Laboratory Work # 3: Meters, DC Sources and DC Circuits with Resistors

1. Equivalent resistances

For each of the simple resistive circuits shown below in Figures 1 and 2:

a. Build the resistor network as shown in the first part of each figure.

b. Calculate the equivalent resistance of the network with respect to the two terminals.
Use the nominal values of the resistors.

c. Use the ohm-meter (multimeter) to measure the equivalent resistance at the two
terminals.

d. Connect the voltage source to the resistor network as shown, with the voltage set
to the listed value. Connect the ammeter (multimeter) in series with the source.

e. Turn on the voltage source and measure the source current with the ammeter
(multimeter).

f. Turn off the source and remove the ammeter (multimeter) from the circuit.
Reconnect the source to the circuit.

g. Turn the source on again. Use the voltmeter (multimeter) to measure the voltage
across resistor R1, and calculate the current through R1. Of course, this is the
source current and should have the same value as measured above using the
ammeter (multimeter).

h. Calculate the expected value of the source current and compare to the measured
values. Calculate the power being generated by the source, which is the same as the
power being dissipated in the resistors.

R1 R4 1 kΩ

1 kΩ
R3 10 kΩ R6
Req

1 kΩ
R2 R5

5 kΩ 5 kΩ
Figure 1a: Resistor network to be measured with ohm-meter (multimeter).

1
 IS R1 R4 1 kΩ

1 kΩ
VS +
R3 10 kΩ R6

12V ̶ 1 kΩ
R2 R5

5 kΩ 5 kΩ
Figure 1b: Same Resistor network with voltage source attached.

R1 1 kΩ R3 5 kΩ R5 4 kΩ

R2 R6
Req R4
R7

3 kΩ
10 kΩ
1 kΩ 7 kΩ

Figure 2a: Resistor network to be measured with ohm-meter (multimeter).

2
 R1 1 kΩ R3 5 kΩ R5 4 kΩ

VS
+ R2 R6
R7
_ R4 1 kΩ
15V 3 kΩ 10 kΩ
7 kΩ

Figure 2b: Same Resistor network with voltage source attached.

2. Dividers
Build the simple voltage divider circuit shown in Fig. 3. Use the voltmeter (multimeter) to measure
the voltages across the source and across each of the three resistors. Use a voltage divider
calculation to determine the expected voltage across each resistor. Compare the expected values
to the measured values.

R1 1 kΩ

+ _

+ VR1
VS
+ R2
_ VR2
VR3 _
15V 5 kΩ
_
+

R3 7 kΩ
Figure 3: Voltage divider circuit.

Next, build the simple circuit shown in Fig. 4, which contains a three-branch current divider. Use
the ammeter (multimeter) to measure the current from the source (i. e. current through resistor RS)
and the current through each of the resistors R1, R2, and R3. Then use the voltmeter (multimeter)
to measure the voltages across each of the four resistors, and use Ohm’s law to calculate IS, IR1,
IR2, and IR3. Calculate the equivalent resistance of the entire resistor network, and use the result to
calculate the expected source current. Use a current divider calculation to determine the expected
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current through each resistor. Compared the expected values to the measured values.

IS
RS 10 kΩ

VS +
R1 R2 R3

_
IR3
15V 10 kΩ IR1 15 kΩ IR2 22 kΩ

Figure 4: Current divider circuit.

3. Limitations in using the voltmeter

Build the simple two-resistor voltage divider shown in Fig. 5. Note the very large values of the
resistors being used.

R1 10 MΩ
_
+
VS + VR1
+ R2
_ VR2
_
5V 10 MΩ

Figure 5: Two-resistor voltage divider.

Measure the voltage across each of the resistors. Use a voltage-divider calculation to determine
the expected values. (It should be a trivial calculation.) In comparing the measured results to the
expected results, you should see an obvious discrepancy.
What is going on? You are seeing a non-ideal effect of the multimeter. When you connect a
multimeter (voltmeter, ammeter, ohm-meter, or whatever) into a circuit, you are adding another
component to the circuit — the presence of the multimeter changes the circuit. If the multimeters

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 were ideal, they would have no effect. But they are not ideal, and in some circumstances, those
non-ideal aspects show up in your measurements. An ideal voltmeter (multimeter) or ohm-meter
(multimeter) should behave like a true open-circuit (infinite resistance), with no current flowing
into the multimeter itself, but, in practice, there will be a small trickle of current. So when we
use the multimeter to measure a voltage, a tiny bit of current is drawn off from the rest of the
circuit. We can represent this as an effective resistance (or input resistance) of the multimeter,
and it is usually in the range of several mega-ohms.
Use the results of the measurements from the divider circuit to Fig. 5 to calculate the effective
resistance of the voltmeter (multimeter).

4. Limitations in using the ammeter

IS
RS 5 kΩ

VS +
R1 R2
_
IR1 IR2
5V 100 kΩ 100 kΩ

Figure 6: Two-resistor current divider.

Use the ammeter (multimeter) to measure IS and then the currents in R1 and R2. The
measurements won’t seem to make much sense with Kirchhoff’s current law. Again, this
happens because the ammeter is not ideal. In the case of the ammeter, which must be
connected in series with a branch of the circuit, the ideal behavior would be that of a perfect
short circuit – current would flow through with no voltage drop. However, in a real ammeter
(multimeter), there will be a small voltage developed across the terminals, and so the ammeter
(multimeter) acts as if you connected a small value resistor in series with the other
components in the branch. The effective resistance of a typical ammeter is in the range of a
few tens of ohms.
Use the measurements from Fig. 6 to calculate the effective resistance of the ammeter
(multimeter). Measure the current in each branch again, using the “voltmeter + Ohm’s law”
method. The measurements should make sense this time. Explain why the indirect method of
measuring the voltage seems to work, when the direct method of measuring the current did
not. Repeat the entire experiment using PSpice and compare the outcome with the above
theoretical and experimental results.