Experiment 20: Ohms Law

Purpose
(1) To verify Ohms Law.
(2) To study resistors connected in series and in parallel.
Apparatus
(a) a DC ower !upply" a sample with # resistors$ an ammeter
(%) a voltmeter$ a supply of connectors
Theory
&) Ohms Law. 'hen current I flows throu(h a resistor"
then the potential difference (often simply called
volta(e) %etween its terminals is proportional to I as in
e)uation (1)" where ! is the resistance.
(1)
*&!+C
,-.&T+O/
0 1 2 3 +
*) Com%inations of 2esistors. 'hen two or more resistors ( 2
1
" 2
2
" 2
#
"4) are
connected in series (5i(. 1) then this com%ination is e)uivalent to a sin(le resistor
of resistance
2
e) (iven %y (2).
(2)
*&!+C 5O26.L&
2
e) 1 2
1
7 2
2
7 2
#
7" " " " "
'hen two or more resistors are connected in parallel (5i(. 2) then the e)uivalent
resistance
2
e) is (iven %y (#).
(#)
*&!+C 5O26.L&
1 1 1 7 1 7 1 " " " "
2
e) 2
1
2
2
2
#

103
Experiment 20
Procedure Part I: Ohms Law
a) 6a8e sure that the DC power supply is off and unplu##ed. 6a8e sure that the
re(ulatin( 8no%s are in minimum positions.
9our instructor will e:plain to you the operation of DC power supply" the ammeter"
and the voltmeter.
%) Construct the circuit as in 5i(. #a" usin( the resistor mar8ed !
$
in your sample.
.se the ;< ma scale ammeter scale and ma8e sure that % and & mar8in(s are
e:actly as in 5i(. #a.
c) !et the voltmeter scale to read ; volt ma:imum

. &ttach connectors to your voltmeter

(su((estion= use a red connector for the % terminal and a 'lac( one for )). Connect
the % terminal to point * (where the current enters the resistor) and the other one to
point &.
6a8e sure all connections are ti#ht. +f you have a faulty connector" immediately
hand it to your instructor (do not return it where you too8 it from>)
C&LL 9O.2 +/!T2.CTO2 TO C?,C@ 9O.2 C+2C.+T. DO /OT 2OC,,D
'+T?O.T ?+! O2 ?,2 ,26+!!+O/.
d) &fter your instructors approval" prepare on your data sheet
your first ta%le" as shown. lu( in the power supply. 'ith the
re(ulatin( 8no%(s) in *in position" turn the power AO/B.
Turn slowly the re(ulatin( 8no%(s) and watch %oth the
ammeter and the voltmeter readin(s to increase (if not" turn
off the power at once and call your instructor). @eep doin(
this until the ammeter reaches ;<ma or the voltmeter reaches
2,!+!TO2 2
1
+
(ma)
0
(volts)
" " " " " " " " " " " " " " "
; volts whiche+er comes first.
2ecord the current I and the volta(e to three si#nificant di#its" %y estimatin(
fractions of smallest divisions on the scales.

+f your voltmeter has no such scale" use the # volt scale %ut chec8 with your +nstructor
for a revision of the instructions for the e:periment.
104
Experiment 20
e) Decreasin( the current" record I and four more times (a total of ; readin(s)" in
rou(hly e)ual intervals. The lowest current should %e ; to 1< ma.
f) 2epeat the steps (d) and (e) for your resistors !
2
and !
,
" with ma:imum current
close to ;< ma %ut usin( the finest +oltmeter scale possi'le for each (iven resistor
(it could %e 2.; volt scale).
!ecord the voltmeter scale used" for each sample.
() Turn the power AO55B" and record:
1) The uncertainties in your readin(s on all scales of ammeter and voltmeter
which you have used.
2) The -ero readin#s of your ammeter= these are their readin(s when
they are completely disconnected from any circuits. They should %e close to
Cero" %ut not necessarily e:actly so (consult your instructor" if in dou%t).
Procedure Part II: .om'inations of !esistors
h) Connect all three resistors !
$
/ !
2
/ !
,
in series (if not sure how to do this" chec8
with your instructor) and use the $0 +olt scale on the voltmeter.
2ecord ; runs as %efore. (/ote= your ma:imum current may %e less than ;< ma
%ecause the volta(e must not e:ceed 1<mvolts).
D) Connect all these resistors in parallel (if not sure" call your instructor). &(ain" use the
finest +oltmeter scale possi'le" with the ma:imum current close to ;< ma. 2ecord
; runs" as %efore.
8) ,stimate (from your data in art +) the values of !
$
/ !
2
/ !
,
" Ta8e the two hi#her
resistances (record which ones you are usin() and connect them in parallel.
Connect this com%ination in series with the remainin( resistor (if in dou%t" call
your instructor>). 2ecord ; runs" as usual.
*,5O2, 9O. L,&0, T?, L&*=
&) Disconnect all wires" unplu# the power supply" and clean up your station
.
*) 9our data sheet should have E ta%les" clearly mar(ed with= (i) which resistors were
used" (ii) which scales were used" (iii) the uncertainties of every scale used" (iv) Cero
readin(s.
La' !eport
Part I
1) .sin( #raph paper" plot vs. I for each of your resistors !
$
/ !
2
/ !
,
" Draw the
line of %est fit in each case and (from the slope) determine the resistance in ohms" to
105
Experiment 20
# si(nificant di(its.
Display all calculations on the (raph sheet.
Part II"
2) .sin( (raph paper" plot vs. I for each of the three com%inations. Determine
2
e)
for each case" as in (1) a%ove.
#) 5rom your results in (1) calculate the predicted (1 theoretical) +alues of 2e)
for each of the three com%inations. Display the calculations clearly.
F) !ummariCe your results
in the ta%le shown. 5or
G discrepancies use the
predicted values as more
relia%le (that is" refer to
them as if they were
e:act).
CO6*+/&T+O/
2,D+CT,
D 2
6,&!.2,D
2
G
D+!C2.
&LL +/ !,2+,!
&LL +/ &2&LL,L
!,2+,! H
&2&LL,L
;) &nswer the 5ollowin(=
-uestion I1= ,:plain" whether a line of %est fit should" or should not" pass throu(h
the ori(in of the (raph (0 vs. +).
-uestion I2= Could the Cero readin(s of your ammeter and voltmeter %e also used
(as a data point) when drawin( the (raphJ ,:plain.
-uestion I #= !uppose some%ody" usin( the same apparatus which you did use"
measures + 1 F;.; ma" and 0 1 K.2 volts on some resistor.
On the %asis of your recorded uncertainties for ;< ma and 1< volt
scales" what would %e the ma:imum uncertainty ( in G ) in ! if it
were calculated directly from formula (1)J (hysics F students should
use calculus methods (estimatin( errors %y differentials) to answer this
)uestion.
E) +f your actual discrepancies in (#) are su%stantially different from your estimate in
-uestion I#" find and state the true causes of this.
106