. This would cause the voltage to
change because in a series circuit current is constant and the voltage is different.

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RELEVANT THEORY:

The voltage division rule states that the voltage across any of the series components in a series
circuit is equal to the product of value of that resistance and the total supply voltage, divided by
the total resistance of the series circuit.
Ohm's law - states that the voltage across a conductor is directly proportional to the current
flowing through it, provided all physical conditions and temperatures remain constant. In the
equation, the constant of proportionality, R, is called Resistance and has units of ohms, with the
symbol Ω.
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law or KVL - states that “in any closed loop network, the total voltage
around the loop is equal to the sum of all the voltage drops within the same loop” which is also
equal to zero. In other words the algebraic sum of all voltages within the loop must be equal to
zero.

To complete this lab, the following laws were used:

 Voltage Divider Rule

 Ohm’s Law
 Kirchhoff’s Law

While the circuit was simulating, when the potentiometer percentage goes up the load current is
decreased and the load resistance increased. When the potentiometer percentage goes down the
load current increased and the load resistance decreased. This statement shows load current is
indirectly proportional to the resistance. When the circuit was simulating I 1 current increases the
load current increases also which shows that current is directly proportional to each other. When
the load current increased Vbc increased but V ba decreased and and when load current
decreased Vba increased and Vbc will decrease. When R 2 was open circuited current stopped
flow to R2 which created a series circuit connecting R1 to RL. This would cause the voltage to
change because in a series circuit current is constant and the voltage is different.

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CONCLUSION:

A resistive voltage-divider circuit consists of two resistors connected in series across a voltage
source. The output voltage is taken from the junction of these two resistors, effectively dividing
the input voltage into a lower output voltage. When a load resistor (R_L) is connected across the
output terminals, it forms a parallel combination with the second resistor (R_2), altering the
voltage distribution and current flow within the circuit.

Since current, voltage and resistance can change based on the set of resistors, this type of circuit
can be used in a volume control setting. As the load current increases. I 1, R L decreases. When
V ab increases, resistance in the circuit decreases which makes them inversely proportional. V ab
fluctuates as the load current increases. For example, V ab increased when the load current
increased from 2 to 3 but when the load current increased from 3 to 6, V ab decreased.

a) Variation of Load Current with Load Resistance:

As load resistance (R_L) decreases, the load current (I_L) increases, demonstrating an inverse
relationship consistent with Ohm's Law.

b) Effect on I_1 as Load Current (I_L) Increases:

The data indicates that as I_L increases, I_1 decreases, suggesting a direct correlation between
the load current and the current through R_1.

c) Effect on V_ {ab} and V_ {BC} at Divider Taps as Load Current Increases:

With increasing I_L, V_ {BC} (voltage across R_2) increases, while V_ {ab} (voltage across
R_1) decreases. This behaviour results from the redistribution of voltage drops due to changes in
the parallel combination of R_2 and R_L.

d) Effect on Voltage across R_L if R_2 is Open Circuited at Step 4:

If R_2 is open-circuited, the path for current through R_2 is interrupted, effectively removing
R_2 from the circuit. In this scenario, R_1 and R_L form a series circuit. The voltage across R_L
would then be determined by the voltage divider rule applied to R_1 and R_L.

Overall the experimental analyses and demonstrate that the load resistance significantly impacts
the voltage distribution and current flow in a resistive voltage-divider circuit. Understanding
these effects is crucial for designing circuits with predictable and stable performance.

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