Methodology

Experimental Overview

In this experiment, a Resistor Inductor (RL) Circuit and Resistor Capacitor (RC)
Circuit was to be constructed inside an online circuit simulator call Falstad
(https://www.falstad.com/circuit/). The circuit shall contain AC Voltage Source,
digital oscilloscope, resistor, capacitor or inductor, voltmeter and AC ammeter. The
circuit will be stimulated for basic impedance of resistor, inductor and capacitor. The
voltage or frequency will be change on the AC Voltage Source, then the phase angle
between current and voltage will be calculated, Peak to peak voltage (Vpp) and
current(Ipp) will also be calculated. The resistor value (R) will be kept constant and
also recorded. The capacitance (C) and inductance (L) values will be kept constant
on the actual capacitor and inductor itself. However the measured capacitance
(experimental cacpacitance, Cexp) and measured inductor (experimental inductance,
Lexp) will be calculated and recorded until the values stays constant. The resistance
value will also be calculated experimentally (Rexp). The value of C, L, and R will be
compared to it’s experimental counterpart. Discussion will be made regarding the
results obtained.

Apparatus (Inside Falstad)

1. AC Voltage Source

2. Digital oscilloscope

3. AC Current Ammeter

4. Voltmeter

Equipment Table

1. Connecting wires

2. Resistor (10Ω)

3. Capacitor (10µF)

4. Inductor (10H)
Procedure

1. A RC circuit containing resistor of 10Ω and capacitor of capacitance 10µF was

constructed inside Falstad. The AC Voltage generator was connected to the
circuit ,ammeter and voltmeter connected parallel to capacitor and resistor as well.
Such circuit is shown in Figure 7.1a.

Figure 7.1a: RC Circuit

2. The AC voltage was set to 10V with frequency of 100Hz.

3. The simulation was started/run. The cursor was placed on the voltmeter, right
click and “view in new scope” option was selected to view the waveform of the
voltage. Similar procedure was done to the ammeter. On the top “scope” option
“combine all” was selected to produce 2 waveform in one graph such was shown in
Figure 7.1b.

Figure 7.1b: Add current waveform to voltage waveform

4. By analysing the graph. The peak to peak voltage (Vpp) is calculated and also the
peak to peak current (Ipp).

5. By using the graph own verticals lines, the graph is positioned neatly by means of
zooming. Then, the graph was divided into 2π. The phase angle between the current
waveform and voltage waveform was calculated and recorded.

Vpp
6. Using =Zc , where Zc is the impedance of the RC circuit. For RC circuit
Ipp
1
Zc=R + j. w = 2πf, f is the frequency. And since Zc = Vcos θ + Vsin θ j. So Vcos θ
wc
1
+ Vsin θ j = R+ j . The R value and L value is calculated and recorded.
wc

7. Step 2 to 3 was repeated using frequency of 120Hz, 1000 Hz, 10000Hz and
100000Hz.
8. Step 1 to 7 was was repeated but replacing capacitor with inductor, The Z L
formula used will be ZL=R + wL j . Such circuit is shown in Figure 7.1c.

Figure 7.1c: RL Circuit

9. All the result were recorded, the percentage error is calculated and discussion
regarding the result was done in the discussion section.