EEE 3100 TECHNOLOGY OF

ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC

LAB 5
TITLE: SERIES AC CIRCUIT (RL, RC AND RLC)

LECTURER: DR HAFIZ RASHIDI BIN RAMLI

PREPARED BY:
NAME: MOHAMAD HALIF BIN HUSSIN
MATRIX NUMBER: 178954

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC

ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA
TITLE : Series AC circuit (RL, RC and RLC)

OBJECTIVE:

1. To construct an AC circuit.
2. To investigate the characteristics of resistor, inductor and capacitor in AC
conditions.

EQUIPMENTS AND COMPONENTS:

1. DC power supply
2. Digital Multimeter
3. Resistor, Inductor and Capacitor
4. Breadboard
5. Connecting wires and probes

INTRODUCTION:
RC circuit operates with AC voltage signal, E shown as in Figure 5.1

Figure 5.1 : RC circuit

Relationship between E, VR and VC for Figure above can be described as in Figure

5.2.

VR
 VC E

Figure 5.2 : E, VC and VR relationship

RL circuit operates with AC voltage signal, E shown as in Figure 5.3

Figure 5.3 : RL circuit

Relationship between E, VR and VL for figure above can be described as in Figure 5.4.

VL

VR

Figure 5.4 : E, VL and VR relationship

PROCEDURES:
Series RL AC circuit
1. Circuit as in Figure 5.5 is assembled on breadboard.

Figure 5.5: RL circuit

2. The voltage across R and L is calculated given R=1k, L=100mH and E=2 sin
(6283.185t) V.
3. Kirchoffs Law for circuit in Figure 5.5 is to be proven based on the given values. The
signal generator is switched on at 1kHz frequency and peak voltage, Vp = 2V.
4. The voltage across E, R and L are measured using an oscilloscope.
5. Kirchoffs Law is to be proven based on the experimental result.

Series RC AC circuit
1. The circuit is assembled on a breadboard like what is shown in Figure 5.6.

Figure 5.6: RC circuit

2. The voltage across R and C is calculated given R=1k, C=100nF and E=5 sin
(6283.185t)V.
3. Kirchoffs Law for circuit in Figure 5.6 is to be proven theoretically with the
values given. The signal generator is switched on at 1kHz frequency and peak
voltage, Vp = 2V.
4. The voltage across E, R and C are measured using an oscilloscope.
5. Kirchoffs Law is to be proven based on the experimental result.
RESULT AND CALCULATIONS:
Frequency 1kHz
Oscilloscope
VE -
VR 4 turns
VL 6 turns
VP 2VP
Angle, 54.51

Table 5.1 : Results for RL circuit

Frequency 1kHz
Oscilloscope
VE -
VR 6 turns
VC 4 turns
VP 2VP
Angle 34.62
Table 5.2 : Results for RC circuit

Figure 5.3 : Wave of VR in RL circuit Figure 5.4 : Wave of VL in RL circuit

 Figure 5.5 : Wave of VR in RC circuit Figure 5.6 : Wave of VL in RC circui

To verify Kirchoffs Law in RL circuit

Using theoretical calculation
Given R 1k , L 100mH and E 2 sin 6283.185t V

Known that 2 f 6283.185

Calculating the inductance

X L 2fL 6283.185 100 10 3 628.32
Using the formula of the Impedance

Z R 2
XL
2

Calculating the impendence

Z 110 628.32
3 2 2

1181.01

Current flow through the circuit

Vp 2.0
I 1.69mA
Z 1181.01

Voltages flowing through the resistor and the inductor , VR and VL are:
VR IR

1.69 10 3 1 10 3
1.69V 32.14
VL IX L

1.69 10 3 628.32
1.06V57.86
Proving Kirchoffs Law
E 2 VR VL
2 2

E VR VL
2 2

1.692 1.062
1.99V
2.00V

The value E obtained is the same as the Vp. Therefore, Kirchoffs Law is proven to be
accurate. The experimental results obtained are recorded in Table 5.1 below:
Measured Voltage(V)
E 5.0
VR 1.7
VL 0.95
Table 5.1 Experimental result of RL circuit
From the theory of relationship between E, VR and VC , the formula obtained is as
below:
E 2 VR2 VL2
Using the experimental results
VR2 VL2 1.7 0.95
2 2

1.94V 2
E 2 2.0 4.00V 2
2

The formula is not correct as there is a slight difference between the left hand side
and the right hand side of the equation. This may due to the tolerance of the resistor
that influences the experimental result.
Kirchoffs Law is not proven.
Further investigation should be taken to find out the error occurred or the experiment
should be revised to obtain a better result.

To verify Kirchoffs Law in RC circuit

Using theoretical calculation
Given R 1k , C 100nF and E 2 sin 6283.185t V

Known that 2f 6283.185

Calculating the capacitance

1 1
XC 1591.55

2fC 6283.185 100 10 9
Using the formula of the Impedance

Z R 2
XC
2

Calculating the impendence

Z 110 1591.55
3 2 2

1879.63

Current flow through the circuit

Vp 2.0
I 1.06mA
Z 1879.63
V
Voltages flowing through the resistor and the capacitor , VR and C are:
VR IR

1.06 10 3 1 10 3
1.06V 32.14
VC IX c

1.06 10 3 1591.55
1.68V - 122.14
Proving Kirchoffs Law
E 2 V R VC
2 2

E V R VC
2 2

1.062 1.682
1.99V
2.00V

The value E obtained is the same as the Vp supplied. Therefore, Kirchoffs Law is
proven to be correct. The experimental results obtained are recorded in Table 7.1
below:
Measured Voltage(V)
E 2.0
VR 1.05
VC 1.68
Table 5.2 Experimental results of RC circuit
From the theory of relationship between E, VR and VC , the formula obtained is as
below:
E 2 VR2 VC2

Using the experimental results

VR2 VC2 1.05 1.68
2 2

3.92V 2
E 2 2.0 4.00V 2
2

The formula is not correct wholly as there is a slight difference between the left hand
side and the right hand side of the equation. This may due to the tolerance of the
resistor that influences the experimental result.
E 2 VR2 VC2
It can be concluded that due to the small percentage difference.
Kirchoffs Law is proven.
Further investigation should be taken to find out the error occurred.
DISCUSSION:
In this experiment, the voltage peak-peak of input voltage is V, voltage peak-
peak of waveform voltage drop at resistor is VR, voltage peak-peak of waveform
voltage drop at capacitor is Vc, the distance between the waves is d1, and the distance
for one cycle is X1. This experiment used 100nF capacitor and 100mH inductor.

For series RL AC circuit, when an ac voltage is applied to a series RL circuit,

the circuit behaves in some ways the same as the series RC circuit, and in some ways
as a sort of mirror image. For example, current is still the same everywhere in this
series circuit. In RL circuit, when the wire is connected towards power supply, a current
will begin to flow through the resistor and inductor. After a current is established in the
circuit, the magnetic field in the inductor will continue to push a current through the
circuit until the energy in that field is exhausted and voltage drops occur. This obeys
the Kirchhoffs voltage law which states that the total voltage around the loop is equal
to the sum of all voltage drop across the circuit.

For series RC AC circuit, the resistor receives voltage supply first instead of
capacitor. As we know, capacitors function is to store charge and quickly release most
of this charge when it is needed. So, the capacitor only received the voltage supply
that is filtered by resistor. In series circuit, voltage total must be same with the voltage
across in each component. But here, the value of voltage across the component is
higher than voltage source. This is due to the presence of capacitor.

The relationship of voltage with current in AC circuit can be described in

figure5.2. For RC AC circuit, the voltage across the capacitor lags the current by 90 o.
This shows that in capacitor, the current leads the voltage. For RL AC circuit, the
voltage across the inductor leads the current by 90 o. this shows that in inductor,
voltage leads the current. In case of pure resistive circuit, the phase angle between
voltage and current is zero and in case of pure inductive circuit, phase angle is 90 but
when we combine both resistance and inductor, the phase angle of a series RL circuit
is between 0o to 90o. This can be seen in the oscilloscope when measuring the voltage
of RL AC circuit.
While conducting the experiment, there are some errors are detected. One of them is
instrument error which affect our reading of voltage source value. This is probably due
to the presence of resistance in the connecting wires that is being used. Besides, the
equipment is make sure to be in a good condition so that the reading and correct wave
can be obtained.

CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, AC circuit for RL and RC circuit is successfully constructed and
the voltage across the circuit is measured using oscilloscope and multimeter. Using a
multimeter able us to take a precise measurement as multimeter can give to eight
digits of resolution for the voltage measurement and would allow a graphical result.
While using an oscilloscope it gives more information in which while displaying the
numerical values of a wave instantaneously, it also reveals the shape of the wave,
including its amplitude (voltage) and frequency. But both of them enable us to see
whether there is disturbance or not in the circuit. The characteristic of resistor, inductor
and capacitor is also analysed where all of it induce voltage drop when voltage pass
through this equipment. It can be see that in inductor, the voltage leads the current by
90o while in capacitor the current leads the voltage by 90 o. This relationship can be
described as in figure 5.2.

From the experiment, the Kirchoffs Law in RC Circuit is proven to be correct

while in RL Circuit, the Kirchoffs Law is not proven. Experiments should be revised
to find out the error occurred.

REFERENCE:
[1] Edward Hughes Hughes Electrical and Electronic Technology Ninth Edition
(Publisher PEARSON Prentice Hall, Year 2005, Page 222-241)
[2] J.J DeFrance Electrical Fundamental (PRENTICE HALL INC, Year 1996,
Page439)
[3] Giorgio Rizzoni Principles and Applications of Electrical Engineering, 2 nd edition
(Publisher Tom Casson , Year 1996, Page 119-171)