MAPÚA UNIVERSITY

Department of Physics
Experiment 102-5
Transformer Basics

Name:

Program / Year : Criteria Percent SCORE

Sample 5%
Course Code /Section : Computations
Data Sheets 5%

Student No: Graphs, Figures and 5%

Tables
Error Analysis 5%
Group No: Seat No:
Answers to 10%
Questions
Date of Performance: Analysis / 30%
Interpretation
of Results
Conclusion 20%
Application 10%
Date of Submission: Presentation 10%
TOTAL 100%

Instructor
 EXPERIMENT NO. 102-4 SERIES RC, RL, AND RLC CIRCUITS

INTRODUCTION

The RC circuit is defined as an electrical circuit consisting of resistor (R in ohms), and a

capacitor (C in farads) connected in series or parallel. If the elements are connected in series, then
the current flowing in each element of the circuit will be the same as the total current flowing in the
circuit.

In this experiment, you will analyze the series connection of an RC circuit. Specially, you will
be able to: determine the voltage across the resistor and capacitor as well as the current flowing
through an RC series circuit; calculate capacitive reactance, impedance, phase angle; and will be
able to investigate the relationship between frequency and capacitive reactance.

OBJECTIVES

1. To determine the voltage across the resistor, capacitor as well as the current flowing through
an RC series circuit.
2. To determine the equivalent capacitance of series and parallel Capacitors.
3. To calculate capacitive reactance RC, and RLC Circuits.
4. To qualitatively analyze the charge and discharge cycles of a capacitor connected in a DC
power supply.

MATERIALS
Part A
6 pcs Capacitor
1 pc Breadboard
1 pc Volt – Ohm- milliammeter
10 pcs Jumper Wires

Part B
8 Pcs Connecting Wires
2 pcs Volt –Ohm – Milliammeter (VOM)
1 pc Resistance Decade Box
1 pc Impedance Device (RLC Device)
1 pc AC Voltage Supply
1 pc Ammeter

Part C
1 pc Signal Generator
1 pc Oscilloscope
2 pcs Probes
1 pc Resistance Decade Box
1 pc Capacitor
8 pcs Connecting Wires
EQUIPMENT CARE

For the VOM. Make sure that the knob is in the voltage selection when measuring voltage.

For the ammeter. Set the scales to the highest range before apply power.

Be sure that instruments are connected properly. Do not connect your circuit to the power source
while you are assembling them.

Allow the voltage to drain first in the capacitor or inductor before proceeding to the next procedure.

THEORY

A capacitor is a passive two-terminal electronic component that stores electrical energy in

an electric field. The effect of a capacitor is known as capacitance. While some capacitance exists
between any two electrical conductors in proximity in a circuit, a capacitor is a component designed to
add capacitance to a circuit. The capacitor was originally known as a condenser. The original name is
still widely used in many languages, but not commonly in English. The physical form and construction
of practical capacitors vary widely and many types of capacitor are in common use. Most capacitors
contain at least two electrical conductors often in the form of metallic plates or surfaces separated by
a dielectric medium.

A conductor may be a foil, thin film, sintered bead of metal, or an electrolyte. The non-
conducting dielectric acts to increase the capacitor's charge capacity. Materials commonly used as
dielectrics include glass, ceramic, plastic film, paper, mica, air, and oxide layers. Capacitors are
widely used as parts of electrical circuits in many common electrical devices. Unlike a resistor, an
ideal capacitor does not dissipate energy. When two conductors experience a potential difference, for
example, when a capacitor is attached across a battery, an electric field develops across the
dielectric, causing a net positive charge to collect on one plate and net negative charge to collect on
the other plate. No current actually flows through the dielectric. However, there is a flow of charge
through the source circuit. If the condition is maintained sufficiently long, the current through the
source circuit ceases. If a time-varying voltage is applied across the leads of the capacitor, the source
experiences an ongoing current due to the charging and discharging cycles of the capacitor.

The earliest forms of capacitors were created in the 1740s, when European experimenters
discovered that electric charge could be stored in water-filled glass jars that came to be known
as Leyden jars. In 1748, Benjamin Franklin connected a series of jars together to create what he
called an "electrical battery", from their visual similarity to a battery of cannon, which became the
standard English term electric battery. Today, capacitors are widely used in electronic circuits for
blocking direct current while allowing alternating current to pass. In analog filter networks, they
smooth the output of power supplies. In resonant circuits they tune radios to particular frequencies.
In electric power transmission systems, they stabilize voltage and power flow. The property of energy
storage in capacitors was exploited as dynamic memory in early digital computers.

Frequencies (𝑓) are measure in hertz while angular frequency (𝜔) is measured in radians per
second.
𝜔 = 2𝜋𝑓 (4)
 (8)
Impedance

Impedance (Z) is the total AC resistance of the circuit or defined to be the combined effect of
resistance (R), inductive reactance (X L) and capacitive reactance (X C). In an RLC circuit, current,
voltage, and impedance are related to Ohm’s law.

𝑉𝐶 1
𝑋= = (9)
𝐶 𝐼 𝜔𝐶
Impedance Triangle

The impedance triangle of the RC series circuit is shown below which gives a leading phase
angle
.

Figure 4. Impedance Triangle (Capacitive)

PROCEDURE
A. Capacitance Measurement
1. Label the Capacitors C1, C2, and C3.
2. Measure the Capacitance for each Capacitor and record the reading at Table 1.
3. Connect the Capacitors two at a time in Series. Measure and record the capacitance in
Table1.
4. Connect the Capacitors two at a time in Parallel. Measure and record the capacitance in
Table1.
5. Connect all the three Capacitors in Series. Measure and record the capacitance in
Table1.
6. Connect all the three Capacitors in Parallel. Measure and record the capacitance in
Table1.
7. Repeat Part 1 to 6 using a ceramic capacitor.

B. RC Circuits
1. Connect the VOM to the AC Power Supply to measure the voltage source. Turn Off the
AC Voltage Supply.
2. Connect the Resistance Box in Series with the Capacitor, the Ammeter (AC) and the AC
Voltage Supply. Set the Resistance Box to 2 k Ohm. Switch the Power On. Adjust the
Resistance until the current reading is 0.01 A. Switch the Power Off.
 3. Measure the voltage in the Capacitor and the Resistor by connecting the VOM’s in
parallel with the components. Record the voltages in Table 2. Adjust the resistance and
to set the current to 0.02, 0.03 and 0.04 A. Record the Voltages to Table 2.
4. Compute the Reactance by dividing the voltage by the current.
1
5. Using 𝑓 = 60 𝐻𝑧, calculate the Capacitance 𝐶 = .
2𝜋𝑓𝑋𝑐
6. Solve for the average capacitance of all the trials. Measure the Capacitance of the
capacitor using the VOM and compare with the Mean Capacitance.

C. RC Charging and Discharging

1. Connect the probes to Channel 1 and Channel 2 to the terminal of the Oscilloscope.
2. Connect the terminal of the Signal Generator. Attach the probe of the Oscilloscope to
the output cables of the Signal Generator. Set the Output of the Signal Generator to 100
Hz and Sinusoidal Wave. Adjust the Voltage/Division and Time/Division until a viewable
waveform is obtained.
3. Adjust the Waveforms of the Signal Generator to view the Sine Wave, Sawtooth Wave
and Rectangular Wave.
4. Connect a Simple Series circuit for Capacitor and the Resistance Box and the Signal
Generator. Set the frequency to 500 Hz and the Waveform to a rectangular wave. Set
the resistance to 2k Ohm. Connect the probe of the Oscilloscope across the capacitor.
Turn the power on. Adjust the dials of the Resistance box until the waveform shows a
shark fin type of signal. Record this on the graphs.
5. Set the waveform to sine wave. Compare the Input wave and the capacitor wave.
Record the Results.
 Name
EXPERIMENT NO. 102-4 : SERIES RC, RL, AND RLC Group
CIRCUITS
No

Program/Year Seat No

Subject/ Section Date

TABLE 1A. COMBINATION OF ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS

Individual Capacitor Series Capacitors Parallel Capacitors

Capacitor Capacitance Capacitor Capacitance Capacitor Capacitance
C1 C1 & C2 C1 & C2
C2 C2 & C3 C2 & C3
C3 C1 & C3 C1 & C3
C1 C2 and C3 in Series C1 C2 and C3 in Parallel

TABLE 1B. COMBINATION OF CERAMIC CAPACITORS

Individual Capacitor Series Capacitors Parallel Capacitors

Capacitor Capacitance Capacitor Capacitance Capacitor Capacitance
C1 C1 & C2 C1 & C2
C2 C2 & C3 C2 & C3
C3 C1 & C3 C1 & C3
C1 C2 and C3 in Series C1 C2 and C3 in Parallel

TABLE 2.Impedance of Capacitors

Current Resistance Voltage (R) Voltage (C) Reactance Capacitance

0.01 A
0.02 A
0.03 A
0.04 A

Average Capacitance: Measured Capacitance:

Figure 1. Graph of Sine Function at 200Hz, Figure 2. Graph of Sine Function at 300 Hz

Figure 3. Graph of Sawtooth Function at 200Hz, Figure 4. Graph of Rectangular Function at 200 Hz

Figure 5. Input Signal. Figure 6. Charging and Discharging of Capacitor.

Figure 7. Input Signal. Figure 8. Phase Shifted Figure.

Approved By:

Instructor Date