Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6

Verification of Kirchoff’s Current Law (KCL) and Current Division Rule (CDR)

OBJECTIVES

1. Correctly measure the currents and voltage of a parallel DC network.

2. Verify Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL).
3. Test the application of the current divider rule (CDR).

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

Resistors

100Ω, 220 Ω, 330 Ω, 470 Ω, 680 Ω, 1kΩ, 1M Ω (1/4-W), Two 2.2KΩ (1/4W)

Instruments

1. DMM (Digital Multimeter)

2. DC Power supply

Parallel DC Circuits

Kirchhoff’s current law

Figure 6.1

In a parallel circuit (Fig 6.1), the voltage across parallel elements is the same. Therefore,

V 1 = V2 = V3 = E (6.1)

For the network of Figure above, the currents are related by Kirchhoff’s current law

Is = I1+I2+I3 (6.2)

and the current through each resistor is simply determined by Ohm’s law:

I1= E/R1, I2 = E/R2, I3 = E/R3, (6.3)

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 Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6
The current divider rule

(CDR) states that the current through one of two parallel branches is equal to the resistance of
the oilier branch divided by the sum of the resistances of the two parallel branches and multiplied by
the total current entering the two parallel branches. That is, for the networks of Fig. below.

Figure 6.2

PROCEDURE

Task 1 . Basic Measurements R

(a) Construct the network of Fig. 6.3. Insert the measured value of each resistor in the space
provided.

Figure 6.3

R1 measured = ______________

R2 measured =______________

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 Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6
(b) Using the measured values, calculate the total resistance of the network. Show all calculations!

RT (calculated) =________________

(c) Measure RT with the ohmmeter section of the DMM and compare with the result of part 1(b).

R (measured) =_________________

(d) How does the total resistance compare with that of the smaller of the two parallel resistors?

(e) Apply 12 V to points 1—2 of Fig. 6.2 as shown in Fig. 6.4 and measure VR1 and VR2, using the
DMM.

VR1= ____________ VR2 = _____________

How do the levels of VR1and VR2 compare with the applied voltage E? Answer questions in sentence
form.

What general conclusion have you verified regarding the voltage across parallel elements?

(f) Calculate the currents (in mA) through R1 and R2 using measured resistor values and Ohm’s law.
In addition, determine the source current using Kirchhoff’s current law. Show all work!

I1=____________ I2=_____________ Is= ____________

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 Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6

(g) Measure the currents I1, I2 and Is using the DMM in the ammeter mode. For I1, I2and Is it is simply
a matter of breaking the connections to the top of R1 and R2 and inserting the ammeter.

Figure 6.4

I1=_________, I2=_________, Is=_________

Compare the measured values with the calculated values of part 1(f). Are the differences small enough
to verily your theoretical calculations?

(h) Determine the total resistance of the network R using Ohm’s law and the measured value of Is.
Ignore the voltage drop across the ammeter.

RT = E / Is (3.8)

RT=________________

How does this level compare with the measured value of part 1(c)?

TASK 2. Equal Parallel Resistors

(a) Construct the network of Fig. 6. 5. Insert the measured value of each resistor in the space provided.

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 Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6

Figure 6.5

R1measured=________________

R2 measured=________________

(b) Calculate the total resistance assuming exactly equal resistor values. Use the nominal colour-
coded value of 2.2 kΩ
RT=________________

(c) Connect the ohmmeter section of the DMM to points 1—2 and record the reading below. Compare
with the result of part 2(b).

R ohmmeter=______________

(d) Using the measured resistance levels of R1 and R2, calculate the total resistance.

RT=________________

(e) Calculate the percent difference between the calculated value of part 2(b) and the calculated value
of part 2(d) using the following equation:

% Difference = ____________

(f) Is the percent difference of part 2(e) sufficiently small to permit the assumptions of part 2(b) on
a first approximation basis?

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 Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6
(g) Apply 12 V to points 1—2 of Fig. 6.5 as shown in Fig. 6.6 and verify that the voltage across R1
and R2 is 12V.Then measure the currents l1 and I2 using the milliammeter section of DMM.

Figure 6.6

I1=_________, I2=_________

(h) Do the results of part 2(g) suggest a general conclusion about the division of current through equal
parallel elements’?

(i) Using the results of part 2(g), calculate the current Is.

Is = ____________

(j) Measure the current with E = 12 V and compare to the calculated value of part2 (i). Ignore the
voltage drop across the ammeter.

Is = ____________

TASK 3. Current Division

(a) Construct the network of Fig. 6.7. Insert the measured value of each resistor.

Figure 6.7

R1 measured =______________

R2 measured =______________

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 Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6
(b) Noting the nominal values of the resistors in Fig. 6.7, how would you expect the currents I1 and I2
to be related? That is, how would you expect the magnitude of I2 to compare to I1simply by looking
at the magnitude of the resistors?

(c) Measure the currents I1 and I2.

I1= ________________ I2=_______________

(d) Do the results of part 3(c) verify your conclusions of part 3(b)?

(e) Using the measured resistor values, calculate the current Is.

Is = _____________

(f) Calculate the current Is using the measured values of part 3(c).

Is = ____________

(g) How does the calculated value of part 3(c) compare to the calculated value of part 3(f)?

(h) Construct the network of Fig. 6.8. Insert the measured value of each resistor in the space provided.

Figure 6.8

R1 measured=____________

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 Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6
R2 measured=____________

R3 measured=____________

(i) Without making any handwritten calculations, how would you expect the magnitude of the current
I3 to compare to I1, I2 or Is? Why?

(j) Noting the magnitudes of R1 and R2, how would you expect the magnitudes of I1and I2 to compare?

(k) Finally, how would you expect the magnitudes of Is and I1 to compare?

(I) Measure the currents I1, I2, I3, and Is.

Is = ____________ I1 = ____________

I2 = ____________ I3 = ____________

(m) Based on the measurements of part 3(i), are your conclusions of part 3(i) verified?

(n) Based on the measurements of part 3(i), are your conclusions of part 3(j) verified.

(o) Based on the measurements of part 3(i), are your conclusions of part 3(k) verified.

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 Circuit Analysis Lab Lab 6
(p) Without making any calculations, what value would you expect for the total resistance RT of the
network of Fig. 6.8? Explain why you estimated the value you did.

RT= ___________________

(q) Using the applied voltage E and the measured current Is calculate the total resistance RT. How
does it compare to the estimated value of part 3(p)?

RT= ___________________

Applications:
Lightening System:

Parallel circuits are mostly preferred over the series circuits in the lightening arrangements and in the wiring
schemes carried out in houses, offices and industries. This is because of two major reasons:

1. Parallel system is more reliable than the series circuit; if in the array of ten bulbs connected in series
anyone is defected, the whole array will not work. Further, to detect the fault one has to check all
bulbs individually.
2. Secondly, in parallel arrangement, all appliances are connected to rated supply voltage and operate
at rated efficiency.

Analysis (Results and Discussion)

Conclusion

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