Alternating Current in Resistor-Inductor Circuits

Steven Sun, Amol Vaidya

PHYS 3214, University of Houston (Dated: February 2, 2012) We investigate resistor-inductor circuits powered by an alternating electromotive source. Two multimeters are compared for accuracy and reliability in measuring an AC signal and the inductors inductance is measured using a third multimeter. This measurement is compared with calculated values of inductance. Half-decay time of the circuit is also directly measured using an oscilliscope and compared with calculated values. The measured half-decay time of the circuit was 6.00.1s, while the calculated value is 7.0 0.00793s. The measured inductance was 10.240.01mH, while the calculated value is 8.140.04mH. The multimeter used to measure the values used in the calculations was a Protek 6500. I. INTRODUCTION

We look at the behavior of resistor-inductor (RL) circuits in an oscillating current by use of a simple circuit containing only a resistor and inductor. The circuit is powered by a signal generator creating a square wave electromotive force (emf). We can also briey evaluate the relative performance of two dierent multimeter models to determine which is better suited for the experiment.

FIG. 1. A current carrying wire wound in helix (a solenoid). An inductor is a solenoid.

I.1.

Theory

the current change, or V =L I t (1)

A potential dierence causes electrons to move from a region of higher to lower potential. Electrons in a conductive material are limited in movement to the material, which forms a track along which they can travel, or, a circuit. Electrons in a circuit are pushed (or pulled) by an electromotive force. This force can be provided by a device which creates a potential dierence in the circuit. Electrons moving in a circuit form a owing current. An electric current will generate a magnetic eld which circles around the axis of the current ow. This magnetic eld will also apply a force on electrons, in a direction perpendicular to both the target electrons direction of travel and the direction of the magnetic eld. If the current is travelling along a wire which is wrapped against a cylindrical shape, the magnetic eld generated by the current will be constant in magnitude and direction inside the cylinder. A current which changes with time will also change the magnetic eld it generates, this changing magnetic eld will itself induce an emf which will oppose the direction of the change in current. This induced potential can also be called a back emf. A current which only ows in one direction is a direct current, one which alternates direction of ow is an alternating current. An alternating current supplied to an inductor will provide the changing current and magnetic eld needed to induce a potential dierence. The induced potential dierence in an inductor is the inductance times

Kirchhos second law states that the overall potential drop across a complete circuit must be zero, such that the potential across the emf must equal the potential across all other elements combined. Therefore, in a simple circuit containing only an emf source, an inductor, and a resistor, the equation for the potentials across all elements is = IR + L I t (2)

Solving for I, then using V = IR to solve for the voltage across the resistorVR gives VR = (1 e-Rt/L ) (3a)

Which, along with the previous equation gives the voltage across the inductor VL = e-Rt/L (3b)

These time-dependent voltages both vary exponentially with time, but their sum stays constant at the emf . The time for the inductors potential to drop to half the maximum value, /2, can be experimentally determined. By solving for equation 3b with VL = /2, we see

2 that the half-decay time t1/2 is t1/2 = L ln2 R (4)

II.2. Method

Which has an uncertainty (t1/2 ) equal to (t1/2 )2 = ( ln2 L L)2 + ( 2 ln2R)2 R R (5)

Where is the uncertainty of each variable, and each value is the average of measurements. The circuit used in this experiment consists of an AC source connected to an inductor, then to a resistor. The equation describing the systems potentials is
2

First set the oscilliscope to channel one, where the oscilliscope voltage terminal plugs were inserted. The function generator was set to 3000Hz in a sinusoidal pattern, with output at 10V. The voltage was read independently on both multimeters, as well as on the oscilliscope. Comparing the two, we see that the Extech is closer in value to the Vrms = V / 2. The function generator is then set to produce square waves. We now see an unreasonable value from the Extech multimeter, and continue the experiment using the Protek. The inductance of the inductor is measured using the Meterman LCR55. The inductors resistance is measured using the Protek, along with resistance of the resistor. We connect the inductor and resistor in series, with the inductor rst from the power source. We rst view the potential across the resistor on the oscilliscope. Then, switching the inductor and resistor elements position in the circuit, we view the oscilliscopes pattern. Sketches are made, then they are returned to the original conguration.

= (IR)2 + (IwL)2

(6)

Which can be solved for the inductance L, giving L= 1 w ( )2 R2 I (7)

Which has an uncertainty (L) of (w)2 + ( I 2 )2 + ( I 2 I)2 + ( R R)2 (L) = (8) w2

2
2

Where is dened = ( )2 R2 I (9)

II.

EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

A simple inductor-resistor circuit was used to carry out this experiment. The inductor was on the scale of 10mH, the resistor on the scale of 1000. The circuit was powered by a signal generator capable of frequencies from 0.5Hz to 5MHz, and an oscilliscope was used to read the potential patterns which the generator created in the circuit. First, a qualitative observation was made of the signal generators patterns, through the resistor and inductor. Then, quantitative measurements of the current, potential and resistances were made using a multimeter or the oscilliscope.

FIG. 2. RL Circuit diagram. Resistor and inductor attached to function generator

II.1.

Materials and Equipment

We used a Protek 6500 AC/DC True RMS multimeter, compared alongside an Extech TRUE RMS MM411. The circuit was powered by a BK Precision 4011A function generator, and read from an Agilent 54621A oscilliscope. The circuit consisted only of one inductor, measured to be 10.240.01mH, and one resistor measured at 989.30.1. The inductance was directly measured using a Meterman LCR55 multimeter.

The half-time delay is calculated from the previously measured values of L and R, and compared with the values determined experimentally using the oscilliscope. The half-decay time was found by nding half the maximum value of the curve, adjusting the horizontal bar on the oscilliscope screen to that value, then adjusting the vertical alignment to determine the time phase between the origin and the half-decay time. The resistor is then removed from the circuit, and the function generator is set to produce a sinusoidal signal. With the oscilliscope removed from the circuit, the potential and current across the inductor are measured. Then the oscillisccope is connected and used to measure the frequency. These values are used to calculate L using equation 7.

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III. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

In the beginning of the experiment, we found that the Extech read a value closer to Vmax / 2, the RMS value.
TABLE I. Sinusoidal signal function read from Protek and Extech multimeters, Vrms = 5.97V.

Trial 1 2 3 Avg

Oscilliscope 8.40V 8.28V 8.28V 8.32V

Protek 5.308V 5.82V 5.284V 5.291V

Extech 6.3V 6.3V 6.4V 6.3V

we had either over accounted for the inductance, or under accounted for resistance. The presence of the oscilliscope can aect the current through the circuit, which in turn may aect the nal results of this part of the experiment. Next we removed the resistor from the circuit, measuring only the inductors potential and current. We calculate the inductance of the inductor using equation 7, and the uncertainty with equation 8. RL as shown in table 2 is used as R. We sketched the oscilliscope patterns which resulted from the RL circuit. The resistor and inductor were measured separately, and had presentations as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

After switching the function generator to a square wave function, the Extech produced numbers far outside the expected range, though in a consistent manner. From this we conclude that the internal circuitry of the Extech, while closer to RMS values, fails to accurately measure the mean potential of a square wave function.
TABLE II. Signal function read from Protek and Extech multimeters

FIG. 3. Resistor in oscilliscope. Max: 6.25V ; Min: -6.25V

The resistor had a maximum potential height of 6.25V and a minimum of -6.25V. The inductors potential had a maximum height of 14.8V and a minimum of -14.6V.

Square function Vrms = 6.03V Trial Oscilliscope Protek Extech 1 8.43V 7.915V 25.1V 2 8.59V 7.914V 25.2V 3 8.59V 7.914V 25.2V Avg 8.54V 7.914V 25.2V
FIG. 4. Inductor in oscilliscope. Max: 14.8V ; Min: -14.6V

Next, we measured L and R with the two elements in series to nd the half-decay time. L and R were measured directly, using a Protek 6500 for R, and the Meterman LCR55 for L. The relevant measurements are shown in Table 3.
TABLE III. Inductance and resistance measurements, with half-decay time calculated. Uncertainty of half-decay time was found using Equation 5.

TABLE IV. Current and potential across the inductor measured by Protek. Frequency as shown on generator.

Trial 1 2 3 Avg Uncert.

L 10.24mH 10.24mH 10.25mH 10.24V 0.0057mH

R 989.0 989.6 989.2 989.3 0.30

RL 24.70 24.63 24.61 24.64 0.047

t1/2 7.00s 6.99s 7.00s 7.00s 7.93ns

Trial 1 2 3 Avg Uncert.

Current Potential Frequency L 292.3A 7.122V 2.9940.005kHz 8.13mH 292.3A 7.125V 2.9940.005kHz 8.14mH 292.4A 7.127V 2.9940.005kHz 8.14mH 292.3A 71.25V 2.994kHz 8.14mH 0.057A 0.0025V 0.005kHz 0.040mH

The calculated value of half-decay time is 7.0 0.00793s, whereas the value was experimentally observed to be 6.00.1s, a 16.6% dierence. The error in the calculation was small, the dierence might be attributed to the error in the oscilliscope. Its also possible

The calculated value of inductance L was 8.140.04mH, compared with the average measured value of 10.240.005mH gives an error of 20.5%, a signicant error percentage. This may be due to several possibilities; that the actual uncertainty in the measured values which were used to calculate the real value was under represented, or that some unaccounted for error in experimental method led to a change in conditions such that the measured values did not represent the current state of the system.

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IV. CONCLUSIONS

This experiment introduced some functions of the oscilliscope, such as discovering the half-decay time of an RL circuit through experimental observation through use of the vertical and horizontal alignment bars in the display. It also showed the time-dependent nature of circuits with inductors or other time-varying elements. Given the simplistic nature of the experiment, it is surprising to see such a large dierence from the expected values in our experiments. However, the unexpected measurements seen from the Extech multimeter does show that lab equipment cannot be seen as infallible instruments. There were large error percentages between the calculated values and experimentally determined values. Another possible reason for the inductance values error is that the formula was derived from the equation of a system containing both a resistor and inductor, however the values used in the calculation were measured from a circuit without the resistor. The error in the half-delay time is smaller, but still in the same range. This consistently large error implies some general error in method either in calculation of expected values, or the experimental execution which produced the observed values.

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Halliday, Resnick. Fundamentals of Physics, 3rd ed. R. Forrest, Error Analysis Presentation 3 D. Griths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd ed.