55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Homework Assignment 02

Question 1 (Short Takes), 2 points each.

1. An op-amp has input bias current 𝐼𝐵 = 1 𝜇A. Make an estimate for the input offset current
𝐼𝑂𝑆 .

Answer. 𝐼𝑂𝑆 is normally an order of magnitude smaller than 𝐼𝐵 . Thus, 𝐼𝑂𝑆 = 100 nA is a
reasonable estimate.

2. True or false. For both the inverting and noninverting op-amp configurations, 𝑉𝑂𝑆 results in
an output offset voltage 𝑉𝑂𝑆 (1 + 𝑅2 ⁄𝑅1 ).

Answer. True
3. An inverting op-amp amplifier is designed with 𝑅1 = 1K and 𝑅𝐹 = 39K. What value of
resistance should be placed in series with the noninverting input terminal for bias current
compensation.

Answer
R c = R1 ||R F = 975Ω

4. What is the impedance of a 0.1 𝜇F capacitor at 𝑓 = 1 kHz?

(a) ≈ −𝑗1.6 × 103 Ω

(b) 𝑗10 × 103 Ω
(c) ≈ +𝑗1.6 × 103 Ω
(d) −1.6 × 103 Ω
(e) 10K

Answer: 𝑍𝐶 = −𝑗⁄(2𝜋𝑓𝐶) = −𝑗⁄(2𝜋 × 1 × 103 × 0.1 × 10−6 ) = − 𝑗1.592K. Thus, (a) is

the answer.

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

5. What is the impedance of a 10 mH inductor 𝑓 = 100 kHz?

(a) 1 × 103 Ω
(b) 𝑗6.28K
(c) −𝑗(6.2.8 × 103 Ω)
(d) −6.28 × 103 Ω
(e) 1K

Answer: 𝑍𝐶 = 𝑗2𝜋𝑓𝐿 = 𝑗(2𝜋)(10 × 10−3 )(100 × 103 ) = 6.282K Thus, (b) is the answer.

6. A 100-mV source with internal resistance 𝑅𝑠 = 1K drives an amplifier with gain 𝐴𝑣 =

𝑣𝑜 ⁄𝑣𝑖 = 10 (see figure). The output voltage is 750 mV. What is the amplifier’s input
resistance 𝑅𝑖 ?

(a) ∞

(b) 1K

(c) 3K

(d) Need additional information

(e) 0 Ω

Answer: The source’s and amplifier’s internal resistances form a voltage divider and the
output voltage is 𝑣𝑂 = 𝐴𝑣 𝑣𝑠 (𝑅𝑖 ⁄𝑅𝑖 + 𝑅𝑠 ). Substituting for 𝑣𝑂 , 𝑣𝑠 , 𝐴𝑣 , and 𝑅𝑠 and solving for
𝑅𝑖 yields 𝑅𝑖 = 3K.

7. Four resistor in ascending order are

(a) 22R, 270K, 2K2 1M

(b) 4K7, 10K, 47R, 330K
(c) 3R3, 4R7, 22R, 5K6
(d) 100R, 10K, 1M, 3K3

Answer: Option (c).

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

8. A schematic shows a capacitor’s value as 100n. This is equivalent to a capacitor with value

(a) 0.1 𝜇F (b) 1,000 pF (c) 0.0001 𝜇F (d) 0.01 𝜇F

Answer: Option (a).

9. An engineer tests a silicon diode with a multimeter using the Ohm-meter function. The meter
measures a low value of resistance with the meter leads in both positions. The trouble, if any,
is that

(a) The diode is broken and internally open

(b) The diode is broken and internally shorted
(c) The diode is working but shorted to ground
(d) The diode is working correctly

Answer: Option (b).

10. A diode conducts when it is forward-biased, and the anode is connected to the ________
through a limiting resistor.

(a) Anode (b) Positive supply (c) Negative supply (d) Cathode

Answer: Option (b).

11. For a forward-biased diode, the barrier potential ________ as temperature increases.

(a) decreases (b) increases (c) stays the same

Answer: Option (a).

12. In a 20 VAC series RC circuit, if 20 VAC is measured across the resistor and 40 VAC is
measured across the capacitor, the magnitude of the applied voltage is:

(a) ≈ 60 V (b) ≈ 55 V (c) ≈ 50 V (d) ≈ 45 V

Answer: The applied voltage is 𝑉𝐼𝑁 = 𝑉𝑅 + 𝑗𝑉𝐶 , so that |𝑉𝐼𝑁 | = �𝑉𝑅2 + 𝑉𝐶2 = √2,000 ≈
45 V. Thus (d) is the answer.

13. What is the magnitude of the current phase angle for a 5.6 𝜇F capacitor and a 50-Ω resistor in
series with a 1.1 kHz, 5 VAC source?

(a) 72.9° (b) 62.7° (c) 27.3° (d) 17.1

Answer: The impedance of the RC circuit is = 𝑅 − 1⁄𝑗2𝜋𝑓𝐶 = 50 − 𝑗25.84 Ω. The

magnitude of the phase angle is |tan−1(−25.84⁄50)| = 27.3°. Thus, (c) is the answer.

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

14. What is the voltage across a capacitor after being charged from a 100 V source for a period
of one time constant? The initial voltage across the capacitor is 0 V.

(a) 37.8 V (b) 38 V (c) 63.2 V (d) 90 V

Answer: The voltage across the capacitor is 𝑣𝑐 (𝑡) = 100�1 − 𝑒 −𝑡⁄𝜏 �. Thus, 𝑣𝑐 (𝜏) =
100(1 − 1 − 𝑒 −1 ) = 63.3 V. Thus, (c) is the answer. Note, it is a standard result that one
should know by heart—a capacitor charges to ≈ 63% of its final value after one time constant.

15. What is the charging time constant of the following circuit?

(a) 294 ps
(b) 13.5 ms
(c) 21.5 ms
(d) 2.16 Gs

Answer: 𝜏 = 𝑅𝐶 = (2.5 × 10−6 )(8.5 × 103 ) = 21.5 × 10−3 , so the answer is (c).

16. Determine absolute value of the peak current through the load resistor? Assume 𝑉𝛾 = 0.7 V
for the diodes. (3 points)

(a) 2.325 mA
(b) 4.65 mA
(c) 0 mA
(d) 1.25 mA

Answer: When 𝑣𝑖 = 10 V, 𝐷1 is reverse-biased and an open ciruit. 𝐷2 is forward biased

and has a 0.7 V voltage drop across it. It is in series with 𝑅𝐿 and the left 2K resistor, so the
current that flows is 𝐼 = (10 − 0.7)⁄(2K + 𝑅𝐿 ) = 9.3⁄(4K) = 2.235 mA. When 𝑉𝑖 =
−10 V, then 𝐷2 is reverse-biased but 𝐷1 is forward biased. The current that flows is again
2.235 mA, but now it flows in the opposite direction. Regardless, (a) is the answer.

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

17. Two 0.68 𝜇F capacitors are connected in series across a 10 kHz sine wave signal source. The
total capacitive reactance is:

(a) 46.8 Ω (b) 4.68 Ω (c) 7.45 Ω (d) 21 Ω

Answer: The total capacitance is 0.34 𝜇F. The reactance at 10 kHz is 𝑋𝑐 = 1⁄(2𝜋𝑓𝐶)
= 1/(2𝜋 × 10 × 103 × 3.4 × 10−6 = 46.8 Ω. Thus, (a) is the answer.

18. Which of the circuit is a current-to-voltage converter?

Answer: Circuit (a)

19. Which circuit is a voltage-to-current converter?

Answer: Circuit (b)

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

20. In the circuit 𝑉𝐼𝑁 = 10 V, 𝑅1 = 10𝐾, and 𝑅𝐿 = 5𝐾. What current flows through 𝑅𝐿 ?

Answer: By op-amp action the voltage across 𝑅1 is 𝑉𝑖𝑛 and the current through 𝑅1 and 𝑅𝐿 is
10⁄10K = 1 mA.

21. What is the current through the ideal diode?

(a) 1 mA
(b) 0.975 mA
(c) 0.942 mA
(d) 0.867 mA

Answer: For an ideal diode there is no forward voltage drop, so 𝐼 = 12⁄12K = 1 mA, so
option (a) is the answer.

22. What is the current through the Zener diode?

(a) 7 mA
(b) 6 mA
(c) 12.3 mA
(d) 13 mA

Answer: 𝐼𝑧 = (13 − 6)⁄1K = 7 mA, so option (b) is the answer.

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

23. With a 12-V supply, a silicon diode, and a 370 Ω resistor in series, what voltage will be
dropped across the diode?

(a) ≈ 0.3 V (b) ≈ 0.7 V (c) ≈ 0.9 V (d) (a) ≈ 1.4 V

Answer: Option (b)

24. The Thevenin voltage VTH for the circuit external to R L is (3 points)

(a) 135∠63.4° V
(b) 13.4∠63.4° V
(c) 12.2∠0° V
(d) 122∠0° V

Answer: 𝑉𝑇𝐻 is the no-load voltage between terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵. Using voltage division,
𝑉𝑇𝐻 = (30∠0°) × (𝑗45⁄(90 + 𝑗45)) = 6 + 𝑗12 V. This is equivalent to 13.4∠63.4° V, so
the answer is (b).

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 2 (Principles) For the circuit

shown, the peak of the input voltage is 10 V.
Determine the peak voltage across 𝑅1 .
(10 points)

Solution

The impedance of the series elements 𝑅1 and 𝑋𝐶1 is 𝑍1 = 180 − 𝑗240. The impedance of the
parallel elements 𝑅2 and 𝑋𝐶2 is 𝑍2 = (−𝑗𝑋𝐶2 × 𝑅2 )⁄(𝑅2 − 𝑗𝑋𝐶2 ). Substituting values gives
𝑍2 = (−𝑗250 × 333)⁄(333 − 𝑗250) = 120 − 𝑗160 Ω. The source supplies a current 𝐼𝑠 =
10⁄(𝑍1 + 𝑍2 ) = 10⁄(180 − 𝑗240 + 120 − 𝑗160) = 0.012 + 𝑗0.016 A. The voltage across 𝑅1
is 𝑅1 𝐼𝑠 = 180(0.012 + 𝑗0.016 A) = 2.16 + 𝑗2.88 = 3.6∠53.1° V.

The peak voltage across 𝑅1 is therefore 3.6 V.

Below is a Matlab script that performs these calculations.

Z1 = 180 - j*240; % Impedance of series elements
Z2 = ((333)*(-j*250))/(333 - j*250) % Impedance of || elements
Is = 10/(Z1 + Z2); % Current flowing out of Vs
VR1 = 180*Is; % Voltage across R1
mag = abs(VR1);
phase = angle(VR1)*180/pi;
s = sprintf('Magnitude = %5.2f V, phase = %5.2f degrees\n',mag,phase);
display(s)

% Check.
V1 = Is*Z1; % Voltage across series branch
V2 = Is*Z2; % Voltage across || branch
V1+V2 % Adds up to 10 V

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 3 (Principles) For the circuit shown, determine

the current through 𝑅3 . (5 points).

Solution Use node (a) as a reference (i.e., ground) and apply KCL at node (b) using the
convention that current flows away from the node.

𝑉𝑏 − 𝑉1 𝑉𝑏 𝑉𝑏 − 𝑉1 𝑉𝑏 − (−15) 𝑉𝑏 − 0 𝑉𝑏 − 7
+ + =0⇒ + + =0
𝑅1 𝑅3 𝑅2 20 10 5

Solving yields 𝑉𝑏 = 13⁄7 V so that 𝐼3 = 𝑉𝑏 ⁄𝑅3 = 13⁄70 = 0.1857 V

Question 4 Find the output voltage for the following circuit. Assume an ideal op-amp.
(6 points)

Solution KCL at 𝑣𝑁 , assuming currents flow away from the node:

𝑣𝑁 − 𝑣𝑜
+ (−1 mA) = 0
4K
⇒ 𝑣𝑁 = 4 V + 𝑣0

Voltage at 𝑣𝑃 = −1 V because 1 mA flows through the 1K resistor.

𝑣𝑃 = 𝑣𝑁 = 1 V
−1 = 4 𝑉 + 𝑣𝑜
𝑣𝑜 = −5 V

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 5 An op-amp Miller integrator with 1 ms time constant, has input and output voltage
that are initially zero. The input signal shown below is applied. Sketch and label the output
waveform. (8 points)

Solution For the Miller integrator:

−3 −3
1 𝑡 1 0.5×10
1 0.5×10
𝑣𝑂 (𝑡) = − � 𝑣𝐼 (𝑡)𝑑𝑡 = − � 𝑑𝑡 + � 𝑑𝑡
𝜏 0 1 × 10−3 0 1 × 10−3 0

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 6 The circuit below uses an op-amp having 𝑉𝑂𝑆 = 4 mV. What is its output offset
voltage? (8 points)

Solution Ground the input and call the output 𝑣𝑜 . Write a KCL equation at the inverting input:

𝑉𝑂𝑆 𝑉𝑂𝑆 − 𝑉𝑋
+ =0
1M 1M
This does not “touch” the output node, so write a KCL equation at 𝑥

𝑉𝑋 𝑉𝑋 − 𝑉𝑂𝑆 𝑉𝑋 − 𝑣𝑜
+ + =0
1K 1M 1M
From the first equation, 𝑉𝑋 = 2𝑉𝑂𝑆 . Substituting this into the second equation gives

2𝑉𝑂𝑆 2𝑉𝑂𝑆 − 𝑉𝑂𝑆 2𝑉𝑂𝑆 − 𝑣𝑜

+ + =0
1K 1M 1M
Simplifying leads to

𝑣𝑜 = 2003𝑉𝑂𝑆 = (2003)(4 mV) = 8.012 V

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 7 Suppose the amplifier below has a differential-mode gain of 2,500 and a CMMR of
80 dB. What is the output voltage if 𝑣1 = 5.001 V, and 𝑣2 = 4.999 V? What is the error
introduced by the finite CMMR, expressed as a % of the differential input voltage? (6 points)

Solution
𝑣1 + 𝑣2
𝑣𝑖𝑑 = 𝑣1 − 𝑣2 = 2 mV, 𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑚 = =5V
2
The differential-mode gain is 2,500 and the common-mode gain is 80 dB less, which corresponds
to a factor 1080⁄20 = 10 × 103 . Thus, the common-mode gain is 2,500⁄( 10 × 103 ) = 0.25.
The output voltage is

𝑣𝑜 = 𝐴𝑑 𝑣𝑖𝑑 + 𝐴𝑐𝑚 𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑚

= (2,500)(2 mV) + (0.25)(5)
= 5 + 1.25 = 6.25 V
The error is

6.25 − 5
%error = 100 = 25%
5

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 8 With inputs 𝑣𝐼1 = −50 mV, and 𝑣𝐼2 = +50 mV, a difference amplifier has output
𝑣𝑂 = 1.0043 V. With inputs 𝑣𝐼1 = 𝑣𝐼2 = 5 V, the output is 𝑣𝑂 = 0.4153 V. Determine the
CMRR, expressed in dB. (6 points)

Solution

The differential input voltage is 𝑣𝐼2 − 𝑣𝐼1 = 100 mV, and the differential-mode gain
is 1.0043⁄0.1 = 10.043

With 𝑣𝐼1 = 𝑣𝐼2 = 5 V the common-mode voltage gain is 𝐴𝑐𝑚 = 0.4152⁄5 = 0.083

The common-mode rejection ratio is

𝐴𝑑 10.043
CMMR = � �=� � = 120.85
𝐴𝑐𝑚 0.083

Expressed in dB

CMMR dB = 20 log10 120.85 = 41.65 dB

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 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 9 We would like to measure the voltage 𝑉 = 𝑉1 − 𝑉2 in the circuit below with a
voltmeter. What is the value of 𝑉, and what is the common-mode voltage 𝑉𝑐𝑚 associated with
𝑉? What CMMR is required of the voltmeter if we are to measure 𝑉 to within 0.01%? Express
you answer in dB.

Solution

The current through the resistance is 𝐼 = 15⁄(40K) = 0.375 mA. The voltage across the 10K
resistor is therefore 3.75 V.

Further, 𝑉1 = 15 − (0.375 × 15) = 9.37 V, and 𝑉2 = 0.375 × 15 = 5.625. The common-mode

voltage is then

(𝑉1 + 𝑉2 )
𝑉𝑐𝑚 = = 7.5 V
2
The error must be less than 0.01% or 0.01% or 3.75 V, which is 0.375 mV. Thus, the
multimeter must suppress the 7.5 V common-mode voltage to less than 0.375 mV. In other
words, the CMMR must be at least

7.5
= 20 × 103
0.375 × 10−3
This is equivalent to 86 dB.

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