Parallel Circuits

Lab 14

Parallel Circuits

Purpose

To use the reciprocal rule to figure out the total resistance of parallel circuits.

Procedure

 First step was to identify six resistors. After we identified four resistors ranging from 1kΩ to 1000kΩ. Once we identified the resistors we then measured all resistors to fill Table14-1.

After we measured and identified the resistors, we then started to build our parallel circuit. We prepared the breadboard by connecting the resistors in parallel. We first measured the highest two resistors and then added other resistors down the breadboard to end up with five resistors in parallel. For ever resistor added we filled out the corresponding cell in table 14-2.

For the next part of the experiment we picked two resistors and we measured and then calculated the values of resistance. This part of the experiment filled out table 14-3.

The last part of the lab required us to take the sixth resistor, which was an one Megaohm resistor, and measure the resistor by holding the resistor on both ends. While we held the resistor, the resistance increased.  We then filled in Table 14-5. After we measured the resistor with holding the resistor on both ends then we conducted the same experiment without holding the resistor on both ends. Instead of the holding the resistor on both ends, we places the resistor on the beardboard.

Observations

When we performed the lab on October 9, 2015 we observed different nominal values of resistors than what was specified in the lab. We skipped over table 14-4 in our lab because we were instructed not to do this section. One thing we noticed was in the last section while we were holding the resistor if you slide your finger towards the resistor the resistance level increased.