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Profound analysis of voltage, current and

resistance in series and in parallel circuits using the


principles of Ohms Law
M.G. Reyes1, J.G. Ilejay1, P. Valdez3, A. Verdillo2, M.G. Macarubbo4, G. Cua1
1 School of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering
2 School of Civil, Environmental and Geological Engineering
3 School of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry
4 School of Manufacturing Engineering

Abstract
Studying the basics of electronics are very important to almost all field in the industry
especially now that we are at a modern age. This experiment revolves around the simple concept
of electronics, involving voltage, current and resistance. The relationship between the three is
governed by the formula V=IR, from the Ohms law. The objective is to determine the total
current flowing through a series and parallel circuit, the voltage across each resistors, and the
current flowing through a series and parallel circuit. It also aims to investigate the relationship
between voltages across each resistor and the total voltage and the relationship between current
flowing through each resistor and total current. To obtain the objectives, we used resistance
boxes, 1.2 batteries, connecting wires, VOM, and ammeter; we create a set up that portrays the
two parts of the experiment. In the first part, the circuit created was connected in series and in the
second part it is connected in parallel. After the experiment was done, the values of voltages for
the parallel circuit across each resistance were recorded as 6.17V; the current flowing were
0.02A for the first and second resistance, 0.04A for the third resistance. Thus, proving that if the
circuit is in series the current would be constant, otherwise, if it is in parallel the voltage would
be constant. Sources of error like inaccurate readings from VOM, mistakenly placed wires and a
not so constant temperature were considered in analyzing the data gathered.
I. Introduction
The use of electronics is ubiquitous,
we use various devices that applies
electronics to accomplish specific tasks in
our lives. There are many components of an
electronic circuit, but the three fundamental
components are the resistor, voltage, and
current. The two simplest ways to connect
these components are through series and
parallel. Components connected in series are
connected along a single path, so the same

current flows through all of the components.


Components connected in parallel are
connected with multiple pathways so the
same voltage is applied to each component.
[1]

The relationship that exists between


current, resistance, and voltage is governed
by the Ohms Law. Ohms Law states that
the potential difference across a particular
sample of material is proportional to the
current provided that the temperature and

other properties of the material remain


constant. [2] When resistors are connected in
series, only one current flows making the
current constant for all the resistor in the
circuit. When resistors are in parallel, the
voltage across each individual resistor is
equal to the voltage across the battery. [3]
In this this experiment, we determine
the total current flowing through a series and
parallel circuit, the voltage across each
resistors, and the current flowing through a
series and parallel circuit. We also
investigate the relationship between voltages
across each resistor and the total voltage and
the relationship between current flowing
through each resistor and total current.

circuit at points: A, B, C, D. It must also be


noted that in measuring the current turn the
selector knob so that it points to the desired
range of current. The equivalent resistance
must be determined. Lastly, the value of the
total current flowing through the circuit and
the current flowing through each resistor and
voltages across each resistor using
equivalent resistance and the measured
voltage ( V DA across the batteries will be
computed using Ohms Law and rules for
series circuit. Same procedures would be
followed for the part two of the experiment,
in which the resistors were connected in
parallel. The batteries were connected
differently and it is illustrated in figure 306-

II. Methodology
The materials needed in order to
obtain the objectives of these experiment
were resistance boxes, 1.2 batteries,
connecting wires, VOM, and ammeter. For
the first part of the experiment the resistors
were connected in series. We then connected
the five batteries as shown in figure 306-1.

Figure 306-2 Actual image of Parallel Circuit Set-up

2.
III. Results and Discussion

Using three resistors, the circuit was built by


connecting the wires. The VOM was
connected across the resistors one at a time
to
measure
the
voltages:
V AB ,V BC , V CD ,V DA . It must be noted
that in measuring voltage turn the selector
knob so that it points to the desired range of
voltage. The VOM was connected to the

Figure 306-1 Actual image of Series Circuit Set-up

Resistance 1 (R1),

100

Resistance 2 (R2),

100

Resistance 3 (R3),

100

Total Resistance (RT),

Total Voltage (VEA), V

300
6.2

TABLE 306-1: SERIES CIRCUIT


Voltage Across
Resistance 1, V
Voltage Across
Resistance 2, V
Voltage Across
Resistance 3, V
Current Flowing
through
Resistance 1, A
Current Flowing
through
Resistance 2, A
Current Flowing
through
Resistance 3, A
Total Current, A
Percentage
Difference

Experimental

Computed

2.06

2.0933

2.06

2.0933

2.06

2.0933

0.02

0.0209

0.02

0.0209

0.02

0.0209

0.02

0.0209
4.56%

The table above shows the values of


the resistance that weve used
in the
experiment. Table 306-1 shows the summary
of data that weve collected in our
experiment. The second column is for the
experimental value while the third column is
for the computed value. The two values will
be used in checking the validity of the
experiment. If the values produce in the
second column were close to the values in
the third column, which means there is small
percent difference, we could say that our
experiment agrees with the theory.

The results of the experiment agrees


with the theory. As we can see on the table
306-1, the current is the same for the entire
circuit which follows that when resistors are
connected in series, only one current flows
making the current constant for all the
resistor in the circuit. When resistors are
connected in series their combined
resistance is equal to the individual
resistances added together.[4] But we could
also observe that the voltage in table 306-1
doesnt change, the reason for that is just
because the values that we set for all the
resistance are the same. We set the value 100
ohms for each resistance producing 2.06 V,
but if we try to change the value of the
resistance we could see that the voltage will
change but the current will remain the same.
We compared the results in our experiment
to the actual values, the actual value come
from the computation using the formula
V=IR. The percent error is 4.56% which is
acceptable. The causes of this error will be
discussed on the latter part of the paper.
Resistance 1 (R1),

Resistance 2 (R2),

Resistance 3 (R3),

Total Resistance
(RT),
Total Voltage
(VEA), V

500
250
150
78.9
5
6.17

TABLE 306-2: PARALLEL CIRCUIT


Voltage Across
Resistance 1, V
Voltage Across
Resistance 2, V
Voltage Across
Resistance 3, V

Experimental

Computed

6.17

6.17

6.17

6.17

6.17

6.17

Current Flowing
through
Resistance 1, A

0.02

0.0123

Current Flowing
through
Resistance 2, A

0.02

0.0247

Current Flowing
through
Resistance 3, A

0.04

0.0411

Total Current, A

0.08

0.0782

Percentage
Difference

0.37%

In table 306-2, we could observe that


the voltage is constant for the whole circuit,
it is governed by the principle that when
resistors are in parallel, the voltage across
each individual resistor is equal to the
voltage across the battery. The value that we
got for the voltages of each resistance
appeared to be the same, 6.17V while the
current flowing through each resistance
were 0.02A for the first and second resistor
and 0.04 for the third resistor. Comparing
again the results that the Volt-Ohm meter
displayed and the actual values that we
computed, we could say that principle is
valid since the percent error that we got is
just 0.37%.
The results of this experiment was
also compared to various previous
experiments that governs the principle of
Ohms Law. The experiment of Heaston
produces data that was complementary with
our results. They also connected the circuits
in parallel and in series, but the difference
was they used other materials like light bulb
and digital multimeters. [6] The voltage
across their resistors was also constant when
they connected the circuit in parallel and
when they connected their circuit in series,
the current became the constant.

Figure 306-3 Graph of the Current of the


Series Circuit and Parallel Circuit

The results of the experiment also


tell us that resistance, current and voltage
has a relationship depending on what type of
circuit is it either parallel or series circuit.
But we could also see that the resistance is
directly proportional to the voltage but
inversely proportional to the resistance. A
comparison of the current produced
depending on the type of connection was
shown in figure 306-3. The blue line is the
graph for the current in series circuit, the
graph was just a straight line because just
like what is said earlier, it is constant; the
orange line if for the parallel circuit, the
graph shows that the current is increasing
every resistance.
For some materials, the resistance is
constant no matter how much voltage is
applied across it. These materials are said to
obey Ohm's Law. Since the resistance (R) is
constant, a plot of voltage (V) vs. current (i)
yields a straight line for these materials.[5]
The sources of errors in this
experiment includes the inaccurate readings
from the VOM. The resistance also was only
set by us, so there is a possibility that there
would be some discrepancies affected by the
value that is set. At the recommended
resistance values, there will still be a small
amount of measurement error due to the
impact of the meter, but not enough to
cause serious disagreement with calculated
values. [7] The wires could also be
mistakenly placed because we just followed
the figure that is in our laboratory manual,
and the figure is quite unclear. From the
principle of Ohms law it was stated that
temperature and other properties of the
material must remain constant, so the
inconsistent temperature might also affected
the results of our experiment.

IV. Conclusions
In a series circuit, each device is
connected in a manner such that there is
only one pathway by which charge can
traverse the external circuit while a parallel
circuit, each device is placed in its own
separate branch.
After the experiment was done all
the objectives were met. We are able to
determine the total current flowing through a
series and parallel circuit, the total current
that we got for the part one of the
experiment is 0.02A and for the part two we
got 0.02A. We deduce that in a series circuit
the total current is also equivalent to the
individual current applied in each resistance,
while in a series circuit the total current is
equivalent to the sum of all the current per
resistance. The voltage across the battery
and the voltage across each resistor is the
same if the circuit is in parallel but if the
circuit is in series, the sum of the voltage for
each resistor is the voltage across the
battery.
This experiment is also valid because
when we compared the data that weve
gathered here to the actual value, the percent
errors were less than five percent. That
implies that our experiment agrees with the
original theory, which is the Ohms Law.
Thus, after all those information
were inferred, we can conclude that the
behavior of the parameters, current and
voltage, in series and parallel circuits are
exactly opposite with one another.
For recommendations in conducting
the experiment, it is important to check if
the connections of wires are correct. To
check that, we could apply the concepts in
the theory. The sources of errors would be
lessen if that would be done.

Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere
appreciation and gratitude to my instructor
in physics laboratory, Prof. Michael Andrei
Paguio, for his exceptional help during the
performance of this experiment. I would
also like to thank my professor in physics
lecture, Engr. Resmond Reao for teaching
me the concept about parallel and series
circuit. To the lab assistants, Mang Gerry
and Mang Jose, thank you for providing us
knowledge on how to use the laboratory
apparatuses and for letting us lend those.
Last but not the least; I would like to thank
God, my Creator, for guiding and providing
me with enough knowledge and wisdom in
order to understand the concepts of circuits,
to conduct the experiment, and to make this
scientific paper. To God be the glory.
References
[1] Soclof, S., (January 21 2008). How
Circuits
Work.
Retrieved
from
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ental/energy/circuit5.htm
[2] Young, H. & Freedman, R., (2011).
University Physics. Australia, NWS:
Pearson.
[3] Parks, J., (August 2007). Ohms Law III
-- Resistors in Series and Parallel. Retrieved
from
http://www.phys.utk.edu/labs/ohms
%20law%20series%20parallel
%20resistors.pdf
[4] cdac.olabs.co.in,. (2011). Verification of
Ohm's Law. Retrieved 2 July 2015, from
cdac.olabs.co.in/?
sub=74&brch=9&sim=75&cnt=2

[5] (2013). Ohm's Law. Retrieved from

[7] EETech Media. (2010). Basic Concepts

http://www.physics.smu.edu/~scalise/emma

and

nual/ohm/lab.html

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/ex

[6] Heaston, W., Ohms Law Experiment.


Physics221.

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Equipment.

Retrieved

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