University of Dubai

College of Engineering and IT

Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200: Electrical Circuits Laboratory

Lab Manual

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Prepared by: Eng. Eman Salamah Abushabab
Table of Contents
Experiment (1): Resistor Color Code and Ohm’s Law ................................................................... 3
Experiment (2): Kirchhoff’s Voltage and Current Laws .............................................................. 10
Experiment (3): Voltage and Current Division ............................................................................. 15
Experiment (4): Nodal Analysis, Mesh Analysis and Superposition............................................ 20
Experiment (5): Thévenin Equivalent Circuit ............................................................................... 24
Experiment (6): Operational Amplifier......................................................................................... 29
Experiment (7): Series and Parallel Capacitors ............................................................................ 36
Experiment (8): RC Circuits ......................................................................................................... 43
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 50

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Prepared by: Eng. Eman Salamah Abushabab
 University of Dubai
College of Engineering and IT
Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200 Electric Circuits 1

Laboratory Experiment No.1

Experiment title: Resistor Color Code and Ohm’s Law

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)* Criteria Marks

CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab report /0.5
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, current,
and power of the different circuit elements.
CLO2 Calculate the circuit performance and design requirements Lab report /1
using various circuit theorems and methods –Ohm’s Law,
Kirchoff’s Laws, series and parallel reductions, mesh
analysis and nodal analysis, Thevenin’s and Norton’s
theorems.
Total /1.5

Aim: Understanding the color coding system for the resistor and Ohm’s Law.

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Objectives:
1. To learn and use resistor color code.
2. To apply Ohm’s law.
3. To become familiar with the Digital Multimeter (DMM) for measuring
voltage, current and resistance.

Risk Assessment: Low

Introduction:

There are two ways to find the resistance value of a resistor. The color bands on the body of the
resistor tell how much resistance it has. As shown in the following diagrams Figure (1), there are
5-band resistors and 4-band resistors. Form both 5- and 4-band resistors, the last band indicates
tolerance. Each color represents a number value as shown in Table (1). Therefore, by reading the
color values, it is possible to identify resistance value.

Fig. (1) 5- Band and 4- Band resistors

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The first method for reading resistor colors in Figure (2)

Fig. (2) First method for reading resistor value

Table (1) Resistor color code table

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 The first letter in each word in the sentence below represents color resistor code in Table (1)

Table (2) Resistor Tolerance

Another way to find the resistance value of a resistor is to actually measure it with the ohmmeter
shown in the following figure:

Fig. (3) Digital Multimeter

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Ohm’s Law:

Ohm's law is one of the key laws of electricity. Ohm's Law states that the direct current flowing
in a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference, or voltage, between its ends. It
is expressed in the equation:

𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅

By defining the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance, Ohm's law allows you to
make a variety of measurements and determine key values for many electrical components.

Ohm's law is used to design fuses and circuit breakers. Normally, fuses and circuit breakers are
rated by current. This means that designers need Ohm's law to determine what rating is
appropriate for a given electronic device based on its internal resistance and power supply.

Equipment/Components:
1. Set of wires.
2. Resistors (100Ω, 200 Ω, 300 Ω, 390 Ω, 510 Ω, 1k Ω, 10k)
3. Digital Multimeter.

Procedures:
1) Find the value for the given resistors using color code as per the following table:

Color code Numeric Value

Band
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7
st
1 Band
2nd Band
3rd Band
4th Band
5th Band
Resistor =
Tolerance =

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2) Find the value of the given resistors using Digital Multimeter.

3) Find the percentage of error between two methods and comment on your results.

4) Give the resistors colors for the following resistance value:

 4.7k Ω ± 5% , 910 Ω ± 10%, 12 Ω±5%

5) Connect the circuit in Figure (4). By using DMM, find the value of the current and voltage across the
resistor then verify Ohm’s Law.

Fig.4

6) Connect the circuit in Figure (5). By using DMM, find the value of the current and the voltage across
each resistor.

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 Fig.5

Return each component to its place and make sure you leave your place tidy.

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 University of Dubai
College of Engineering and IT
Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200 Electric Circuits I

Laboratory Experiment No.2

Experiment title: Kirchhoff’s Voltage and Current Laws

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)* Criteria Marks

CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab report /0.5
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, current,
and power of the different circuit elements.
CLO2 Calculate the circuit performance and design requirements Lab report /1
using various circuit theorems and methods –Ohm’s Law,
Kirchoff’s Laws, series and parallel reductions, mesh
analysis and nodal analysis, Thevenin’s and Norton’s
theorems.
Total /1.5

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 Aim: Verify Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL) and Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL).

Objectives: Calculate and measure the value of current and voltage of a resistive network
using KCL and KVL

Risk Assessment: Low

Introduction:

1. Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law states that the algebraic sum of all the voltages around any closed
path (loop or mesh) is zero.

Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law to the first and the second loops in the circuit shown in
Figure 1 yields:

Loop 1: -Vs +V1 +V2 +V5 = 0 (1a)

Loop 2: -V2 +V3 +V4 = 0 (1b)

Figure 1

2. Kirchhoff’s Current Law states that the algebraic sum of all the currents at any node is zero.

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Applying Kirchhoff’s current law to the first four nodes in the circuit shown in Figure1 yields the
following equations;

Node a: -Is + I1 = 0 (2a)

Node b: -I1 + I2 + I3 = 0 (2b)
Node c: -I3 + I4 = 0 (2c)
Node d: -I2 - I4 + I5 = 0 (2d)

Equipment/Components:
4. Electronic Engineering Board

5. Set of wires.

6. Digital Multimeter.

Procedure:
Task A: Construct the circuit shown in Figure 2 using the values below:

Figure 2: Task A

1. Accurately measure all voltages and currents in the circuit using the Digital Multi-Meter
(DMM).
2. Record the measurements in a tabular form containing the measured voltage and current
values as shown below.

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 Branch
V [volts ] I [A] R [Ω]
current/voltage

V1, I1

V2, I2

V3, I3

V4, I4

V5, I5

3. Verify KVL for the loops in the circuit.

4. Verify KCL for the nodes in the circuit.

5. If we replace the circuit in Figure 2 with another circuit which contains one power supply
and one resistor. Find the value of V, I, R.

Task B: Construct the circuit shown in Figure 3 and repeat all steps in Task A

Figure 3: Task B

Task C : Calculate the current in each branch of the network shown in figure 4

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 Figure 4: Task C

Return each component to its place and make sure you leave your place tidy.

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 University of Dubai
College of Engineering and IT
Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200 Electric Circuits 1

Laboratory Experiment No.3

Experiment title: Voltage and Current Division

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)* Criteria Marks

CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab report /0.5
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, current,
and power of the different circuit elements.
CLO2 Calculate the circuit performance and design requirements Lab report /1
using various circuit theorems and methods –Ohm’s Law,
Kirchoff’s Laws, series and parallel reductions, mesh
analysis and nodal analysis, Thevenin’s and Norton’s
theorems.
Total /1.5

Aim: Verify the voltage and current division rules.

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 Objectives: After completing this lab, the student will be able to:
1. Discuss the purpose of the voltage dividers and current dividers, provide example
scenarios of when they would be used.
2. Design and implement voltage divider and current divider circuits.

Risk Assessment: Low

Introduction:

1)Voltage Division allows us to calculate what fraction of the total voltage across a series string
of resistors is dropped across any one of the resistors.

For the circuit of Figure 1, Voltage Division formulas are:

𝑅1
𝑉1 = 𝑅1+𝑅2
𝑉𝑠 (1)

𝑅2
𝑉2 = 𝑅1+𝑅2
𝑉𝑠 (2)

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 Figure 1. Voltage Divider

2) Current Division allows us to calculate what fraction of the total current into a parallel
string of resistors flows through any one of the resistors.

𝑅2
𝐼1 = 𝐼 (3)
𝑅1+𝑅2 𝑆

𝑅1
𝐼2 = 𝐼 (4)
𝑅1+𝑅2 𝑆

Vs=5V

Equipment/Components:
7. Electronic Engineering Board
8. Set of wires.
9. Digital Multimeter.

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Procedure:
Task A: Verifying the voltage division

a) Construct the circuit as shown in Figure 1. Measure the voltages V1 and V2 by choosing R1 =
100Ω, R2 = 200Ω and setting the power supply voltage Vs = 5V. Repeat this step for R1 = R2 =
1 KΩ and note down the measurements.

b) Calculate the voltages V1 and V2 by using the formulas (1) and (2) in each case.

c) Compare the results from steps a and b.

Task B: Verifying the current division

a) Construct the circuit as shown in Figure 2. Measure the currents Is , I1 and I2 by choosing R1 =
1KΩ, R2 = 2 KΩ and Rs = 10 KΩ. Set the power supply voltage Vs= 5 V. Repeat this step by
using R1 = R2 = 1 KΩ and note down the measurements.

b) Calculate the currents I1 and I2 by using the formulas (3) and (4).

c) Compare the results from steps a and b.

Task C: Simulation Part

1. Design a voltage divider that transforms the 12 V input into a 5.59 V output. Use all the
components provided in Figure 3 and no more.

Figure 3.

2. Use the voltage probe to test your design.

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 3. Take a screenshot, take a picture, or draw a sketch of your voltage divider and include it with
your completed report.

Return each component to its place and make sure you leave your place tidy.

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 University of Dubai
College of Engineering and IT
Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200 Electric Circuits 1

Laboratory Experiment No.4

Experiment Title: Nodal Analysis, Mesh Analysis and Superposition

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)* Criteria Marks

CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab report /0.5
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, current,
and power of the different circuit elements.
CLO3 Apply the superposition theorem and source Lab report /1
transformations to circuits with multiple sources.
Total /1.5

Aim: Understanding different techniques to solve any electrical circuit

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 Objectives: 1) To verify Nodal equations
2) To verify Mesh equations.

3) To verify Superposition concept

Risk Assessment: Low

Introduction:

Several solution techniques may be used to solve an electrical circuit, three of these techniques
will be introduced in this experiment; Node voltage method, Mesh current method and
superposition.

Node Voltage Method: Nodal analysis is generally the best in the case of several voltage
sources. In nodal analysis, the variables (unknowns) are the "node voltages." The method is
based on Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL): The sum of the currents leaving a node is zero.

Mesh Current Method: A mesh is a loop that does not contain any other loops, the mesh analysis
is based on KVL: The sum of voltage drops around a mesh is zero. For each mesh, sum the voltage
drops around the mesh in the clockwise direction and set that equal to zero. The voltage drop across
a resistor is the product of the resistance and the net current (physical current) through the resistor.
If the resistor is not shared by another mesh, the voltage drop is the product of the resistance and
the mesh current. If the resistor is shared by another mesh, the voltage drop is the product of the
resistance and the difference
in mesh currents.

Superposition: The Superposition Principle states that a circuit can be analyzed with only one
source of power at a time, the corresponding component voltages and currents algebraically added
to find out what they’ll do with all power sources in effect. Suppose that a circuit has N
independent sources with N ≥2. Create N circuits from the original circuit with only one
independent source by deactivating the other N – 1 independent sources. Deactivating a current
source is to open-circuit it and deactivating a voltage source is to short-circuit it. The unknown
voltages and currents of the original circuit can be found by adding the voltages and currents from
the N circuits with one independent source. This is the superposition principle.

Equipment/Components:
10. NI Bread board.
11. Set of wires.

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12. Digital Multimeter.
13. Resistors.

Procedures:

Figure 1. Circuit connection for nodal, mesh and superposition techniques

Task A: Nodal Analysis

a) Construct the circuit as shown in Figure 1.

b) Measure the value of the resistors.
c) Identify and show in the circuit above, the essential nodes.
d) Measure the voltage at each node.
e) Verify Nodal Equations at nodes B and C using the measured data.

Task B: Mesh Analysis

d) Measure the currents for the circuit shown in Figure 1.

e) Verify mesh equations for the meshes (ABGA), (BCGGB), (CDGC) using the measured data
and the exact values of the resistors.

Task C: Superposition

a) Disconnect the voltage source V1 and replace it with a wire.

b) Measure the voltage V'BC.

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 c) Measure the current I'R2.
d) Return the voltage source V1, then disconnect the voltage source V2 and replace it with a
wire.
e) Measure the voltage V''BC.
f) Measure the current I''R2.
g) Verify VBC = V'BC + V''BC.
h) Verify IR2 = I'R2 + I''R2.

Return each component to its place and make sure you leave your place tidy.

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Prepared by: Eng. Eman Salamah Abushabab
 University of Dubai
College of Engineering and IT
Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200 Electric Circuits 1

Laboratory Experiment No.5

Experiment Title: Thévenin Equivalent Circuit

Instructor: Eng. Eman Salamah & Dr. Husameldin Mukhtar

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)* Criteria Marks

CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab report /0.5
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, current,
and power of the different circuit elements.
CLO2 Calculate the circuit performance and design requirements Lab report /1
using various circuit theorems and methods –Ohm’s Law,
Kirchoff’s Laws, series and parallel reductions, mesh
analysis and nodal analysis, Thevenin’s and Norton’s
theorems.
Total /1.5

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 Aim: Understanding Thévenin’s theorem.

Objectives: Verify Thévenin’s theorem by obtaining the Thévenin equivalent voltage

(VTH) and Thévenin equivalent resistance (RTH) for the given circuit.

Risk Assessment: Low

Introduction:

In the previous experiments we have looked at solving complex electrical circuits using Kirchhoff’s
Circuit Laws, Mesh Analysis and finally Nodal Analysis. But there are many more “Circuit Analysis
Theorems” available to choose from which can calculate the currents and voltages at any point in a
circuit. In this experiment we will look at one of the more common circuit analysis theorems (next to
Kirchhoff´s) that has been developed; Thévenin’s Theorem.

Thévenin’s Theorem: It is a process by which a complex circuit is reduced to an equivalent series

circuit consisting of a single voltage source (VTH), a series resistance (RTH) and a load resistance (RL).
After creating the Thévenin Equivalent Circuit, the load voltage VL or the load current IL may be easily
determined.

One of the main uses of Thévenin’s theorem is the replacement of a large part of a circuit, often a
complicated and uninteresting part, by a very simple equivalent. The new simpler circuit enables us to
make rapid calculations of the voltage, current, and power which the original circuit is able to deliver
to a load. It also helps us to choose the best value of this load resistance for maximum power transfer.

Figure 1.

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 Figure 2: Thévenin Equivalent Circuit of Figure 1

Equipment/Components:
14. NI Bread board.
15. Set of wires.
16. Digital Multimeter.
17. Resistors.

Procedures:

Figure 3. Circuit connection for Thévenin’s Theorem

Task A: Verifying the Thévenin’s Theorem

f) Construct the circuit as shown in Figure 3.

g) Accurately measure the voltage VL across the load resistance.

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 h) Find VTH: Remove the load resistance RL and measure the open circuit voltage Voc across the
terminals. This is equal to VTH.
i) Find RTH: Remove the source voltage VS and replace it with a short circuit. Measure the
resistance looking into the opening where RL was with an ohmmeter (DMM). This gives
RTH.
j) Obtaining VTH and RTH, construct the circuit of figure 2 using Multisim.
k) Measure the VL for this circuit and compare it to the VL obtained from circuit of figure 3.
This verifies the Thévenin theorem.
l) Repeat step 1(e) for RL = 8KΩ, 6KΩ, 4KΩ, 2.2 KΩ ,1KΩ and measure the VL

Table (1)
SN RL VL
1 8KΩ
2 6KΩ
3 4KΩ
4 2.2KΩ
5 1KΩ

m) Find the power for RL in all cases (RL =10KΩ,8KΩ, 6KΩ, 4KΩ, 2.2 KΩ ,1KΩ) and
comments on your answer.
Table (2)
SN RL PL
1 10KΩ
2 8KΩ
3 6KΩ
4 4KΩ
5 2.2KΩ
6 1KΩ

Task B: Questions

1. Calculate the percentage error difference between the load voltages obtained for circuits of
figure 3 and figure 2.
2. Using Voltage Division for circuit of figure 2, calculate VL. Compare it to the measured values.
Explain any differences.
3. Calculate RTH in figure 3 then find the value of RL that have the maximum power.
4. Plot PL versus RL by using Table 2 and comment on your figure.

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Return each component to its place and make sure you leave your place tidy.

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 University of Dubai
College of Engineering and IT
Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200 Electric Circuits 1

Laboratory Experiment No.6

Experiment Title: Operational Amplifier

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)* Criteria Marks

CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab report /0.5
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, current,
and power of the different circuit elements.
CLO5 Analyze circuits with operational amplifiers. Lab report /1
Total /1.5

Objectives:

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 - Theoretical and experimental of inverting, non-inverting and buffer
amplifiers.

Risk Assessment: Low

Introduction:
1. Inverting Amplifier:
Inverting amplifiers are used when, along with amplification, it is required to
change the signal polarity, or when several analog signals are to be added together.
An inverting amplifier’s output signal phase is shifted by 180° vs. the input signal.
An inverting amplifier’s circuit diagram is shown in Fig. 1

Fig.1: Circuit diagram of an inverting amplifier

The input signal V in is applied to op-amp’s inverting input (“-“ input) via the
resistor R1 ; part of the output signal is also applied to the inverting input via the
feedback resistor Rfb . For positive voltage in V applied to the circuit’s input, the
op-amp’s input (differential) voltage Vd will be positive and, since the signal is
applied to the inverting input, the potential at the output will decline. Due to op-
amp’s high gain, Vd must be close to zero so that the potentials at op-amp’s inputs
are equal.
Assume the op-amp is ideal (op-amp’s input resistance Rin = ∞ ), hence no current
flows into the inputs. Then, in accordance with Kirchhoff’s Current Law IR1 = Ifb
.
The potential at point A on the circuit is almost equal to the ground potential (as a
rule, Vd is very small).

The minus sign in the right part of the equation means that the output is inverted.
Thus, the circuit’s gain only depends on the external circuit parameters and does not
depend on op-amp’s gain.
2. Non- Inverting Amplifier:

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Noninverting amplifiers are used for amplification of a signal without changing its
polarity. The phase of a noninverting amplifier’s output signal is the same as that of
the input signal. Noninverting amplifier’s circuit diagram is shown in Fig.2.

Fig.2: Circuit diagram of non-inverting Amplifier.

The input signal V in is applied to op-amp’s noninverting input (“+” input); part of
the output signal is applied to the inverting input via the divider formed by resistors
Rfb and R1.
If we apply a positive voltage Vin to the circuit’s input, the op-amp’s input
(differential) voltage Vd will be positive and, since the signal is applied to the
noninverting input, the output potential will increase. Due to op-amp’s high gain,
Vd must be close to zero so that the potentials at op-amp’s inputs will be equal.
The potential at the inverting input must be equal to the potential at the
noninverting input, therefore
3. Buffer Amplifier (Voltage Follower):
A buffer amplifier, or voltage follower, is a noninverting amplifier in which the full
scope of the output signal is applied to the inverting input (100% negative
feedback). Buffer amplifier’s circuit diagram is shown in Fig.3.

Fig3: Circuit diagram of buffer Amplifier

Equipment &components
• Bread board
• LM741 OpAmp

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 • Resistors
• DC sources
• DMM

Experiment Procedures
The 741 operational amplifier, or op-amp, comes in an 8-pin dual inline package (DIP), If you
look closely at the package, you will find a notch at one end or a dot in one corner. This tells us
how to find Pin 1: the dot is located next to Pin 1 and the notch is located between Pins 1 and 8.
The rest of the pins are numbered like this:

Pin 8 is not connected (NC). Pins 1 and 5 are used to eliminate the offset voltage. We won't be
using this feature, so don't connect anything to these pins. The remaining pins give us the
following circuit symbol for our op-amp:

Fig4: LM741 configuration

In order to function, the op-amp must be connected to an external power supply. Since we want
to produce both positive and negative output voltages, we need both positive and negative
voltages for the power supply. These are labeled and on the diagram. For a 741, the
nominal values are =15 V and =-15 V.

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To avoid clutter, we won't show the power supply terminals (pins 4 and 7) on any of
the subsequent circuit diagrams. However, they must be connected or your amplifier
will not operate.

Note that there is no ground terminal on the op-amp. The zero reference point is
established by the external circuit and is not important to the op-amp itself.

Task 1: Inverting Amplifier

1. Build the Inverting Amplifier circuit as appear in Fig.5 using the given
components then fill table (1), taking in your consideration the LM741
configuration that appears in Fig. 4

Fig5: Inverting Amplifier

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Table.1

Setting Measured Value

N R1[Ohm] R2[Ohm] Vin Vout Gain
1 1000 5100
2 10000 10000
3 390 2000

Task 2: Non-Inverting Amplifier

1. Build the Non-Inverting Amplifier circuit as appear in Fig.6 using the given
components then fill table (2), taking in your consideration the LM741
configuration that appears in Fig. 4

Fig6: Non-Inverting Amplifier

Table.2

Setting Measured Value

N R1[Ohm] R2[Ohm] Vin Vout Gain
1 1000 5100
2 10000 10000
3 390 2000

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Task 3: Buffer Amplifier

1. Build the Buffer Amplifier circuit as appear in Fig.7 using the given
components then fill table (3), taking in your consideration the LM741
configuration that appears in Fig. 4

Fig7: Buffer Amplifier

Table.3

Setting Measured Value

N R1[Ohm] R2[Ohm] Vin Vout Gain
1 1000 5100
2 10000 10000
3 390 2000

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 University of Dubai
College of Engineering and IT
Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200 Electric Circuits 1

Laboratory Experiment No.7

Experiment Title: Series and Parallel Capacitors

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)* Criteria Marks

CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab report /0.5
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, current,
and power of the different circuit elements.
CLO5 Interpret the operation of capacitors and inductors by Lab report /1
analysis of transient and steady-state response of
first order RC and RL and second order RLC circuits.
Total /1.5

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 Aim: The aim of this experiment is to measure the equivalent capacitance of several
capacitors connected in series and parallel.

Objectives:
1. Discuss the behavior of capacitors in series and parallel circuit configurations
2. Predict and calculate the capacitance of a given configuration of capacitors
3. Measure the capacitance of a configuration of capacitors

Risk Assessment: Low

Introduction:

What are Capacitors?

The capacitor, originally known as the condenser, is a device that stores an electric charge. The
amount of charge that a capacitor can store is called its capacitance. Capacitance is measured in
farads (F). A one-farad capacitor stores 1 coulomb of charge across a 1 V potential difference
between its plates.
Capacitors are formed by two parallel metallic plates placed close to each other and separated by
a layer of dielectric material. The plates and dielectric material are arranged such that the two
plates have the same amount of electric charge, but with opposing polarities.

Fig.1 : Composition of a capacitor

When one of these plates is connected to a voltage power supply, the plate is charged,
which triggers a charge of the opposite polarity on the other plate. If one plate has a negative
charge (Q-) and the other has a positive charge (Q+), with the same charge magnitude at each
plate, the net system charge becomes 0. In this instance the capacitor is under a Q charge.

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Fig.2 : Capacitor charging. When connected to a voltage, the capacitor's plates gain opposite
charges of +/- Q

Capacitor Behavior

Capacitors behave in a manner opposite of resistors. The formula for parallel capacitors matches
that of series resistors and the formula for series capacitors matches that of parallel resistors.
The equivalent capacitance of capacitors connected in parallel is described with the
following equation:

where CEQ is the total capacitance and C1 through Cn are the n individual capacitances.
The equivalent capacitance of capacitors connected in series is described with the following
equation:

or

Note: Similar to parallel resistors, the total capacitance decreases the more series capacitors are
added.

Applications

Applications for the capacitor are endless. Capacitors are present in almost every electronic
device. Capacitors are used extensively in the following ways:
 In filter circuits
 Like DC blocks filtering out direct current
 Noise filters absorbing radio frequency interference

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  High- and low-pass filters sorting signals by frequency
Certain capacitors change capacitance in response to external stimuli and can be used much like
variable resistors, as sensors. Capacitors can also be used for coupling. Coupling allows energy
to pass from one section of a circuit to another.

Capacitors can discharge energy as well as store it. This allows capacitors to be used like
temporary batteries. For example, capacitors may maintain the power supply to a device while
the batteries are being changed or, they may provide energy to a car audio system. Finally,
capacitors are central components of pulsed power systems, in which they are used to achieve
extremely concentrated bursts of electrical power. Pulsed power has applications ranging from:
 Radar
 Medicine
 Experimentally simulating the effects of nuclear weapons

Equipment/Components:
18. NI Bread board.
19. Set of wires.
20. Digital Multimeter.
21. Capacitors.

Procedures:
Task A: Series Capacitance

Figure 3. Circuit connection for series capacitance

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n) Construct the circuit as shown in Figure 3.
o) Calculate the equivalent capacitance.
p) Measure the equivalent capacitance using figure 4.

Fig.4: Breadboard configuration for measuring capacitance of 3 capacitors in series.

q) Measure the voltage across each capacitor and the voltage across the battery.
r) Calculate the charge on each capacitor.
s) Add a 4th 68 μF capacitor to the circuit in series. Calculate the charge on it
t) Calculate and measure the equivalent capacitance in the modified circuit.

Task B: Parallel Capacitance

Figure 5. Circuit connection for parallel capacitance

a) Construct the circuit as shown in Figure 5.

b) Calculate the equivalent capacitance.
c) Measure the equivalent capacitance using figure 6.

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 Fig.6: Breadboard configuration for measuring capacitance of 3 capacitors in parallel.

d) Measure the voltage across each capacitor and the voltage across the battery.
e) Calculate the charge on each capacitor.
f) Add a 4th 68 μF capacitor to the circuit in parallel. Calculate the charge on it
g) Calculate and measure the equivalent capacitance in the modified circuit.

Task C: Questions

1. Calculate the amount of energy stored in the equivalent capacitance and show that this energy
is equal to the sum of the energies stored in the individual capacitors for the series and parallel
connections.
2. Which way should capacitors be connected to give you the largest amount of energy stored.

3. calculate the equivalent capacitance of the circuit below:

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Return each component to its place and make sure you leave your place tidy.

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 University of Dubai
College of Engineering and IT
Department of Electrical Engineering

ENEC 200 Electric Circuits 1

Laboratory Experiment No.8

Experiment Title: RC Circuits

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)* Criteria Marks

CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab report /0.5
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, current,
and power of the different circuit elements.
CLO5 Interpret the operation of capacitors and inductors by Lab report /1
analysis of transient and steady-state response of
first order RC and RL and second order RLC circuits.
Total /1.5

Aim: The aim of this experiment is to understanding RC circuits.

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 Objectives:

1. Discuss the purpose and behavior of RC circuits

2. Describe the charging and discharging effects of an RC component.
3. Calculate the time constant of an RC circuit, measure the charging of an RC circuit, and
confirm the time constant for that circuit.
4. Study of transient processes in a circuit containing a series connected resistance and a
capacitor.

Risk Assessment: Low

Introduction:

In this lab, you will learn about resistor-capacitor (RC) circuits. These are circuits in which a
resistor is placed in series with a capacitor and used to control the rate at which the capacitor
charges or discharges. Like capacitors themselves, RC circuits have many applications in real-
world circuitry.
First, you will make calculations for a given RC circuit. Then you will build, modify, and
measure that circuit with the NI ELVIS III. You will also use Electronics Engineering software.

In this lab you will apply a pulse waveform to the RC circuit to analyses the transient response of
the circuit. The pulse-width relative to a circuit's time constant determines how it is affected by
an RC circuit.
Time Constant (τ): Denoted by the Greek letter tau, τ, it represents a measure of time required for
certain changes in voltages and currents in RC and RL circuits. Generally, when the elapsed time
exceeds five time constants (5τ) after switching has occurred, the currents and voltages have
reached their final value, which is also called steady-state response.

The time constant of an RC circuit is the product of equivalent capacitance and the Thévenin
resistance as viewed from the terminals of the equivalent capacitor.

𝜏 = 𝑅×𝐶

A Pulse is a voltage or current that changes from one level to another and back again. The length
of each cycle of a pulse is its period (T).

The pulse width (tp) of an ideal square wave is equal to half the time period.
The relation between pulse width and frequency is then given by,

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 Figure 1: Series RC circuit.

From Kirchhoff's laws, it can be shown that the charging voltage VC (t) across the capacitor is
given by:

(3)
where, V is the applied source voltage to the circuit at time t = 0. The product RC is the time
constant. The response curve is increasing and is shown in figure 2.

Figure 2: Capacitor charging for Series RC circuit to a step input with time axis normalized by t.

The discharge voltage for the capacitor is given by:

Where Vo is the initial voltage stored in capacitor at t = 0. The product RC is often referred to
the so called time constant, τ. The response curve is a decaying exponential as shown in figure 3.

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Figure 3: Capacitor Discharging for Series RC circuit

Equipment/Components:

22. Resistor (Resistors zone on the board)

23. Capacitor (Capacitors zone on the board)
24. AC voltage source (function generator ~E)
25. Voltmeters (V1, V2, V3)
26. Ammeter (A1).

Procedures:
Task A: Series Capacitance

u) Make sure that the NI ELVIS workstation is turned ON (workstation power switch must be in
position I.
v) Set the PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER switch on the NI ELVIS workstation into position O
(OFF).
w) Double click on the Series RC circuit transient response line in the list of labs. Circuit
schematic similar to one shown in Fig. 4 will be displayed, with component and device fields
positioned appropriately (Fig. 5).

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 Figure 4

Figure 5

x) Assemble the circuit on the board in accordance with the schematic diagram in Fig.5 . Set
the resistance and capacitance values based on Table 1
y) Enter the values of used resistance and capacitance into the corresponding value fields in the
lab Front Panel work area.
Table 1
C [uF] 0.01 0.022 0.1 1

R [Ohm] 1000 800 600 400

F[Hz] 2kHz 2kHz 1kHz 200Hz

Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Set the PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER switch on the NI ELVIS workstation into
position I (ON). The Power LED on the board and power indicator on NI ELVIS will turn
ON.

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 2. To start the lab, click the Start/Stop button on the Control panel.
3. Based on the used values of R and C, calculate the time constant τ.
4. For the signal source ~E check the Show controls field and select Square in the
Signal type field. Set the voltage (Voltage field) to 5V P-P and frequency (Frequency
field) of ~E based on Table 1.
5. Launch the Scope panel and set it up to monitor the voltage V1, V3 and current
A1 . For best results, disconnect the voltmeters V1 and V3 from the circuit.
6. If the voltmeter V3 was disconnected in the previous step, reconnect it and right
click in the scope traces area, from the drop-down menu choose Freeze->ON.
7. On the frozen image determine the time constant for the voltage (V3). Obtain a
screenshot and save it.
8. calculate the voltage and current of the transient for time values corresponding
to the time values in column t in Measured value section in Table 2.
9. Click on the MS Excel button to open Excel table then fill the obtained results into
the Calculated value section.
10. Compare the calculated and experimentally obtained results.
11. Click Stop when finished.
12. Turn the Prototyping Board Power switch on the NI ELVIS workstation into
position O (OFF) and close the lab.
13. Repeat all steps for V= 8V (P-P).
Table 2
Setting Measured value Calculated value
N f R C ~E t V3 A1 t VC IC τ
[Hz] [Ohm] [uF] [V] [τ] [V] [mA] [us] [V] [mA] [us]
1 0
2 1
3 2
4 3
5 4
6 5

Report
The report should include an MS Excel file containing the graphs obtained during the lab and
calculations, in accordance with the Step-By-Step Instructions section above.
Test Questions

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 1-1 Capacitors charge and discharge at ________ rates.
A. Constant
B. Unpredictable
C. Linear
D. Exponential

1-2 What is NOT true of an RC circuit’s time constant?

A. It is proportional only to the circuit’s capacitance

B. It is represented by Greek tau
C. It is equal to R x C
D. It affects how quickly the capacitor charges/discharges

1-3 The time constant τ determines:

A. The rate at which charging/discharging occurs

B. How much charge the capacitor can carry/discharge
C. The effect of resistance on capacitance
D. The linear relationship between time and change

1-4 If the resistance of an RC circuit increases, will the capacitor take more or less
time to charge?

A. More
B. Less

Return each component to its place and make sure you leave your place tidy.

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Appendix

Assessment Instrument Cover Sheet

Course Code: ENEC 200 Course Title: Electrical circuits

Semester: Spring 2024 Academic year: 2023/2024
Assessment Instrument: Lab Project Due Date:

This instrument assesses the following Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):

CLOs Course Learning Outcomes Criteria Marks

(CLO)*
CLO1 Conduct experiments based on the basic concepts Lab Project /4
associated with electric circuits to analyze voltage, Presentation
current, and power of the different circuit elements. and report
CLO2 Calculate the circuit performance and design Lab Project /4
requirements using various circuit theorems and methods Presentation
–Ohm’s Law, Kirchoff’s Laws, series and parallel and report
reductions, mesh analysis and nodal analysis, Thevenin’s
and Norton’s theorems.
Total /8

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 ENEC200 Lab Project Evaluation
Student Name
1.
2.
3.
4.

Student ID:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Rubric for Project Report Evaluation Maximum Marks: 40

Excellent
Good Average Poor Score
(10)
a Project - Project report is - Project - Project - Project
Report according to the report is report is report not
given format according to according to prepared
- References and the given the given according to
citations are format format but the given
appropriate and - References some format
well mentioned and citations mistakes - References
are - In-sufficient and citations
appropriate references are not
but not and citations appropriate
mentioned
well
Excellent
Good Average Poor Score
(10)

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b Description - Complete - Complete - Incomplete - Inappropriate
of explanation of explanation explanation explanation
Concepts the key of the key of the key of the key
and concepts and concepts but concepts concepts
Technical strong in-sufficient and in- and poor
Details description of description sufficient description
the technical of the description of the
requirements of technical of the technical
the project requirements technical requirements
of the project requirements of the project
of the project
Excellent
Good Average Poor Score
(20)
c Results, - Results and - Results and - Results and - Results and
Discussion calculation are calculations calculations calculations
and presented in are presented are not
conclusion very appropriate presented in are not much presented
manner good satisfactory properly
- Project work is manner - Project work - Project work
well - Project work summary is not
summarized summary and summarized
and concluded and conclusion and
conclusion not very concluded
not very appropriate
appropriate
-
Rubric for Presentation Evaluation (Max marks 30)
Excellent (15) Good (12) Average (9) Poor (6) Score
Extensive
Technical Fair Poor
Knowledge knowledge and Lacks
knowledge knowledge
and awareness sufficient
d and and no
Awareness related to the knowledge
awareness awareness
related to the project and
related to the related to
Project Awareness
project project

Contents of
presentations
Contents of
are Contents of Contents of
presentations are
appropriate presentations are presentations are
appropriate and
e Presentation and well appropriate but not appropriate -
well delivered in
delivered in not well and not well
clear voice with
clear voice delivered; delivered; unclear
good spoken
with good unclear voice voice
language
spoken
language
Lab Project / Phase (1) –Proposal Evaluation Maximum Marks: 30
1.
2.
3.
4.

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 Total Marks =
(Max 100%)
1.
2.
3.
4.

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