Resistors

Ian Felismino​1​, Marie Liz Angeles​2

National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City

Abstract
The experiment introduces the different types and structures of
resistors and their significance to controlling voltage. It also
tackles the know-how to establishing connection on a
breadboard. Moreover, the corresponding resistance given a
combination, either in parallel, in series or in some other
configuration, was calculated.

I. Introduction
​Resistors act to reduce current flow and to lower voltage levels within circuits. Most resistors use a pattern of
colored stripes to indicate resistance [1].
If the resistors are in series, there is no branching point in the circuit, so the same current must pass through
every part of the circuit.
I = I 1 = I 2 = I 3= I n (1)
The voltage changes due to the resistors will just add up to the voltage provided by the power supply.
V total = V 1 + V 2 + V 3 + ... + V n (2)
Using Ohm’s law:
V n = I n Rn (3)
V total = I Ref f (4)
Substituting, we get:
I 1 R1 + I 2 R2 + I 3 R3 + ... + I n Rn = V total % (5)
I(R1 + R2 + R3 + ... + Rn ) = I Ref f (6)
Ref f = R1 + R2 + R3 ... (7)
On the other hand, if the resistors are in parallel, the circuit branches out. The current through the resistor
need not to be the same [2]. However, the voltage stays constant all through out the circuit, giving:
I total = I + I 2 + I 3 + ... + I n
(8)
V = V 1 = V 2 = V 3= V n (9)
Using Ohm’s Law:
I total = RV (10)
ef f
V
Ref f = V ( R1 + 1
R2 + 1
R3 +... R1n ) (11)
1
1 1 1 1
Ref f = R1 + R2 + R3 ... (12)
II. Methodology
The first part of the experiment involves the computation of the resistance of resistors. The experimenters
took three resistors and calculated for the resistance by applying color coding The percentage error was calculated
using the ohmmeter.

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 The second part of the experiment determined the internal structure of the resistance box. The plugs from
the resistance box was removed correspondingly to obtain different resistances and, thus, deducing the possible
internal structure of the resistance box.
The connections of the holes in the breadboard was determined in the third part of the experiment. The
continuity tester of the multimeter was used and wires with smaller diameters were attached to the probes to serve as
extensions to be entered in the holes of the breadboard.
Three network of resistors were given for the fourth part of the experiment. The experimenters made each
networks with the resistors and wires and attached it to the ohm-meter based on the networks on figure 1. The
resistance was recorded. The effective resistance of each networks was measured using the color band scheme and
equations (1) and (2). The percentage error was then calculated from the results and the measurements using the
ohmmeter.

Figure 1. Networks Used

The last part of the experiment involves the calculation of the effective resistance. To the ends of the three
networks in the fourth part, a 5-V power supply was connected. The effective voltage, was measured using a
voltmeter parallel to the resistor since the voltage stays constant in parallel. The effective current were then
measured with the ammeter in series with the circuit because the electric current stays constant in series.. From the
obtained values, the effective resistance was calculated and compared to the results in the fourth part to calculate the
percentage error.
III. Results and Discussion
For the first part of the experiment, the results are as follows:
Table 1: Color Coded Resistance and Measured Resistance
Color Coded Resistance Measured Resistance Percent Error
10 x 10​4,​Ω ± 5% 10.12 x 10​4,​Ω 1.2%
2,​ 2,​
33 x 10​ Ω ± 5% 32 x 10​ Ω 3.0%
12 x 10​2,​Ω ± 5% 12 x 10​2,​Ω 0.0%
This data shows that the resistance from the bands are close to their actual resistance.
For the second part of the experiment, the circuit modeled from the resistance box is as follows:

2
 Figure 2: Circuit of the Resistance Box

The resistance box varies its resistance by closing off a switch parallel to the resistor, causing the circuit to flow
on the closed parallel path because current always flows in the path of least resistance.
For the third part of the experiment, using the continuity tester, it was found that the bread board has a circuit as
shown below:

Figure 3: Connections of the breadboard

For the fourth part of the experiment, the following data were obtained.
Table 2: Measured Resistance vs Theoretical on Resistor Networks
Setup Theoretical Resistance Measured Resistance Percent Error
Setup 1 10.45 x 10​4,​Ω ± 5% 10.55 x 10​4,​Ω 0.95%
,​ ,​
Setup 2 87.23 x 10​ Ω ± 5% 86.50 x 10​ Ω 0.84%
,​ 4,​
Setup 3 10.09 x 10​ Ω ± 5% 10.18 x 10​ Ω 0.91%
For the first setup, the resistors are in a series, therefore using equation 7 we were able to get the theoretical
resistance. The second setup has the resistors in parallel, therefore using equation 12, the theoretical value can be
obtained. Meanwhile the third setup involves one resistor in series with two resistors in parallel, the equation used to
get the theoretical value is the following.
1 −1
Rtotal = R1 + ( R1 + R3
)
2

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 Comparing the measured values to the theoretical values, we found that the the difference is only little. When a
close approximation is acceptable, employing the color band scheme and the equations is acceptable. Otherwise, the
exact value of resistance can be measured using an ohmmeter for further reliability.
For the last part of the experiment, using the same setups we measured the voltage and the current passing
through the setup, the data are as follows.
Table 3: Resistance from Measured Voltage and Current
Setup Measured Voltage Measured Current Resulting Resistance Percent error
1 5.03V 47.4µA 10.61 x 10​4,​Ω 1.55%
,​
2 5.03V 5.8mA 86.72 x 10​ Ω 0.58%
3 5.03V 49.1µA 10.24 x 10​4,​Ω 1.53%
The resultant resistance and the theoretical resistance has also a low deviation. This means that the resistance of
an unknown resistor by having the power supply provide constant voltage and current and measuring the voltage
using the voltmeter on a known resistor and getting the current using ohm’s law. Putting the known resistor and the
unknown resistor in a series, the current would remain constant provided that the power supply settings have not
changed. Measuring the voltage of the setup, and using ohm’s law and the equation for resistors in series, we would
get the resistance of the unknown resistor.

IV. Summary and Conclusion

Data from Part 1 show that the calculated values of resistance correspond closely to the given values of
resistance for each color band.

V. References
[1] International Electrotechnical Commision, Marking Codes for Resistors and Capacitors, 2004
[2] Lehrman, Robert L., Barron’s E-Z Physics, Chapter 10, Barrons Educational Series Inc., New York, 2009