Gain experience with Kirchhoff's Current and Voltage Laws
Gain experience analyzing a resistor network
Preparation:
Determine the equivalent resistance seen by the voltage source.
Calculate the currents through R3 and R5.
Calculate the current entering the node connecting R1, R2, and R3 and show that it's
sum is zero (by KCL).
Calculate the voltage across R4 by summing the voltage around the loop containing
V1, R1, R3, and R4 and setting it to zero (by KVL).
Calculate the power absorbed by the resistor network.
Equipment and Parts:
Power Supply
Digital Multimeter
Analog Ammeter
Resistors: 3 kΩ, 3.9 kΩ, 6.2 kΩ, & 9.1 kΩ
Procedure:
Create the resistor network from the preparation on a proto board.
Measure the equivalent resistance with the digital multimeter. Be sure that it is
not connected to the voltage source.
Set the power supply output to 12V. Measure actual output with the multimeter.
Measure the currents through R3 and R5 using an ammeter.
Measure the algebraic sum of the currents entering the node connecting R1, R2, and
R3.
Measure the algebraic sum of the currents leaving the node connecting R3, R4, and
R5.
Measure the voltage across R4.
Measure the algebraic sum of the voltages around the loop containing V1, R1, R3, and
R4. Note which you measure as increases and which you measure as decreases (Note:
this is determined by the way the voltmeter is attached across each element).
Determine total power supplied by the voltage source by measuring the voltage and
current supplied.
Conclusions:
Compare the calculations from the preparation with the measurements from the procedure.
Indicate how closely the measurements matched the theory.
