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ECGR 2155–Section L01

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Laboratory Experiment Report 4

Experiment # 8, Network Analysis, #9, Thevenin and Norton Circuit, and

#10 Time Constant of an RC Network

Author: Jackie Nguyen

Lab Partner: Ethan Chao
Date: November 9, 2019
ECGR 2155 L01

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This report was submitted in compliance with UNCC POLICY 407
THE CODE OF STUDENT ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, Revised November 6, 2014
(http://legal.uncc.edu/policies/up-407) __Jdn_____. (Student’s Initials)
Objective
- Lab 8
This experiment uses Kirchhoff’s current and voltage laws, mesh-current method, node-
voltage method and Superposition in real circuits.
- Lab 9
This experiment introduces Thevenin’s and Norton’s law and to apply it in a circuit
- Lab 10
The purpose of this experiment is to measure the time constant and the rate of how
current leaves the capacitance.
Lab 8
- Resistors (Ohms): 450, 1k (2), 5.1k, 10k
- DC Power Supply
- Digital Multimeter
Lab 9
- Digital Multimeter
- DC Power Supply
- Resistors (Ohms): 1.2k, 3.3k, 10k
Lab 10
- Digital Multimeter
- DC Power Supply
- Alligator Clips/Jumper
- Capacitor: 2,200 µF (Rating = 50V)
- Resistors (Ohms): 20k
Relevant Theory/Background Information
- Knowing Kirchhoff’s current and voltage laws, mesh current and node voltage and
superposition formulas/procedures.
- Vth = (Rth + Rl) * Isc

Vs: The limiting value of capacitor voltage as t approaches infinity. The capacitor voltage will
reach 99% of this value during a time lapse of five-time constants.
t: The lapsed time in seconds that the circuit voltages and currents have been changing.
τ: The time constant of the circuit. The symbol is the Greek lower-case letter TAU. τ is the
product of R and C (τ = RC) in ohms and farads, and the unit is seconds. R is the total resistance
in series with the capacitor and C is the total capacitance of the circuit.
Vc: The capacitor voltage at any instant of time after the switch closes.
e: The base of natural logarithms, a constant which equals about 2.7183.

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Experimental Data/Analysis
- Lab 8
Using figure 8-1 from the prelab, the circuit was created in a breadboard and the
resistance was calculated and recorded under measured, on table 8-1

Table 8-1
Resistance Measured Color code Percent Error
(Ohms)
R1 5.042k Gr,Brw,Blk,Red 1.13%
R2 464 Yel,Viol,Blk,Brw 1.27%
R3 9.857k Brw,Blk,Blk,Yel 1.43%
R4 0.93k Brw,Blk,Blk,Ora 7%
R5 0.93k Brw,Blk,Blk,Ora 7%

Using mesh current method, three different current values were found in figures 8-1
circuit. Note that the Calculated was from the prelab answers.

Table 8-2
Current (Amps) Measured Calculated Percent Error
IA 8.23 mA 8 mA 14%
IB 3.404 mA 3 mA 8%
IC 10.03 mA 10 mA 6.9%

The voltage of each resistor is measured using a multimeter, and the different methods
used in the prelab.
Table 8-3
Volts Measured Mesh Nodal Superposition Simulation
method analysis
VR1 4.149 4.146 4.15 4.15 4.16
VR2 -0.0191 -0.189 -0.19 -0.19 -0.192
VR3 -9.13 -9.13 -9.13 -9.14 -9.129
VR4 0.88 0.85 0.853 0.854 0.853
VR5 0.872 0.87 0.872 0.871 0.872

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 Given the voltage, the current values can be calculated using V = IR or measuring using a
multimeter
Table 8-4
Amps Measured Mesh Nodal Superposition Simulation
Method analysis
IR1 0.8mA 0.813 mA 0.813 mA 0.813 mA 0.813 mA
IR2 -4µA -40.4 µA -40.4 µA -40.4 µA -40.4 µA
IR3 -0.72 mA -0.913 mA -0.913 mA 0.913 mA 0.913 mA
IR4 0.85 mA 0.853 mA 0.853 mA 0.853 mA 0.854 mA
IR5 0.87 mA 0.873 mA 0.873mA 0.873 mA 0.870 mA

- Lab 9
For this experiment, the circuit from figure 9-3 was created, but R3 will be the RL and will
be taken out. First, Thevenin theory was applied and Vth and Rth was recorded under the
Thevenin column on Table 9-2. With RL plugged back in, the current and voltage of R3 was
recorded on Table 9-3. Note table 9-1 was the calculated version using math from the pre-lab.
This was repeated for Norton’s law also.

Table 9-1
Thevenin Norton
IR3 2.142 mA 2.142 mA
VR3 21.46 V 21.46 V

Table 9-2
Thevein Norton
Vth 21.429 V In 23.02mA
Rth 1.059k Ohms Rn 1.053k Ohms

Table 9-3
Figure 9-3 Thevenin Norton
IR3 4.982 mA 4.473 mA 5.103 mA
VR3 16.194 V 16.187 V 17.1 V

- Lab 10
The circuit is built on a breadboard referred to figure 10-2, with a voltage source of 35,
an ammeter on the resistor, the alligator clippers on the capacitance to charge the current, all
in series. The initial amount of current is recorded on time 0:00, and every 15 seconds
current leaves the capacitor while the alligator clips are not intact. With the formula tau =
RC with the resistance of 20k and capacitance of 2,200 µF, tau equals 44 seconds, and 5 *
tau equals 220 seconds, which equates to 3 minutes and 40 seconds, witch is the period
where the current lost should theoretically not be as substantial compared to when the time is
at 0.

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 Current Current Current V = IR Vc = Vs – Vr
(mA) (mA) (mA) (current (35 – resistor
average * voltage)
20k)
Time T1 T2 Average Resistor Capacitor
Voltage (v) Voltage (v)
0:00 1.75 1.75 1.75 35 0
0:15 1.2 1.23 1.21 24.2 10.8
0:30 0.925 0.893 0.908 18.16 16.84
0:45 0.775 0.685 0.714 14.2 20.8
1:00 0.675 0.483 0.584 11.6 23.4
1:15 0.593 0.370 0.482 9.6 25.4
1:30 0.528 0.282 0.405 8.16 26.84
1:45 0.478 0.220 0.345 6.9 28.1
2:00 0.425 0.174 0.299 5.9 29.1
2:15 0.382 0.142 0.262 5.2 29.8
2:30 0.349 0.120 0.234 4.6 30.4
2:45 0.318 0.105 0.211 4.2 30.8
3:00 0.292 0.094 0.192 3.8 31.2
3:15 0.268 0.087 0.177 3.4 31.6
3:30 0.247 0.082 0.164 3.28 31.72
3:45 0.228 0.078 0.153 3.06 31.94
4:00 0.211 0.074 0.1425 2.85 32.16
4:15 0.196 0.070 0.133 2.66 32.34
4:30 0.182 0.067 0.1245 2.49 32.51
4:45 0.170 0.064 0.117 2.34 32.66
5:00 0.159 0.061 0.11 2.2 32.8
5:15 0.148 0.059 0.1035 2.0 33
5:30 0.139 0.057 0.098 1.96 33.04
5:45 0.131 0.055 0.093 1.86 33.14
6:00 0.123 0.053 0.088 1.76 33.24

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 Conclusion
These last 3 experiments went over the mathematical analysis of equations learned from
network theory and applied in a circuit. With experiment 8, we went over Nodal, Mesh, and
Superposition methods of calculating the current and the resistance, witch pretty much concluded
to the same answer than the measured one from measuring using a multimeter. We can conclude
that all methods work and its just based if the circuit allows for Nodal, Mesh, or Superposition to
work.
Experiment 9 uses Thevenin and Norton analysis and applying it to a real circuit. Taking
the resistance RL and measuring the Vth or In gets you to understand how those methods
actually work when you do them mathematically.
Experiment 10 lets us test how current leaves the capacitance after putting alligator
clippers on, then taking them off. Trial 1 has a different rate of lost current compared to trial 2,
witch could relate to the capacitance in trial 2 being a lot hotter than the one in trial 1.

List of attachments
None

References
None

Post-lab
Lab 8
1) With the data given, all three methods produce the same result, and match similarity to
the measured value on table 8-2, 8-3, and 8-4.
Lab 9
a) The current through the resistor R3 was given the same result from Thevenin’s or
Norton’s, therefore can use ether method depending on if you have a current or a voltage
source.
b) With the voltage being the same given the same voltage of 24 volts, the voltage of R3 is
the same with both methods.
c) The Voltage Vth and VR3 is the same as Vth is parallel with R2 and Vth = VR2 = VR3.
d) The current In in Norton circuit is different as it paths differently when R3 exist and
when it doesn’t, changing the current values.
Overall with the different measurements, they are similar between measured and
calculated.

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Lab 10

VR vs Time Graph
40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
0:00 1:12 2:24 3:36 4:48 6:00 7:12

VC vs Time Graph
35

30

25

20

15

10

0
0:00 1:12 2:24 3:36 4:48 6:00 7:12

a) With tau being at 3:40, the curve goes from 0 to a high rate until 1 minute where it
significantly slows down all the way to 3:40, where it will approach 35, but never reach.

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b) The graph starts at 35 and starts with a high decrease in voltage in the resistor, slowing
down significantly until 1 minute, where the rate will slow down, approaching 0 but
never will as the rate at 3:40 will be too slow.
c) With the time constant at 44 seconds, the voltage in the capacitance is at 20 volts.
d) Around 57%
e) Vc = Vs – Vr Vc = 35 – 15 = 20 volts.
f) With the time constant at 44 seconds, the voltage in the resistor equal 15 volts, at a 43%
difference from the total voltage.
g) At 4 minutes, the capacitance voltage is 32.16 volts and resistance voltage is at 2.85
volts.
h)
i) It seems accurate as the voltage from the resistor always goes to the capacitor and no
voltage is just leaking out and not going anywhere.