Laboratory Ohm’s Law in the Lab

Activity 2
Names: _____________________________________________________________________________
Section: ________________ Date: ___________________ Score: ________
Refer ence: Exper im ent 8 Resist or s in Ser ies and in Par allel fr om DLSU-T aft and PNU-Manila

Objectives:
1. To determine the appropriate range of VOM in confirming Ohm’s Law
experimentally;
2. To relate current, v oltage, and resistance; and
3. To measure current, v oltage, and resistance using VOM.
Materials:
- Volt-Ohm-Milliammeter (VOM)
- Breadboard
- Copper w ires and/or alligator clips
- Three banded resistors
- Dry cell (3 V) or pow er supply
- Glov es
- Pliers and/or cutter
Theory
Electric current is the amount of the charge per unit time that passes through
an imaginary surface that is perpendicular to the motion of the charges. The SI unit of
electric current is Coulomb per second referred to as Ampere (A) after the French
mathematician André-Marie Ampere (1755-1836).
The ratio of electric potential difference and electric current giv es the
resistance. Many substances offer constant resistance at different v alues of v oltage
and current at constant temperature. These substances are called ohmic materials
and said to obey the Ohm’s Law .
A Georg Simon Ohm discov ered that the resistance of many conductors e.g.
metals are constant at v arying v oltages and currents. He further claimed that the
v alue of the v oltage and direction of current do not affect the resistance offered by
these conductors.
At constant v oltage, the electric current is giv en by I = (V/R). The amount of
current can be measured using an ammeter connected in the circuit in series. I n the
activ ity, the v alidity of the relationship of current and resistance giv en by the Ohm’s
Law w ill be tested. I n computing for the percent difference betw een the measured
and computed v alues of each v ariable, use the formula bellow ;
|𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 − 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒|
% 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 𝑥 100%
𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 + 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
2
Procedure
I. Measuring Current and Voltage of Resistors in Series
1. Connect the resistors in series with the 3V battery, copper wires/alligator clips,
breadboard. Draw your circuit on the data sheet.
2. Set the VOM to ammeter reading. Please be careful in choosing the range.
Measure the current that passes through the first resistor by connecting the
VOM in series w ith respect to the dev ice w hose current is being measured.
3. Repeat step 2 in measuring the current of tw o other resistors. Make three trials
for each measurement and get the av erage. Record your measurements on
the data sheet.
4. Set the VOM to v oltmeter reading. Please be careful in choosing the range.
Measure the v oltage across the first resistor by connecting the v oltmeter in
parallel w ith respect to the dev ice w hose v oltage is being measured.
5. Repeat step 4 in measuring the v oltage of tw o other resistors. Make three trials
for each measurement and get the av erage. Record your measurements on
the data sheet.
6. Compute for the v oltage and current of each resistor using the concept of
series connection of resistors. Use Ohm’s Law in computing for the indiv idual
v oltages and currents of the resistors. Use the space prov ided in the data
sheet for the computation.
 7. Compute for the percent difference betw een the computed v alues and
av erage of all the measured v alues using the formula discussed abov e.

II. Measuring Current and Voltage of Resistors in Parallel

1. Connect the resistors in parallel w ith the 3V battery, copper w ires/alligator
clips, breadboard. Draw your circuit on the data sheet.
2. Set the VOM to ammeter reading. Please be careful in choosing the range.
Measure the current that passes through the first resistor by connecting the
VOM in series w ith respect to the dev ice w hose current is being measured.
3. Repeat step 2 in measuring the current of tw o other resistors. Make three trials
for each measurement and get the av erage. Record your measurements on
the data sheet.
4. Set the VOM to v oltmeter reading. Please be careful in choosing the range.
Measure the v oltage across the first resistor by connecting the v oltmeter in
parallel w ith respect to the dev ice w hose v oltage is being measured.
5. Repeat step 4 in measuring the v oltage of tw o other resistors. Make three trials
for each measurement and get the av erage. Record your measurements on
the data sheet.
6. Compute for the v oltage and current of each resistor using the concept of
series connection of resistors. Use Ohm’s Law in computing for the indiv idual
v oltages and currents of the resistors. Use the space prov ided in the data
sheet for the computation.
7. Compute for the percent difference betw een the computed v alues and
av erage of all the measured v alues using the formula discussed abov e.
 Laboratory Ohm’s Law in the Lab
Activity 2
Names: _____________________________________________________________________________
Section: ________________ Date: ___________________ Score: ________
Refer ence: Exper im ent 8 Resist or s in Ser ies and in Par allel fr om DLSU-T aft and PNU-Manila

DATA SHEET
Resistors in Series Connection

Table1.a. Measuring the Current of Resistors in Series Connection

Measured Values (mA) Computed %
Resistors Values Difference
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
(mA)
R1 =
R2 =
R3 =
R4 =
R5 =

Table1.b. Measuring the Current of Resistors in Series Connection

Resistors Measured Values (V) Computed %
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average Values (V) Difference
R1 =
R2 =
R3 =
R4 =
R5 =

Resistors in Parallel Connection

Table 2.a. Measuring the Current of Resistors in Parallel Connection

Measured Values (mA) Computed %
Resistors Values Difference
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
(mA)
R1 =
R2 =
R3 =
R4 =
R5 =
Table1.b. Measuring the Current of Resistors in Parallel Connection
Resistors Measured Values (V) Computed %
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average Values (V) Difference
R1 =
R2 =
R3 =
R4 =
R5 =

Computations: (You may use additional paper/s if necessary)

Guide Questions:
1. Observ e the current that pass through the resistors connected in series, are they the
same? I f not, w hat do you think is/are the source/s of this difference in v alues?

2. Are the v oltages along the resistors connected in series the same? Why or w hy not?

3. Are the computed and measured v alues for both current and v oltages in series
connection the same? Why or w hy not?

4. What can you say on the v oltages across the resistors connected in parallel, are they
the same? Why or w hy not?

5. Are the currents on each resistor the same? Why or w hy not?

6. Are the computed and measured v alues for both current and v oltages the same? Why
or Why not?
7. Do the experimental results able to v erify the Ohm’s Law ? Why or w hy not?

Conclusion:

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