Objectives

This experiment aims to gather data on voltage and current in varying ohm values of resistors in
a circuit. By tabulating the gathered data, it seeks to investigate and analyze the relationship
between current, voltage, and resistance that is being forwarded by ohm’s law. Also, it aims to
connect the experimental data to the mathematical equation of ohm’s law.

Materials

The materials used in this experiment were five resistors with varying ohms, a breadboard, and
a power supply. To measure the effects of the varying resistors, a multimeter which served as a
voltmeter and ammeter was utilized.

Methodology

The power supply provided by the laboratory was archaic, so the voltage supplied by the power
supply was measured using the multimeter. The voltages used and measured for the
experiment were in the range 1-5 with intervals of one. The power supply was directly
connected to the multimeter to get the reading.

The second data collected were the actual resistance of the resistors. A total of five resistors
were measured. For the third data, the multimeter acted as a voltmeter. The circuit is shown in
Figure 1. Lastly, the current was measured using the multimeter as an ammeter. The connection
is presented in Figure 2. After collecting all of the data, it was tabulated in a spreadsheet and
analyzed by comparing theoretical values from the actual values.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Results and Discussion

1. From your graphs, what is the mathematical relationship between current and resistance?
Between current and voltage?
2. How does your data compare with the theoretical values of current based on Ohm’s Law?
3. What are the possible causes or sources of laboratory errors in your data? Do these errors
make your data smaller or larger? Why?

In this experiment, the group analyzed the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance
using different resistors. By measuring the actual voltage and currency values and comparing
them to theoretical values, the group evaluated the accuracy of the measurements.

Ohm's law describes how electric current and potential difference are related. According to this
law, if all other factors and temperatures remain constant, the voltage across a conductor is
directly proportional to the current passing through it[1]. This current-voltage relationship is
written in Equation 1. Basically, there is a linear relationship between the voltage drop across a
circuit element and the current flowing through it. As a result, resistance is thought of as a
constant that is unaffected by voltage or current.

𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅​ ​ ​ ​ eqn. 1

Figure 1. Circuit diagram[2]

Voltage is the difference in the electric potential between two points. In this experiment, a
multimeter in voltage mode was placed across the component in which the amount of voltage
was measured across it. Figure 1 shows that it was placed in parallel with the resistor to
measure the voltage drop across it.

Table 1. Theoretical Voltage, Actual Voltage, and Percentage Error

Theoretical
Resistor Actual voltage (V) % Error
Voltage (V)

1.67 1.66 0.60%

2.5 2.5 0%

1 3.6 3.6 0%

4.5 4.5 0%

5.65 5.65 0%
 1.67 1.66 0.60%

2.5 2.5 0%

2 3.6 3.6 0%

4.5 4.5 0%

5.65 5.65 0%

1.67 1.66 0.60%

2.5 2.5 0%

3 3.6 3.6 0%

4.5 4.5 0%

5.65 5.61 0.71%

1.67 1.66 0.60%

2.5 2.5 0%

4 3.6 3.6 0%

4.5 4.5 0%

5.65 5.6 0.88%

1.67 1.65 1.20%

2.5 2.5 0%

5 3.6 3.6 0%

4.5 4.5 0%

5.65 5.61 0.71%

Table 1 shows the theoretical and actual voltage values and the computed percentage errors.
Most voltage readings indicated a high degree of accuracy as it exhibits 0% error. However,
small deviations are observed in some cases, with percentage errors ranging from 0.60% to
1.20%.

It is observed that the voltage remained the same in most of the measurements regardless of
the resistor used. This suggests that the voltage source was a constant voltage source. Since
the setup was parallel, the voltage drop across the resistor was ensured accurately measured
without significantly affecting the circuit. A parallel circuit maintains the same voltage across all
components. Changing the resistor, the power supply automatically adjusted the current to
maintain the set voltage. Also, this observation suggests that the power supply maintains a
constant voltage while adjusting the current according to the resistor in the circuit.

Table 2. Current-Resistance Relationship for Five Voltages

Voltage Current (I), Resistance

Current - Resistance Relationship
(V), V mA (R), Ω
 1.8 800

1.59 900

1 1.51 950

1.4 1150

0.6 2600

3 800

2.6 900

2 2.49 950

2.1 1150

0.9 2600

4.3 800

3.7 900

3 3.5 950

3 1150

1.3 2600

5.4 800

4.6 900

4 4.49 950

3.9 1150

1.64 2600
 6.7 800

5.9 900

5 5.5 950

5 1150

2.05 2600

Table 2 shows the current and resistance at a constant voltage. Indeed, the power supply
maintains a constant voltage by adjusting the current according to the resistor in the circuit. This
data and analysis align with Ohm’s Law shown in Equation 1. Voltage is constant and resistance
changes, so the current adjusts accordingly.

Chart 1. Summary of I-R Relationship for the Five Voltages

From Chart 1 an inverse relationship between current and resistance can be observed. As the
resistance decreases, the measured current increases. This follows Ohm’s Law where current is
inversely proportional to resistance when voltage is constant.

Table 3. Theoretical Current, Actual Current, and Percentage Error

Theoretical Current
Resistor Actual Current (mA) % Error
(mA)

0.651 0.60 7.83%

1 0.980 0.9 8.20%

 1.412 1.3 7.92%

1.765 1.64 7.07%

2.216 2.05 7.48%

1.509 1.40 7.23%

2.273 2.1 7.60%

2 3.273 3.0 8.33%

4.091 3.9 4.67%

5.136 5.0 2.65%

1.844 1.59 13.80%

2.778 2.6 6.4%

3 4.000 3.7 7.50%

5.000 4.6 8.00%

6.233 5.9 5.35%

1.747 1.51 13.58%

2.632 2.49 5.38%

4 3.789 3.5 7.64%

4.737 4.49 5.21%

5.895 5.5 6.70%

2.063 1.8 12.73%

3.125 3.0 4.00%

5 4.500 4.3 4.44%

5.625 5.4 4.00%

7.013 6.7 4.46%

The group measured the current through different resistors and compared the actual values to
the theoretical predictions shown in Table #. Equation # was used to calculate the theoretical
current in Microsoft Excel. This was compared to the actual values which yield percentage
errors ranging from 2.65% to 13.80%, with the highest error occurring at 1.844 mA for Resistor 3
and the lowest at 5.136 mA for Resistor 2. Despite these small errors, the measured resistance
is within acceptable limits.

𝑉
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 𝐼 = 𝑅
​ ​ ​ ​ eqn. 2

The multimeter was placed in series with the circuit when measuring current as shown in Figure
1. This setup was necessary because an ammeter which was the multimeter in current mode
must be in the current path to measure the current flowing through the circuit. Overall, the
results align with expected circuit behavior, demonstrating the relationship between current,
voltage, and resistance as described by Ohm’s Law.

Table 4. Voltage-Current Relationship for Five Resistors

Resistance Voltage (V), Current (I),

Voltage - Current Relationship
(R), Ω V mA

1.66 1.8

2.5 1.59

1 3.6 1.51

4.5 1.4

5.65 0.6

1.66 3

2.5 2.6

2 3.6 2.49

4.5 2.1

5.65 0.9
 1.66 4.3

2.5 3.7

3 3.6 3.5

4.5 3

5.61 1.3

1.66 5.4

2.5 4.6

4 3.6 4.49

4.5 3.9

5.6 1.64

1.65 6.7

2.5 5.9

5 3.6 5.5

4.5 5

5.61 2.05

Table 4 shows the relationship between current and voltage for each resistor. Since resistance
1
is constant for each resistor, the graph forms a straight-line trend with a slope 𝑅
which can also
be observed from Equation 2. The group observes that resistors with lower resistance values
have a steeper slope see the results of Resistor 5 which has a resistance of 800 Ω. This also
implies a higher current for the same voltage. On the other hand, resistors with higher
resistance values have a less steep slope. Compare the graph of Resistor 1 which has a
resistance of 2550 Ω. Higher resistance means lower current for the same voltage.

Chart 2. Summary of I-V Relationship for the Five Resistor

Chart 2 shows the summary of the current vs voltage plot for the five resistors. Indeed, current
increases proportionally with voltage when resistance is the same. This graph shows that for a
resistor with constant resistance, the current flowing through a resistor with constant resistance
is proportional to the voltage across it. Hence, Ohm’s law is valid, and it can be used to define
resistance as Equation 3.

𝑉
𝑅 = 𝐼
​ ​ ​ ​ Eqn. 3

Table 5. Experimental Resistance, Theoretical Resistance, and Percentage Error

Theoretical Experimental
Resistor % Error
Resistance (Ω) Resistance (Ω)

1 2700 2550 5.56%

2 1200 1100 8.33%

3 910 900 1.10%

4 1000 950 5.00%

5 820 800 2.44%

Table 5 shows the theoretical and experimental resistance values measured using a multimeter.
The percentage error calculations reveal small but noticeable discrepancies. The resistors have
a band D of gold, which indicates a resistance tolerance of ± 5%. The largest percent error
occurs in Resistor 2, with an 8.33% error, while the smallest occurs in Resistor 3, with only
1.10% error. The group analyzed possible factors that may have contributed to these deviations,
such as loose connections or imperfect contact with the measuring probes. Contact resistance,
connections with measuring probes can lead to slight variations in resistance readings[3].

Table 6. Theoretical Voltage, Actual Voltage, and Percentage Error

Measurement Theoretical Voltage (V) Actual Voltage (V) % Error

1 1 1.67 67%

2 2 2.5 25%

3 3 3.6 20%

4 4 4.5 12.5%

5 5 5.65 13%

Table 6 indicates noticeable discrepancies between theoretical and actual voltage values, with
percentage errors ranging from 12.5% to 67%. The highest percentage error is observed in
Measurement 1, at 67%, while the lowest occurs in Measurement 4, at 12%.

An AC/DC power supply is a device that transforms electric current from a power source, like
the mains, into the necessary voltage and current levels. However, over time, electrical
components, such as power supplies, multimeters, and connecting wires, can degrade, leading
to inaccurate readings[4]. Hence, the use of old equipment is the major factor contributing to
these errors.

Reference
[1] Admin. (2023, February 24). Ohm’s Law - Statement, Formula, Solved Examples,
Verification, FAQs. BYJUS. https://byjus.com/physics/ohms-law/
[2] Bidyut. (n.d.). How to use a MultiMeter.
https://bidyut-roboguru.blogspot.com/2014/07/how-to-use-multimeter.html
[3] Accurate Low-Resistance Measurements Start with Identifying Sources of Error. (n.d.).
Tektronix.
https://www.tek.com/en/documents/whitepaper/accurate-low-resistance-measurements-start-ide
ntifying-sources-error
[4] Client challenge. (n.d.).
https://www.monolithicpower.com/en/learning/resources/ac-dc-power-supply-basics#:~:text=The
%20main%20job%20of%20an,from%20generators%20to%20end%20users.
Appendix A
Table 7. Resistor Color Bands and Their Theoretical Resistance Values

Theoretical Resistance
Resistor Band A Band B Band C Band D Resistance Tolerance
(Ω) (%)

1 Red Purple Red Gold 2700 ±5

2 Brown Red Red Gold 1200 ±5

3 White Brown Brown Gold 910 ±5

4 Brown Black Red Gold 1000 ±5

5 Gray Red Brown Gold 820 ±5

Current-Resistance Relationship Graphs

Graph 1. Current-Resistance Relationship for Voltage 1

Graph 2. Current-Resistance Relationship for Voltage 2

Graph 3. Current-Resistance Relationship for Voltage 3

Graph 4. Current-Resistance Relationship for Voltage 4

 Graph 5. Current-Resistance Relationship for Voltage 5

Voltage-Current Relationship Graphs

Graph 6. Voltage-Current Relationship for Resistor 1
Graph 7. Voltage-Current Relationship for Resistor 2

Graph 8. Voltage-Current Relationship for Resistor 3

Graph 9. Voltage-Current Relationship for Resistor 4

Graph 10. Voltage-Current Relationship for Resistor 5