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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals

Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals

Name Student Number Lab Group Station

Student 1: David Prah 99811481 12 5
Student 2: Daniel Navratil 83585521 12 5

Materials Required:
Bench Power Supply: BK Precision Model 1672
Digital Multimeter (DMM): Rigol 3058E
Breadboard
Resistors:
100 Ω 2.2 kΩ
1.0 kΩ 3.3 kΩ
1.5 kΩ 5.1 kΩ
2.0 kΩ 10.0 kΩ

Lab Introduction
To ensure a safe and productive lab environment, please take note of the following guidelines:

1. Pre-Lab Preparation: It is mandatory for all students to watch the assigned lab videos before
the lab period. This will help you familiarize yourself with the equipment and procedures
allowing you to maximize your lab time effectively.

2. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): All students must meet the required PPE requirements
to be allowed to work in the lab. This includes putting up any long hair, wearing pants that are
free of rips and go down to your ankles, closed toe shoes, and any other PPE as specified by a TA
or Lab Technician during the lab.

3. Cleanliness and Organization: At the end of each lab, students must clean up their
workstations. Failure to do so will result in a deduction in grade. All work must be completed in
a neat and legible manner to ensure accurate observations and analysis.

We look forward to your active participation and adherence to these guidelines to make the
most of your learning experience in the lab.
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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals

Experiment 1: Reading Data/Specification Sheets

 Aim: To interpret the specifications of the DC bench power supply and DMM from their
datasheets.

 Protocol:
1. Utilizing the datasheets provided under the Labs section on Canvas, answer the
following questions.

 Bench Power Supply:

1. How many outputs are available for use?
 There is a positive and negative master, slave and a fixed 5-volt output on
the DC power supply.

2. Describe each of the outputs including their Voltage and Current Ranges.
 The 2 center outputs on the machine are fixed to 5 volts or 3 amps.
 The master and slave output ranges from 0 to 32 volts and 0 to 6 amps.
The master outputs are on the right side of the machine while the slave
outputs are on the left.
 When the dial to change the voltage or the amps is pulled out the master
dial sets the slave output as the same as the master.

3. What is the load regulation for the variable output?

 The load regulation is <0.4% + 8 mA for the current and <0.55% + 10 mV
for the voltage

4. What is the Voltage accuracy of the fixed output?

 The accuracy of the fixed output is 5 V ± 0.25 V

5. What is the Display accuracy?

 The display accuracy is 0.1% + 3 digits.
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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals

 Digital Multimeter (DMM): DM3068 6½-digit

1. What is the DC Voltage and Current Range?
The DM3068 6½-digit Digital Multimeter has a DC voltage range of -1000 V to
1000 V and a DC current range of -10 A to 10 A.

2. What is the AC Voltage and Current Range?

The DM3068 can measure AC voltage within the range of 0 V to 750 V and AC
current from 0 A to 10 A.

3. What is the Resistance Range?

The resistance measurement range extends from 0 Ω to 100 MΩ, providing
precise results with its high resolution.

4. What Test Current would be applied during a resistance measurement to a 20 kΩ

resistor?
The test current applied during resistance measurement for a 20 kΩ resistor
would be 100 μA.

5. What is the Warm-up Time required for maximum accuracy?

For maximum accuracy, the DM3068 requires a warm-up time of 90 minutes.
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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals
Experiment 2: Understanding Voltage and Current

 Aim: To understand the relationship between voltage and current.

 Protocol:
1. Using the DMM, measure the resistance of the 1.0kΩ resistor out of the circuit,
record this value in Table 1.

2. Without turning the Power Supply On, build the circuit shown in Figure 1 using
the 1.0kΩ resistor for R1.

3. Using the DMM, measure the resistance of R1 in the circuit and record this value
in Table 1. You should be able to see why you do not want to measure the
resistance when the components are connected to a circuit.

4. Disconnect the positive lead from the circuit and turn on the Power Supply.

5. Set the Power Supply to 0.0V and reconnect the lead to the circuit.

6. Complete Table 2 by taking a series of measurements from 0.0V to 8.0V by

adjusting the Power Supply in 1.0V steps. Record the Supply Voltage (VS) from the
screen on the Power Supply, the Resistor Voltage (VR) from the DMM with 2
decimal places, and Calculate the Resistor Current (IR) using the out of circuit
measured resistance.

7. Answer the questions following the Tables.

Figure 1: Basic Resistive Circuit

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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals

Table 1: Resistor Measurements

Ω
Out of Circuit 999.53
Measurement
In Circuit 998.78
Measurement

Table 2: Voltage and Current Measurements

VS(V) 0.00 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0

VR(V) 0.000235 1.0230 2.0075 3.0611 3.9902 5.0635 6.0262 7.0180 8.0055

IR(mA) 0.0002 1.0235 2.0844 3.0625 3.9921 5.0659 6.0290 7.0213 8.0093

I=V/R
Rounded to 2 decimal places
VS(V) 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00

VR(V) 0.00 1.02 2.01 3.06 3.99 5.06 6.03 7.02 8.01

IR (A) 0.00 1.02*10-3 2.08*10-3 3.06*10-3 3.99*10-3 5.07*10-3 6.03*10-3 7.02*10-3 8.01*10-3

 Questions:
1. What is the relationship between Voltage and Current in this simple circuit
The current is 1/999.53 of the voltage, as the conversion using Ohms law is I=V/R
and the resistance is 999.53 Ohms. So, when the voltage is increased by 1.0 V, the
current is increased by approximately 1 mA.
Herein, a linear response may be obtained using resistive circuits to establish the
law of Ohm. This proportionality is useful in design applications where one must use
correct values of the current: if there happens to be a value of current that one wishes a
device operates within, then, knowing this constant resistance, one may calculate the
needed voltage. These ideas may be easily extended from simple components such as
resistors to more involved circuits, including voltage dividers.
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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals
2. Using Excel, generate a plot of Voltage vs Current with appropriate scaling that
shows the relationship. Insert the plot here.

Fig. 1: Voltage vs Current Graph

3. Is the relationship identified and the plot generated consistent with Ohm’s Law?
Explain.

Yes, the relationship identified, and the plot generated are in accordance with Ohm's
Law. Ohm's Law states that the current I in a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage V
across a resistor and inversely proportional to the resistance (R), as given by the equation I=
V/R. Now, since the value of the resistor in question is about 1000 ohms, the current should
indeed be approximately 1/1000 of the voltage, which is proportional. Indeed, this can be
confirmed by the experimental values of the currents observed. The graph would then
represent a straight-line variation between voltage and current - satisfying Ohm's Law.
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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals

Experiment 3: Theoretical vs. Experimental Results

 Aim: To compare theoretical and experimental values in a simple circuit.

 Protocol Part 1:
1. Complete the first 3 columns of Table 3 using the resistors specified in Figure 2.
You may ignore the calculated tolerance column for now.

2. Complete the row of calculated measurements in Table 4 using the nominal

values. Show your work beneath the table.

3. Build the circuit as shown in Figure 2.

4. Measure the voltages using the DMM and record the values in Table 4.

5. Calculate the currents using the recorded voltages and the measured resistances
from Table 3.

6. Calculate the equivalent resistance for R2 and R3, and the corresponding Voltage
and Current. Record the values in Table 5 and show your calculations below.

7. Replace R2 and R3 with a single resistor of the calculated resistance and record
the Voltage measurement in Table 5.

8. Modify the circuit to include the DMM to measure the current and record the
value in Table 5.

9. Answer the questions following the Tables below.

Figure 2: Series and Parallel Resistive Circuit

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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals
Table 3: Resistor Attributes

Nominal Value Nominal Tolerance Measured Value Calculated Tolerance

R1 2.2 kΩ +/- 5% 2.1940 kΩ 0.273%

R2 5.1 kΩ +/- 5% 5.0334 kΩ 1.306%
R3 3.3 kΩ +/- 5% 3.2345 kΩ 1.985%

Rtot [2.2 + ( 1/5.1 + 1/3.3) ^ -1] kΩ = 4.204 kΩ

Vparallel = Vs – VR1 = 12.0V - 6.280V = 5.720 V

Table 4: Calculated and Measured Circuit Values

VS IS VR1 IR1 VR2 IR2 VR3 IR3

12.0V Vs/Rtot = I s x R1 = IR1= Is Same as Vparallel/ Same as Vparallel/R3
12V/4.20kΩ 2.86x2.2kΩ =2.855mA Vparallel R2 = Vparallel =
Calc. =2.855mA =6.280V 5.720 V 5.720V / 5.720 V 5.720 V
5.1kΩ= /3.3kΩ=
1.122mA 1.734mA
Meas 12.1127V 2.9093mA 6.381V 2.9093mA 5.728V 1.134mA 5.728V 1.774mA
.

Table 5: Equivalent Resistance Values

Req VReq IReq

1 / [(1/5.1) + (1/3.3)] kΩ = 2.855mA x 2.004kΩ= 5.721 V/2.004kΩ=
Calc.
2.004kΩ 5.721 V 2.855mA
1.97303 kΩ 5.712 V 5.712 V/1.97303 kΩ=
Meas.
2.896mA

Questions on next page.

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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals

 Questions:
1. What formula would you use to find the actual tolerance of the resistors now
that you have the nominal value and measured value for each?

| 1 – Measured/Nominal | x 100% = Actual Tolerance

To calculate a resistor's actual tolerance, you compare its measured value to its
nominal or specified value. This formula provides the percentage difference, showing
how closely the resistor aligns with its expected resistance. The result helps determine if
the resistor falls within its specified tolerance range, as the manufacturer defines. This
process is useful for assessing the accuracy of resistors in a circuit and identifying
potential discrepancies caused by manufacturing variations, aging, or environmental
factors. 
2. Using your formula, calculate the tolerance for each resistor and complete Table
3. Show your work here.

|1 - (2.1940 kΩ/2.2 kΩ)|

x 100% =
0.273%
|1 - (5.0334 kΩ/5.1 kΩ)|
x 100% =
1.306%
1.306%|1 - (3.2345 kΩ/3.3 kΩ)|
x 100% =
1.985%

3. Are all the resistors within the specified tolerance? Suggest some reasons why
some resistors could be out of tolerance?

Yes, all the resistors are within their specified tolerances. The calculated
tolerances for R1, R2, and R3 are 0.273%, 1.306%, and 1.985%, respectively. These
values are all less than the typical ±5% tolerance range for resistors.

Resistors might be out of tolerance due to several factors. Manufacturing

variations can cause slight deviations from their nominal values. Environmental
conditions like temperature or humidity may affect their performance. Aging and
material degradation over time can also change resistance values. Additionally, errors in
measurement tools can contribute to discrepancies. 
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APSC255 Lab 1: DC Circuit Fundamentals

4. Compare the Currents from R2 and R3 with the measured Current in Req. How
comparable are they? Suggest some reasons as to why they may differ.

The measured currents through R2 and R3 are 1.134 mA and 1.774 mA,
respectively. Adding these gives a total of 2.856 mA, closely matching the measured
current through Req of 2.896 mA. The difference of 0.04 mA is due to rounding errors,
measurement inaccuracies, or real-world circuit effects such as parasitic resistances or
variations in the circuit connections. Slight inconsistencies in the voltage source or minor
deviations in the resistor values due to tolerances could also contribute to this
discrepancy. Additionally, environmental factors like temperature changes or noise in the
circuit may play a role. Despite the differences, the precision between the calculated and
measured values confirms the accuracy and behaviour of the circuit.