Experiment 5: Combination of Resistors

Abstract 2. Theory
The value of the resistance is often denoted
with color codes. Practically all leaded
1. Introduction resistors with a power rating up to one watt
There are many different types of are marked with color bands. The color code
Resistor available which can be used in both is specified by several bands. The first two
electrical and electronic circuits to control bonds denote the number for the mantissa,
the flow of current or to produce a voltage the third signifies the band multiplier (power
drop in many different ways. But in order to of 10), and the fourth exemplifies the band
do this the actual resistor needs to have tolerance. Table 1 below demonstrates the
some form of “resistive” or “resistance” color of the bands and its corresponding
value. Resistors are available in a range of values.
different resistance values from fractions of
an Ohm ( Ω ) to millions of Ohms. Table 1. Resistor Color Codes
An international and universally
accepted resistor colour code scheme was
developed many years ago as a simple and
quick way of identifying a resistors ohmic
value no matter what its size or condition. It
consists of a set of individual coloured rings
or bands in spectral order representing each
digit of the resistors value. Components and
wires are coded with colors to identify their
value and function. The colors brown, red,
green, blue, and violet are used as tolerance
codes on 5-band resistors only. All 5-band Resistors are in series when the current
resistors use a colored tolerance band. The flows through the devices consecutively.
resistor colour code markings are always Figure 1 shows the three resistors in series
read one band at a time starting from the left connected to a voltage source (left) and the
to the right, with the larger width tolerance equivalent single resistance (right). This
band oriented to the right side indicating its implies that there is only one path for the
tolerance. By matching the colour of the first charges to flow through, hence the current is
band with its associated number in the digit the same through each resistor. The
column of the colour chart below the first equivalent resistance of resistors in a series
digit is identified and this represents the first connection is then equal to the sum of the
digit of the resistance value. individual resistances and algebraically
This experiment aims to determine speaking Req=R1+R2+R3. The current
the resistance by standard color code and by through the circuit depends on the voltage
the voltmeter-ammeter method, then to supplied by the voltage source and the
verify the laws on series or parallel resistors. resistance of the resistors. A potential drop
This will then be used to compare the happens for each resistor that is equal to the
hardness of different brands of bottled water loss of electric potential energy as current
based on its conductivity. travels through each resistor. The sum of the
potential drop of each resistor and the
voltage supplied by the voltage source
should equal to zero.

Figure 2. Three resistors connected in

parallel to a voltage source and its
equivalent resistance.

Conductivity is a measure of the capacity of

water to pass through an electrical current.
Conductivity is affected by temperature
wherein the warmer the water, the higher the
conductivity.

3. Methodology
Figure 1. Three resistors connected in The materials used for this experiment were
series to a voltage source and its three resistors, a multimeter, a breadboard,
equivalent resistance. connecting wires, a conductivity sensor, and
water samples.
Figure 2 below shows three resistors in
A. Determination of Resistance
parallel and the equivalent parallel
Determine the value of the three resistors
resistance when reduced. Resistors are in
using the color code.
parallel if each resistor is connected directly
to the voltage therefore each resistor has the
full voltage of the source applied to it. Each Color Digit Multiplier
resistor draws equal current if it is connected
to the voltage source. The sum of the Black 0 1
currents flowing into a junction must be
equal to the sum of the currents flowing out Brown 1 10
of the junction: Red 2 102
∑Iin=∑Iout Orange 3 103
This equation is signified to as Kirchhoff’s Yellow 4 104
junction rule which gives I=I1+I2+ I3. The
voltage across the resistors in parallel are the Green 5 105
same and denoted as V=V1=V2= V3. The
equivalent resistance Req of a parallel Blue 6 106
connection is equal to
Violet 7 107

Gray 8 108

White 9 109

Gold 10-1
 are measured in series and in parallel. Three
Silver 10-2
resistors were experimentally measured.

The fourth band on the resistor indicates the R1= 100 ± 0.05 (10) Ω
precision of the value: +/- 20% if none, +/- R2= 220 ± 0.05 (22) Ω
10% if silver, +/- 5% if gold. R3= 330 ± 0.05 (33) Ω

B. Resistors in Series Resistors in Series

1. Arrange the three resistors in series, then
connect to a DC source
Voltage (V) Current (I)
2. Using a multimeter, measure the current
and the voltage drop across each resistor. R1 1.266 0.014
3. Measure the total current It, and total
voltage Vt, across the combination of R2 2.762 0.014
resistors.
4. Compute for the experimental resistance R3 4.187 0.014
Rt by dividing Vt by It.
5. Compute for the theoretical value of total RT 8.19 0.014
resistance.
Experimenta 585 Ω
6. Compute for the % error
l RT
C. Resistors in Parallel Theoretical 650 Ω
1. Arrange the three resistors in parallel, RT
then connect to a DC source.
2. Repeat steps 2-6 of Part B. % Error 10 %

D. Series/Parallel Resistors
1. Connect R1 parallel to R2. Resistors in Parallel
2. Connect R3 in series to the parallel
combination of R1 and R2. Voltage (V) Current (I)
3. Repeat steps 2-6 of Part B
R1 8.18 0.084
E. Water Hardness
1. Connect the conductivity sensor and the R2 8.18 0.039
data collection interface. R3 8.18 0.026
2. Submerge the tip of the sensor into a
sample of water. Record the conductivity RT 8.18 0.141
reading.
3. Determine the conductivity of other Experimenta 58.01 Ω
samples of water for comparison. l RT
4. Determine the water hardness of the
sample. Theoretical 56.9 Ω
RT
4. Results and Discussion
% Error 1.95 %
This experiment allows the students to learn
the principles regarding resistors: how they Series/ Parallel Resistors
 Voltage (V) Current (I) 6. Applications

R1 1.41 0.020 1. What are the laws of series resistors?

Of parallel resistors? Are these laws
R2 1.41 0.017 verified in your experiment?
Ohm’s Law - Ohm's law states that
R3 6.79 0.022 the voltage (V) across a resistor is
proportional to the current (I), where
RT 8.20 0.022 the constant of proportionality is the
Experimenta 372.73 Ω resistance (R). Series and parallel
l RT resistors - The total resistance of
resistors connected in series is the
Theoretical 398.75 Ω sum of their individual resistance
RT values. The total resistance of
resistors connected in parallel is the
% Error 6.52 % reciprocal of the sum of the
reciprocals of the individual
resistors. Power dissipation - where
Hardness of water
V (volts) is the voltage across the
resistor and I (amps) is the current
flowing through it. Using Ohm's law,
Sample Conductivity Hardness the two other forms can be derived.
Water This power is converted into heat
which must be dissipated by the
1 148 µS/cm very hard resistor's package before its
temperature rises excessively.
2 626 µS/cm moderately
hard
2. You have 4 identical resistors, each
3 637 µS/cm moderately with a resistance of 5 ohms. Show all
hard possible values of resistance that you
can get using all for series.
If you put all four resistors in
parallel, the total resistance is 5/4 =
5. Conclusion 1.25 ohm if you put them in series,
you get 20 ohms (4 times 5 ohms).
Ohm’s law is the guiding equation for this put 2 of them in series and another 2
experiment. V= IR can be used as an in series and then put the two strings
indication of what behavior can a voltage, in parallel, you get a parallel
resistance, or capacitor behave in a series or combination of two 10 ohm resistors,
parallel circuit. The total voltage in a series the net resistance is 5 ohms Put 3 in
is the sum of all the voltage drop in the series and the fourth in parallel,
circuit. The voltage in a parallel circuit, on 15*5/(15+5) = 3.75 ohms Put 2 in
the other hand, remains constant. This series and in series with the parallel
behavior can be deduced from ohm’s law, as combination of the last two = 12.5
well as the values and proportionality of ohms put 2 in parallel (2.5 ohms) and
both the current and resistance in a circuit.
 put 2 in series (10 ohms) and put 5. Dry skin will have a high resistance
these two strings in parallel for 2 but damp or wet skin will have low
ohms (2.5)(10)/(2.5+ 10) = 2 Lastly resistance. Why?
put 3 in parallel and the fourth in The resistance of human skin varies
series with the parallel combination from person to person and fluctuates
= 6.666 ohms between different times of the day.
Dry skin has very high resistance -
3. As more doors are opened in a approximately 100,000 ohms. The
crowded room, the resistance to resistance of wet skin is low - 1000
motion of people tring to leave the ohms or less. Therefore, the current
room is reduced. How is this similar in wet skin can be several times
to what happens when more greater than the current in dry skin.
branches are added to a parallel So, the higher the current, the more
circuit? likely it is lethal.
The more branches you add to a
parallel circuit (the more things you 6. What factors affect the hardness of
plugin) the lower the total resistance water? What is the effect of hardness
becomes. Remember that as the total of water to health?
resistance decreases, the total current Exposure to hard water has been
increases. So, the more things your suggested to be a risk factor that
plugin, the more current has to flow could exacerbate eczema. The
through the wiring in the wall. environment plays an important part
in the etiology of atopic eczema, but
4. Are household circuits normally specific causes are unknown.
wired in series or in parallel? Why? Numerous factors have been
If appliances are paired in a parallel associated with eczema flare-up,
arrangement, they can be including dust, nylon, shampoo,
independently turned on and off. sweating, swimming, and wool. A
This is an essential feature in the suggested explanation relative to
wiring of a home. Also, if the hard water is that increased soap
appliances were wired in series, the usage in hard water results in metal
potential difference would vary or soap salt residues on the skin (or
across each device depending on the on clothes) that are not easily rinsed
device's resistance. off and that leads to contact irritation
7. References:

When appliances are connected in a [1] Allaboutcircuits. (n.d.). Resistor Color

parallel arrangement, each of them Codes. Retrieved from
can be put on and off independently. https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/r
This is a feature that is essential in a eference/chpt-2/resistor-color-codes/
house's wiring. Also, if the
appliances were wired in series, the [2] Archive. (n.d.). Resistor Color Codes.
potential difference across each Retrieved from
appliance would vary depending on https://archive.epa.gov/water/archive/web/h
the resistance of the appliance. tml/vms59.html
http://www.resistorguide.com/resistor-color-
code/
[3] Opentextbc. (n.d.). Resistors in Series
and Parallel. Retrieved from
https://opentextbc.ca/physicstestbook2/chapt
er/resistors-in-series-and-parallel/

[4] Resistor Guide. (n.d.). Resistor Color

Codes. Retrieved from
http://www.resistorguide.com/resistor-color-
code/