NAME: Abdul-Hamid Opeoluwa Arowona

MATRIC NUMBER: D.E. STUDENT

GROUP NUMBER: 9
INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: DR. NORBERT EDOMAH
DATE: Monday, November 20th, 2023

Experimental Verification of Voltage Divider Rule and

Current Divider Rule

Introduction
The Voltage Divider Rule and Current Divider Rule are two fundamental techniques used in
the analysis of electrical circuits, specifically for circuits involving resistors in series and
parallel configurations.
According to Kirchhoff’s Current Rule, the sum of all branch currents is equal to the total
current of the circuit. Kirchoff’s voltage law states that in any complete loop the sum of all
voltages applied to the circuit must equal the sum of voltages drops across the components
of the loop. These rules can be satisfied through circuit analysis and by using other laws,
rules and formulas which confirm KVL and KCL to be true.
Voltage Divider Rule: The Voltage Divider Rule states that the voltage across any resistor in a
series connection will equal the ratio of voltage multiplied by the value of the resistor
divided by the total resistance of the circuit.This rule can be expressed with the formula:

𝑅𝑡
𝑉𝑖 = 𝑉𝑡 ( )
𝑅𝑖
Where:
Vi = voltage across resistor Ri
Vt = total voltage in the circuit.
Ri = resistance of resistor Ri
Rt = total resistance in the circuit.

Current Divider Rule: The Current Divider Rule stipulates that the current flowing through a
resistor in a parallel branch is the product of the effective current in the branch and the ratio
of the effective resistance in the branch to the resistance of the resistor. This rule can be
expressed with the formula:
 𝑅𝑡
𝐼𝑖 = 𝐼𝑡 ( )
𝑅𝑖

where:
Ii = current across resistor Ri
It = total current in the circuit.
Ri = resistance of resistor Ri
Rt = total resistance in the circuit.

Table 1. Circuits a and b

Aim
The aim of this experiment was to experimentally verify the current divider rule (CDR)
for parallel circuits and the voltage divider rule (VDR) for series circuits.

Materials:
• Breadboard
• A set of resistors (56Ω, 51Ω, 100Ω, 470Ω, 120Ω)
• Digital Multimeter
• Variable DC Power Supply
• Jumper wires
• Digital trainer kit
• magnifying glass
 Procedure
A digital multimeter was used to measure and verify the resistance of each resistor. The
identified and measured resistance values were recorded in a table.
The circuit in Figure 2a was assembled on the breadboard which was connected to the
trainer kit. The input voltage was 10. The multimeter was used to measure all the unknown
voltages. The currents were verified with V=IR. Their values were recorded in a table. The
multimeter was used to measure Req and its value was recorded. The process was repeated
for Figure 2b. The data were tabulated for proper analysis.

Results
Table 1. Nominal and Measured Values of the Resistors

Resistors R1 R2 R3 R4
Nominal value (Ω) 56 51 100 470
Ohmmeter reading(Ω) 56.1 50.5 98.2 466.0

Table 2. For Circuit 2a

Unknown I0(mA) I1(mA) I2(mA) I3(mA) I4(mA) I5(mA) V1(V) V2(V) V3(V) V4(V) V5(V) Req(Ω)
Theoretical 0.20 -0.09 0.1 0.1 0.01 0.19 4.98 5.02 10.0 4.98 0.00 47.73
Experimental 0.24 -0.08 0.1 0.1 0.009 0.17 4.65 4.75 9.39 4.66 0.00 47.91
Percentage 20% 11.1% 0 0 10% 10.5% 6.6% 5.3% 6.1% 6.4% 0 0.38%
Error(%)

Table 3. For Circuit 2b

Unknown I0(mA) I1(mA) I2(mA) I3(mA) I4(mA) I5(mA) V1(V) V2(V) V3(V) V4(V) V5(V) Req(Ω)
Theoretical 0.020 0.005 0.015 0.0049 0.02 0 0.275 0.75 0.48 9.25 9.52 500
Experimental 0.018 0.003 0.017 0.005 0.019 0 0.273 0.73 0.47 9.17 9.49 503
Percentage 10% 40% 13.3 2.0 5% 0 0.7% 2.7% 2.1% 0.9% 0.3 0.6%
Error(%)

Resistors R1 and R4 have the same voltage drop across them, which simply shows that they
are parallel to each other and hence Current Divider Rule is applicable to them(Table 2).
Resistors R2 and R3 have approximately the same voltage drop of 10.00V across them, which
simply means that they are in parallel to each other and hence Current Divider Rule is
applicable to them.
Resistors R1, R3 and R4 and Voltage Source Vs are neither in series nor in parallel since their
voltages and current values are neither equal to each other respectively. Hence Voltage and
Current Divider Rule are not applicable to them both. It can also be noticed that the
Parallel connection of resistors R1 and R4 is in series with resistor R2 since the effective
resistance of R1 and R4 equals that of R2. Hence Voltage Divider Rule is applicable to the
Parallel connection of R1 and R4 in series with R2

Discussion
The primary aim of this experiment was to explore and apply the Voltage Divider Rule and
Current Divider Rule in resistor networks using a breadboard setup. The obtained results,
which include measured and calculated values, provide insights into the accuracy and
applicability of these rules in practical circuits.
In applying the Voltage Divider Rule to a series circuit, the calculated voltage drops across
individual resistors closely matched the measured values(Table 2). This alignment indicates
the successful application of the rule and underscores its reliability in predicting voltage
distributions within series circuits.
It can be observed from Table 2 and 3 that the percentage error for the Voltage values
ranged from 0.00% - 0.57% and 0.00% - 0.90% respectively. This is due to the variable D.C.
power supply in the experiment. It can also be noticed from Table 2 and 3 that the
percentage error for the Current values ranged from 0.00% - 0.85% and 0.00% - 0.42%
respectively. This may be due to heating effect or leakage of current.
Comparing our results to findings from other research, particularly studies investigating the
application of the Voltage Divider Rule and Current Divider Rule, reveals a consistent
alignment. The results align with established norms, providing confidence in the universal
applicability of these rules.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the experiment on the Voltage Divider Rule and Current Divider Rule using a
breadboard successfully achieved its objectives of exploring and applying these fundamental
principles in resistor networks. The results obtained through practical applications closely
aligned with theoretical predictions, affirming the reliability and universal applicability of
these rules in circuit analysis.

References

Voltage divider. (2023, October 30). Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_divider
Voltage divider (article) | Circuit analysis | Khan Academy. (n.d.). Khan Academy.
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering/ee-circuit-analysis-topic/ee-
resistor-circuits/a/ee-voltage-divider

Appendices
𝑅𝑡
𝑉𝑖 = 𝑉𝑡 ( )
𝑅𝑖
𝑅𝑡
𝐼𝑖 = 𝐼𝑡 ( )
𝑅𝑖

𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅
𝑃 = 𝐼2𝑅
𝑉2
𝑃=
𝑅

From the 1st Mesh:

10 - 97.5 IA + 97.5 IB +0 IC =0
10 = 97.5 IA -97.5 IB +0 IC
From the 2nd Mesh:
-49.5 IB - 55 IB +55 IC – 97.5 IB + 97.5 IA = 0
97.5 IA - 202 IB +55 IC = 0
From the 3rd Mesh:
0 IA - 55 IC - 460 IC + 55 IB =0
0 IA + 55 IB - 515 Ic =0

97.5 −97.5 0 𝐼𝐴 10
𝐼
(97.5 −202 −55 ) ( 𝐵 ) = ( 0 )
0 55 −515 𝐼𝐶 0

From the equations, a matrix is derived and by using determinant method, the following
values are gotten:
Δ= 4952268.75
 Δ1= 1010050
Δ2= 502125
Δ3= 5362

Hence:
IA = 0.2A
IB = 0.1A
IC = 0.01A.
From these currents, to deduce the respective currents for the circuit, Kirchoff’s
Current Law is used:
I1 = IB – IC = -0.09A
I2 = IB = 0.1A
I3 = I0 – I2 = 0.1A
I4 = IC = 0.01A
I5 = I3 – I1 = 0.19A
V1 = 0.09 x 55= 4.95V
V2 = 0.1 x 49.5= 4.95V
V3 = 0.1 x 97.5= 9.75V
V4 = 0.01 x 460= 4.6V
V5 = 0V
To find Req by using Ohm’s law:
Req = 10/0.2= 50Ω