Computer Science and

Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Partial 1 – Lab assignment 3: Kirchhoff and Ohm’s Laws

NAME: Manuel Ali Macias Saleh Payan ID: A01700630
NAME: Guillermo Pozo Reygadas ID: A01700624
NAME: Juan Luis Ramírez Sanchez ID: A01705151
NAME: ___________________________________________ ID: ____________________

INSTRUCTIONS: In groups of 4 people, work on this assignment. See the “People” section in Canvas to find out who your teammates
are for this assignment. Whenever asked, write down your procedure, including formulas diagrams and calculations, as well as the
corresponding units in the final answers, otherwise your work will not be considered.

ATTENTION! Points will be deducted in the following situations:

a) If procedure is not included in the required situations (analysis and calculations)

b) If electric diagrams are not included (when required)
c) If COMPLETE data (name, ID, date, etc.) is not included above
d) If corresponding units are not included in the answers

OBJECTIVE: to design and implement a circuit that illustrates and verifies Kirchhoff and Ohm’s Laws.
Part 1 - Design
LEDs (acronym for Light Emitting Diode; read as “El-E-Dee”) are electronic components capable of emitting
energy in form of light when a current is passed through their terminals. LEDs exist in various colors, each with
particular electrical characteristics. Red LEDs, for example, have an operating voltage range that goes from
1.8V up to 2.4V, and they can withstand up to 120 mA without being damaged, although a nominal current of
20mA is recommended for normal operation.
The brightness of an LED is directly dependent on how much current it draws. However, too much current (i.e.,
above 120mA), can destroy the diode. If you connect an LED DIRECTLY to a current source, it will try to
dissipate as much power as it’s allowed to draw, but it will most likely reduce its lifetime or worst, destroy
itself, if current is just too much. Thus, it is important to limit the amount of current flowing across the LED.
In order to make an LED work without damage, an alternative is the use of resistors, which will naturally limit
the flow of electrons in the circuit and protect the LED from trying to draw too much current, as well as limit
the voltage.
Consider the circuit shown in figure 1, where a resistor is connected in series with the LED and to a DC voltage
source. When the power is on, current starts flowing from the source from the positive pole, and goes through
the resistor and the LED, and then goes back to the source and on and on continuously.

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Figure 1. Protection circuit to power an LED.

1.1. Ideal values
Considering that the circuit in figure 1 is powered by a 9V power supply, compute the value of the
resistor 𝑅1 to make the LED light with a voltage drop of 2V (which is within its specified operating
range), and run with the recommended nominal current. Use Kirchhoff’s and Ohm’s Laws as needed.
Draw the circuit below and also CLEARLY annotate your calculations (this, is, literally, all your
calculations, equations and explanations must be clear). INCLUDE explanations and/or comments as
necessary. Write down the final values in the corresponding blanks.

Calculations to find the value of the protection resistor

Include your calculations and explanations here (10 pts.):

-9V + VR1 + VL1=0 -9V+

VR1=7V
I=20 mA for normal operation.
VR1=R1*I=7V
R1=350Ω
V2=R2*I=2V
R2=100Ω

Theoretical value of 𝑅1 (2 pts.): Theoretical LED voltage (𝑉𝐿) (2 pts.): Theoretical current value (𝐼) (2 pts.) :
____2V__________ _____20mA_______
_____350Ω_______

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Part 2 – Simulation and Implementation

2.1. Simulating the circuit

Use the Falstad simulator to simulate the circuit shown in figure 1. If everything is properly set, you
should see the current through the LED to be around 20mA, as desired. Paste a picture of the
simulation clearly showing the current through the LED (5 pts.):

2.2. “Implementing” the circuit

Now use Tinkercad to build the circuit in figure 1, using the values computed in part 1. Once you
have it correctly working, your job is to validate Kirchhoff’s Laws by doing some measurements (if
everything is correct, the amount of current that the circuit is demanding should be about 20mA).
IMPORTANT: use the 9V battery from the available power devices to power the circuit. Please
follow the pinout in fig. 2 to properly connect the LED.

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Figure 2. LED pinout.

IMPORTANT: remember to follow these considerations, so everything runs smoothly:

● Build your circuit before you connect to the power supply
● Configure the power supply. Set the voltage to the required value, and set the current limit to
0.1A.
● Make sure that the power supply is OFF before connecting it to your circuit.
● Connect the power supply to your circuit, and turn it ON. If everything is working properly, you
should see in the power supply the amount of current being demanded by the circuit, which in this
case should be approximately 20mA, as desired. Also, you should see the LED light.

(5 pts.) Take a screenshot of your circuit, CLEARLY showing every component (text must be legible):

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

2.3. Measurements
Now, it is time to measure the real values in the circuit. For this, connect the multimeter to measure
the voltage drop in the LED and the current being drawn by it.
Take a screenshot of the measurements and write down the measured value.
(4 pts.) Picture of the measurement (voltage in the LED):

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

(1 pts.) Real LED voltage: __2.07V

Now read the value of the current flowing through the LED and write it down.

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

(5 pts.) Picture of the measurement (current through the LED):

(1 pts.) Real LED current: _19.7 mA________

Part 2 – Error calculation

2.1 In real implementations, normally there will be some differences when comparing the theoretical
values against the real values observed. To know to what extent, please fill in the following table
computing the percentage error of the values in the LED.
(6 pts) Include your calculations for both errors (voltage and current):

Voltage Current
THEORETICAL (2 pts) 2 20
REAL (2 pts) 2.07V 19.7mA
Error (%)(4 pts) 3.5% 1.5%

Part 3 – Closing thoughts

3.1 Answer the following reflection questions
a) (6 pts.) Do the values obtained in the theoretical calculations equal the values observed in the
implementation? Why? Explain giving at least 3 different reasons of such differences, if any.

The differences or as the error as we normally call it of voltage and current are due to the fact that
in the simulator we find different factors that affect this type of measurements, in addition to that
the software simulates a perfect environment for the measurement of these circuits

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

b) What is the minimum value of the resistor that you have to use, so the LED does not surpass the
maximum current, according to the values given in the description at the beginning of this
document? Please include your calculations and explanation, and 4 pictures of the simulation in
Tinkercad, according to the following tables:

Calculations to find the minimum value of the resistance, so the LED does not break
Include your calculations and explanations here to find the minimum value of the resistance (8 pts.):

I=120 mA
-9V+VR1+VR2=0
VR1=R1*I=7V
VR2=R2*I=2V
R1=7V/120mA=58.333mA

Pictures of 4 simulations in Tinkercad, measuring (showing) both the voltage and the current in the LED
(CONNECT TWO MULTIMETERS, one for each variable)
Picture 1, using the ideal, nominal value of the Picture 2, using a resistor with value above the nominal value of the
resistor (2 pts.). Value of resistor used (1 pt.): resistor (2 pts.). Value of resistor used (1 pt.): _____

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Picture 3, using a resistor with value below the nominal Picture 4, using a resistor with the minimum value, when the LED
value of the resistor, but above the minimum value (2 breaks (2 pts.). Value of resistor used (1 pt.): _____
pts.). Value of resistor used (1 pt.): _____

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 Computer Science and
Mechatronics Department
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

What can you conclude from this 4 values in the resistor with respect to the effect in the LED, in
terms of the current and voltage observed? Broadly explain (6 pts.):

At the moment of increasing the resistance, the value of the current and voltage that reached the
led decreased this by Kirchoff's laws and omh where we have that the resistance is inversely
proportional to the voltage that reaches the led

c) When the circuit is running, the voltage source is delivering power to the electrical components
found in it. In turn, each passive component uses (dissipates) an amount of this power.
Using the REAL values measured in number 3, compute the power dissipated through the LED in
form of heat and light (annotate as necessary filling in the table with your calculations):
CALCULATIONS and explanations for the power in the LED
Theoretical Power Real Power % Error
Include your calculations and Include your calculations and Include your calculations and
explanations here (3 pts.): explanations here: (3 pts.) explanations here: (3 pts.)

Theoretical Power (1 pts.): Real Power (1 pts.): % Error (1 pts.):

__________ __________ __________

Part 4 – Conclusions
Write your conclusions on this experiment, elaborating (explaining in detail) on technical and practical aspects,
as well as teamwork (6 pts.):
Thanks to this practice we were able to put into practice a little more about the law of ohm and kirchhoff, in
addition we were able to see the variations of current and voltage when it is subjected to a resistance. We
observe that the theoretical results are only an approximation to life This is real due to the different conditions
or aspects that affect the circuit which are not taken into account in the theoretical problems.

10Roberto Hernández – [email protected]