Applied Physics 181​ ​ ​ ​ Second Semester AY 2024-2025

Experiment 0: Circuit Analysis

Objectives
At the end of this experiment, students will be able to:
1.​ determine and compare the experimental and theoretical values of resistance and capacitance
of given components;
2.​ accurately measure and theoretically calculate the electrical quantities, such as voltage and
current, in given circuits; and
3.​ generate and analyze wave signals using a function generator and an oscilloscope.

Materials:
1.​ DC Power Supply 7.​ Oscilloscope
2.​ Alligator Plugs 8.​ BNC Cables
3.​ Banana Clips 9.​ 1 𝑘Ω Resistor
4.​ Breadboard 10.​ 2 𝑘Ω Resistor (2 pcs.)
5.​ Multimeter 11.​ 0. 01µ𝐹 Ceramic Capacitor
6.​ Function Generator 12.​ Jumper Wire

Note: The bold texts in blue should be included in your report.

A. Component Value Reading

Table 1. Resistor Color Code

Color 1st Digit 2nd Digit Multiplier (x10^) Tolerance

Black 0 0 0
× 10 = 1Ω

Brown 1 1 1
× 10 = 10Ω ± 1%

Red 2 2 2
× 10 = 100Ω ± 2%

Orange 3 3 3
× 10 = 1 𝑘Ω

Yellow 4 4 4
× 10 = 10 𝑘Ω

Green 5 5 5
× 10 = 100 𝑘Ω ± 0. 5 %

Blue 6 6 6
× 10 = 1 𝑀Ω ± 0. 25 %

Violet 7 7 ± 0. 1 %

Grey 8 8

White 9 9

Gold × 10
−1
= 0. 1 Ω ± 5%

Silver × 10
−2
= 0. 01 Ω ± 10 %
Applied Physics 181​ ​ ​ ​ Second Semester AY 2024-2025
Experiment 0: Circuit Analysis
1. Resistors are electronic components designed to introduce a specific amount of resistance into a
circuit (SI unit: Ohms or Ω). They are typically made of metal or carbon and maintain a stable
resistance value. While they can produce heat, their primary function is to control the flow of
electricity within a circuit [1]. The zigzag line is the common schematic symbol for resistors as
shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Schematic symbol of a resistor.

Resistors are typically small, cylindrical components with two leads. They are not the zig-zag symbol
often used in diagrams [1]. Their resistance values are determined by color bands printed on them, as
shown in Table 1.

2. Capacitors are electric components that can store electrical charge with the unit of capacitance
being the Farad (abbreviated to F). Figure 1 shows the common schematic symbol for a capacitor.

Figure 2. Schematic symbol of a capacitor.

Table 2. Ceramic Capacitor Tolerance Code

Value (1st and 2nd digit) Multiplier (x10^) Letter Tolerance

0 0
× 10 = 1 𝑝𝐹 B ± 0. 1 𝑝𝐹

1 1
× 10 = 10 𝑝𝐹 C ± 0. 25 𝑝𝐹

2 2
× 10 = 100 𝑝𝐹 D ± 0. 5 𝑝𝐹

3 3
× 10 = 1 000 𝑝𝐹 F ± 1%

4 4
× 10 = 10 000 𝑝𝐹 G ± 2%

5 5
× 10 = 100 000 𝑝𝐹 H ± 3%

6 J ± 5%

7 K ± 10 %

8 × 10
−2
= 0. 01 𝑝𝐹 M ± 20 %

9 × 10
−1
= 0. 1 𝑝𝐹 Z ± 80% / − 20%
Applied Physics 181​ ​ ​ ​ Second Semester AY 2024-2025
Experiment 0: Circuit Analysis
Capacitance is always positive in value and has no negative units. Since the Farad is a very large unit
of capacitance, smaller units like microfarads (µF), nanofarads (nF), and picofarads (pF) are more
commonly used in practice [2]. In this activity, we will focus on ceramic capacitors. These capacitors
are marked with a two or three-digit code that indicates their capacitance value. Refer to Table 2 for
guidance. Here’s how to read the capacitance values:
●​ The first two digits represent the capacitor value, and the third digit indicates the number of
zeros in the multiplier. The resulting value is in picofarads (pF).
●​ If there are only two digits, no multiplier is applied.
●​ The letter included in the code represents the tolerance, which is the permissible deviation of
the actual capacitance value from the marked value. For example, a 10% tolerance means the
actual capacitance can be within 10% higher or lower than the marked value.

3. Calculate the theoretical value of the following components.

A.​ Resistor ​ ​ ​ B. Capacitor

4. Obtain a resistor and a capacitor. Measure the theoretical and experimental resistance and
capacitance. Discuss and comment on the goodness of each component.

B. Multimeter and Breadboard in Circuits

1.​ The digital multimeter (DMM) is an essential tool for diagnosing circuits, understanding the
inner workings of electronic devices, and even checking battery health. Like a traditional
multimeter, it can function as a voltmeter, ammeter, and ohmmeter, providing a versatile and
accurate means of measuring various electrical properties [3]. It has three parts:
●​ Display - where you read the value measured;
●​ Selection knob - where you can set the multimeter to read things such as voltage, current,
and resistance; and
●​ Ports - where you plug the negative (black) and positive (red) probes.
Shown in Figure 3 are the ways of how you measure voltage, current, and resistance/capacitance.

A.​ Voltmeter ​ B. Ammeter ​ ​ C. Ohmmeter/Capacimeter

Figure 3. Measuring using a multimeter.
Applied Physics 181​ ​ ​ ​ Second Semester AY 2024-2025
Experiment 0: Circuit Analysis
2. Breadboards are ideal for quickly building temporary circuits and prototyping, as they eliminate
the need for soldering [4]. Figure 4 shows how you can use a breadboard.

Figure 4. How to use a breadboard.

3. Kirchoff’s laws are fundamental principles in circuit analysis that describe how current and voltage
behave in electrical circuits.
●​ Kirchoff’s Current Law states that at any junction in a circuit, the sum of currents flowing into
the junction must equal the sum of currents flowing out of the junction. This is essentially a
statement of charge conservation [5].
●​ Kirchoff’s Voltage Law states that the sum of all the voltages around any closed loop in a
circuit must equal zero. This is based on the principle of energy conservation [6].
If you want to read more about these laws, refer to references [5] and [6].

4. Construct the following circuits with the following voltage and resistance values.
𝑉1 = 5𝑉, 𝑉2 = 3𝑉, 𝑅1 = 1 𝑘Ω, 𝑅2 = 2 𝑘Ω, 𝑅3 = 2 𝑘Ω

a.​ For each circuit, measure the following quantities: 𝐼, 𝑉1, 𝑉2, 𝑉3, 𝐼1, 𝐼2, 𝐼3.
b.​ For each circuit, theoretically calculate 𝐼, 𝑉1, 𝑉2, 𝑉3, 𝐼1, 𝐼2, 𝐼3.
c.​ Discuss and compare your answers from (b) and (c) on your summary report.

C. Function Generator and Oscilloscope Usage

1. A Function Generator is an electronic device that creates various waveforms (like sine, square,
triangle waves). It provides control over these waveforms, allowing you to adjust their amplitude
(height), frequency (how often they repeat), and whether they are continuous or triggered. Its
versatility stems from its ability to produce a wide range of waveforms across a broad frequency
spectrum [7].
Applied Physics 181​ ​ ​ ​ Second Semester AY 2024-2025
Experiment 0: Circuit Analysis
2. To view the waves produced by a function generator, we connect it to an oscilloscope. This is a
device used to graph electrical signals as they vary over time. The graph is typically
two-dimensional with x and y coordinates representing time and voltage, respectively [8].

​ Using your function generator and oscilloscope, explore the following:

●​ Change the input waveform type.
●​ Adjust the waveform frequency.
●​ Adjust the waveform amplitude.
●​ Adjust the DC offset.

Next,while using a sine wave, explore these features of your oscilloscope.

●​ Use of Auto and Run/Pause buttons.
●​ Parts of the screen (x- and y- axes divs).
●​ Use Measure to view Vpp, Vmin, Vmax.
●​ Adjust the Vertical and Horizontal Menu (rolling and zooming).
●​ Export the output waveform to a flash drive (BMP and CSV).
●​ Use Cursor to track datapoints in the waveform.

3. Export a CSV and BMP of sine, triangular, and square waves. Take note of the frequency and
Vpp values from the function generator. Plot the CSV data on a spreadsheet and determine the
frequency and Vpp through graphical analysis. Include these plots in your report and provide a
brief discussion and comparison of them.

References
1.​ All About Circuits. (2019, July 9). Resistors | Ohm’s Law | Electronics Textbook.
Allaboutcircuits.com. https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/direct-current/chpt-2/resistors/
2.​ Electronics Tutorials. (2018, September 15). Introduction to Capacitors, Capacitance and Charge.
Basic Electronics Tutorials. https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/capacitor/cap_1.html
3.​ Nate. (2016). How to Use a Multimeter - learn.sparkfun.com. Sparkfun.com.
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-use-a-multimeter/all
4.​ SparkFun. (2020). How to Use a Breadboard - learn.sparkfun.com. Sparkfun.com.
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-use-a-breadboard/all
5.​ Electronics-Tutorials. (2018, May 2). Kirchhoff’s Current Law, (KCL) and Junction Rule. Basic
Electronics Tutorials. https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/dccircuits/kirchhoffs-current-law.html
6.​ Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law and the Conservation of Energy. (2018, August 17). Basic Electronics
Tutorials. https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/dccircuits/kirchhoffs-voltage-law.html
7.​ GfG. (2024, February 9). Function Generator. GeeksforGeeks; GeeksforGeeks.
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/function-generator/
8.​ Jimblom. (2019). How to Use an Oscilloscope - learn.sparkfun.com. Sparkfun.com.
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-use-an-oscilloscope/all