Electronics Engineering Lab 4th

SEMESTER

Lab Instructor: Engr. Ibrahim Khan

Session: ME-14 Section: C Workstation No: 01
Group Details
Names Registration No. Lab Performance Listen
Lab Report Total
(4) Learnt/
(4) (10)
Viva (2)
Muhammad Abdullah 405642
Zafar Ghauri
Muhammad Ali Tariq 410890
Muhammad Qasim 404663
Kamal
Sufyan Ahmed 429599

School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

 Verification of Ohm’s Law Using Resistors
in Series and Parallel Configuration
Muhammad Abdullah Zafar Ghauri 1, Muhammad Ali Tariq 1, Muhammad Qasim Kamal 1, Sufyan
Ahmed1
¹School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), NUST, Islamabad
[email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]

Abstract— Ohm’s Law serves as basis in both electrical engineering and electronics engineering by
interlinking the voltage and current flowing through a conductor of some cross-sectional area in unit time.
Ohm's Law asserts that the current passing through a conductor between two points is directly proportional
to the voltage across the two points. In order to validate the law, resistors were interconnected in parallel and
series circuits, and voltage-current relationships were measured and analysed. The experiment involved
applying varying voltages across the resistor setups and measuring the resulting currents passing through
them. The data obtained from the experiment demonstrated compatible adherence with Ohm's Law, thereby
validating the fundamental principles in different circuit configurations. This experiment fortifies the
general understanding of electrical circuit behaviour and the application of Ohm's Law in practical
scenarios involving resistor networks.
Keywords— Ohm’s Law, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Resistors, Conductors,
Combinations of Resistors
I. OBJECTIVES
• To understand the relationship between Voltage, Resistance and current.
• To study Ohm’s Law and determine a relationship between current passing through a
resistor and the potential drop across it.
• To understand current and voltage relation through graphical representation.
II. OHM’S LAW
Ohm’s Law describes a relationship between the current flowing through a conductor and the voltage applied
about the ends of conductor. Presented by Georg Ohm in 1827, the law describes direct relation between the
mentioned quantities and emphasizes on the physical constant which exists between them, referred as
conductance whose reciprocal is the resistance.
Ohm’s law states as follows:
“The voltage across a conductor is directly proportional to the current flowing through it, provided all
physical conditions and temperatures remain constant.”
The mathematical interpretation of ohms law is as follows,
V = IR
Here, V = voltage, I = current and R = resistance.
Resistance (R) is the constant of proportionality and its unit is ohms (Ω), whereas, the units of voltage is volts
(V) and unit of current is ampere (A).
This given formula can altered in order to find current or resistance as;
I = V/R
R = V/I
It must be well-pertained that the provided temperature and other physical factors remain constant otherwise the
Ohm’s Law fails to exist.[2]

III. VOLTAGE
Voltage: Potential difference (V) also known as voltage is across two points of a circuit component and it is the
amount of electrical energy converted to other forms of energy for every one-unit charge that passes between the
two respective points or it may be simply stated as the work done per unit charge is also referred to as potential
difference.[3]
 V = W / Q , V is voltage (V), W is work done (J) and Q is charge (C).

IV. CURRENT
Current is defined as the rate at which the current flows through the cross-sectional area of a point of a
conductor. [3]

I=Q/t
Here, I is current (A), Q is charge (C) and t is time (s).

V. RESISTANCE
Resistance may be stated as the ratio between potential difference across two points and the amount of current
that is following through those points. [2]
R=V/I
Here, R is resistance (Ω), V is potential difference (V), I is current (A).

VI. VOLTAGE, CURRENT, RESISTANCE INTER-RELATIONSHIP

Ohm’s Law is successfully in perfectly relating the three quantities by the following relation:
V=IR or I=(R)-1V. Where R-1 stands for conductance.

Figure 1 Voltage Current and Resistance Inter-Relationship

VII. RESISTIVITY
Resistivity is a property that describes the extent to which a material opposes the flow of electric
current through it. It is a property of the material itself (not the size or shape of the sample), mostly it
depends on temperature but it might also depend on other quantities for example pressure.
Whereas, resistance of a piece of material depends on its resistivity and also its size and shape. The
resistance R of a wire with cross sectional area A and length L , made from a material of
resistivity ρ ('rho'), is given by the following equation

R = ρL/A

Unit of resistivity is Ωm (Ohm meter).[3]

VIII. COMBINATION OF RESISTORS

Resistors can both be connected in series combination and parallel combination in respective of the
requirements. Let the two types be discussed individually in broader perspectives:
A. Series Combination of Resistors
When the resistors are connected end to end with each other, then the very specific configuration can be referred
as series combination of resistors.
For series combination of resistors, same current flows through each resistor and the voltage ultimately divides
in the respective connected resistors

Figure 2 Schematic Circuit with Series Combination of Resistors

In accordance to the Ohm’s Law:

V1 = IR1 …(ii)
V2 = IR2 …(iii)
V3= IR3 … (iv)
Let the Ohm’s Law be applied on combination of Resistances, then
Vn = IRn … (v)

From (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v), we have:

IRn = IR1 + IR2 + IR3
So,
R = R1 + R 2 + R 3

Equal current flows through each resistance and it is also equal to the total current in the circuit. This is because
there is no other path along which the current can flow. For series combination of resistors, the equivalent
resistance is greater than the greatest resistance in the combination.

B. Parallel Combination of Resistors

Resistors are said to exist in parallel connection if one end of each resistance is connected to one point and the
other is connected to another point.
The potential difference about each resistor remains same. Consequently, the current divides individually
amongst each connected resistor:
 Figure 3 Schematic Circuit of Parallel Combination of Resistors

The total current divides itself and different current flows through each resistor. The maximum current flows
through the resistor having minimum resistance and vice versa . If an equivalent resistance Re is connected in
place of combination, it produces the same current for the same potential difference applied across its ends. In a
parallel combination, the equivalent resistance is lesser than the least of all the resistances. [4]

IX. REQUIRED APPARATUS/INSTRUMENTATIONS

• Resistors
• Multi meter
• 30V DC Supply Power Source
• Breadboard
• Connecting Wires
• DC Power Supply Cables
 X. METHODOLOGY

Figure 4 Single Resistor Combination

For the following circuit setup, things were kept simple. Single resistor with a resistance of 67Ω was utilized,
alongside which voltage was added which was hooked up in parallel to measure the voltage and current
efficiently. An ammeter was also utilized in the circuit which was connected in line with the power supply.
Gradual voltage was supplied, starting initially from 5 V, for which the ammeter depicted current of about
75.8mA. The voltage was increased gradually by factor of 5V each time, all the way up to 20 volts. Having
varied the voltage, the current changed gradually. Hence, the main idea behind the experiment was successfully
fulfilled.

Figure 5 Series Combination of Resistors

For the respective circuit which was in fact the series combination of resistors, three resistors were connected in
a row with resistances of 3.19kΩ, 328Ω, and 2.2kΩ. Similar to experimentation 1, the steps were followed.
Considering the fact that the combination was a series combination, the flow of current throughout remained the
same. The voltage was varied initially from 5V while gradually having the voltage varied five each time until 20
V was achieved successfully. At each step, the measurement of voltage was taken into account about each
resistor. The variation of values helped in understanding the effect of varying voltage on each resistor.
 Figure 6 Parallel Combination of Resistors

Parallel Combination served last in terms of circuit combinations of resistors in which three resistors previously
utilized in separate experiments were incorporated, positioning them in a parallel arrangement. These resistors,
with resistance values of 3.19kΩ, 328Ω, and 2.2kΩ, contributed distinct characteristics to the dynamics of
circuit. Despite the parallel setup ensuring a consistent voltage drop across all resistors throughout the
experiment, variation in the voltage was deliberately introduced and was adjusted accordingly. 5V served as the
initial value and incrementally increasing in five-volt intervals up to 20 volts, this allowed us to explore the
effects of varying voltage on circuit behaviour. Employing an ammeter, we accurately measured the current
flowing through each resistor. Our experimental observations revealed a notable trend, as the applied voltage
increased, so did the individual currents across the resistors.

XI. CALCULATIONS
A. Individual Resistor Combination
Resistance (kΩ) Current (mA) Vexp(V) Vtheoretical(V) %Error
2.1 2.2 5 4.62 7.6
2.1 4.4 10 9.24 7.6
2.1 6.9 15 14.49 3.4
2.1 9.3 20 19.53 2.35
Table 1 Single Resistance Combination
 Figure 7 Ohm's Law Plot for Single Resistance

B. Series Combination of Resistors:

Resistance Current (mA) Vexp(V) Vtheoretical(V) %Error
(kΩ)
2.1 0.8 1.92 1.68 12.5
3.2 0.8 2.82 2.56 9.2
0.3288 0.8 0.289 0.263 8.9

Table 2 Series Combination of Resistors (5 V Supply)

Resistance (kΩ) Current (mA) Vexp(V) Vtheoretical(V) %Error

2.1 1.72 3.83 3.612 5.7
3.2 1.72 5.5 5.504 0.07
0.3288 1.72 0.57 0.565 0.88
Table 3 Series Combination of Resistors (10 V Supply)

Resistance (kΩ) Current (mA) Vexp(V) Vtheoretical(V) %Error

2.1 2.6 5.77 5.46 5.37
3.2 2.6 8.45 8.32 1.54
0.3288 2.6 0.87 0.855 1.72
Table 4 Series Combination of Resistors (15 V Supply)

Resistance (kΩ) Current (mA) Vexp(V) Vtheoretical(V) %Error

2.1 3.5 7.7 7.35 4.54
3.2 3.5 11.3 11.2 0.89
0.3288 3.5 1.16 1.1508 0.79
Table 5 Series Combination of Resistors (20 V Supply)
 Series Combination of Resistors (For 328.8 Ω Resistor)
4
3.5
3.5

3
2.6
Current (mA)

2.5

2 1.72

1.5

1 0.8

0.5
0
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4
Voltage (V)

Figure 8 Ohm's Law Plot for Series Combination of Resistors (For 328.8 Ω Resistor)

Series Combination of Resistors (For 3.2 kΩ Resistor)

4
3.5
3.5

3
2.6
Current (mA)

2.5

2 1.72

1.5

1 0.8

0.5
0
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Voltage (V)

Figure 9 Ohm's Law Plot for Series Combination of Resistors (For 3.2 k Ω Resistor)
 Series Combination of Resistors (For 2.1 kΩ Resistor)
4
3.5
3.5

3
2.6
Current (mA)

2.5

2 1.72

1.5

1 0.8

0.5
0
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Voltage (V)

Figure 10 Ohm's Law Plot for Series Combination of Resistors (For 2.1 k Ω Resistor)

C. Parallel Combination of Resistors

Resistance (kΩ) Voltage (V) Iexp (mA) Itheoretical (mA) %Error

2.1 5 2.19 2.38 7.98
3.2 5 3.58 3.3 7.8
0.3288 5 18.8 17.21 8.46
Table 6 Parallel Combination of Resistors (5 V Supply)

Resistance (kΩ) Voltage (V) Iexp (mA) Itheoretical (mA) %Error

2.1 10 4.4 4.76 7.56
3.2 10 3 3.125 4
0.3288 10 38.2 36.4 4.7
Table 7 Parallel Combination of Resistors (10 V Supply)

Resistance (kΩ) Voltage (V) Iexp (mA) Itheoretical (mA) %Error

2.1 15 6.9 7.14 3.36
3.2 15 4.59 4.69 2.13
0.3288 15 57.4 55.62 3.1
Table 8 Parallel Combination of Resistors (15 V Supply)

Resistance (kΩ) Voltage (V) Iexp (mA) Itheoretical (mA) %Error

2.1 20 9.2 9.52 3.36
3.2 20 6.3 6.25 0.79
0.3288 20 77.7 74.83 3.7
Table 9 Parallel Combination of Resistors (20 V Supply)
 Paralell Combination of Resistors (For 2.1 kΩ Resisor)
10 9.2
9
8
6.9
7
Current (mA)

6
5 4.4

4
3 2.19
2
1
0
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Voltage (V)

Figure 11 Ohm's Law Plot for Parallel Combination of Resistors (For 2.1 k Ω Resistor)

Paralell Combination of Resistors (For 3.2 kΩ Resistor)

10 9.2
9
8
6.9
7
Current (mA)

6
4.98
5
4
2.7
3
2
1 0
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Voltage (V)

Figure 12 Ohm's Law Plot for Parallel Combination of Resistors (For 3.2 k Ω Resistor)
 Paralell Combination of Resistors (For 328.8 Ω Resistor)
90
77.7
80

70
57.4
60
Current (mA)

50
38.2
40

30
18.8
20

10
0
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Voltage (V)

Figure 13 Ohm's Law Plot for Parallel Combination of Resistors (For 328.8 Ω Resistor)

XII. HARDWARE IMAGES

Figure 14 Single Resistor Circuit

 Figure 15 Series Combination of Resistors Circuit

Figure 16 Parallel Combination of Resistors Circuit

XIII. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

From the percentage error in theoretical and experimental values it was evident that Ohms law was successfully
verified. Miscellaneous errors were dominantly subjective owing to different circumstances like external
pressure and temperature conditions, worn out resistors etc. It was clearly observed that in series combination of
circuit with resistors the increase in current subsequently gave rise to the individual voltage in components of
circuit. In the same way in parallel circuit increase in total voltage gave rise to the individual current of
components which was in accordance with the Ohms law.

XIV. CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the essential ideas guiding electrical circuits were illustrated by our experiments with resistivity
and Ohm's Law. It was dominantly observed that when resistors are added to series circuits, the total resistance
rose and the current flow decreased significantly. On the other hand, total resistance dropped in the case of
parallel circuits, by the current being increased. Ohm's Law predicted that current and voltage followed linear
connection, which was verified by the graphical study of I-V curves
 REFERENCES
[1] Fleming, John Ambrose (1911). "Electricity" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge
University Press. p. 182.
[2] "Ohm's Law," Friday February 2024. [Online]. Available: https://byjus.com/physics/ohms-law/#ohms-law-explanation.
[3] "Resistivity," Isaac, [Online]. Available: https://isaacphysics.org/concepts/cp_resistivity?stage=all. [Accessed Friday February 2024].

[4] “Combination of Resistors: For Class 10,” [Online]. Available: https:// www.pw.live/chapter-electricity/combination-of-resistors