Kirchho's Laws

Physics Lab IX

Objective
In the set of experiments, the theoretical relationships between the voltages an the c!r" rents in circ!its containing several batteries an resistors in a networ#, #nown as Kirch" ho's laws, will be teste experimentally$ In a ition, the c!rrent within a networ# of no es will be calc!late %rst !sing Kirchho's Laws, an then meas!re experimentally$

&'!ipment List
( )*' +atteries, , -esistors with resistance ./ k"; 0/ k" an 1/ k", One 2!ltimeter, 3wo +attery 4ol ers for a 5ingle )*' +attery, +attery 4ol er for 3wo )*' +atteries, 6 " 1/ 7onnecting Lea s, 8lligator clips$

3heoretical +ac#gro!n

In previo!s lab experiments, the total resistance of a combination of resistors was calc!"late !sing the form!las for series an parallel combinations of resistors$ -elationships between the c!rrent an the voltage rop across each resistor was also teste $ In these circ!its, a single battery was present$ If a circ!it contains more than one battery, these relationships co!l not be employe $ Instea , another set of relationships, #nown as Kirchho's Laws, wo!l be !se $ 3hese relationships are name in honor of the 9erman physicist 9!stav Kirchho who iscovere them$ Kirchho's %rst law states that the s!m of the c!rrents :owing thro!gh a no e m!st be ;ero$ 3his law is partic!larly !sef!l when applie at a position where the c!rrent is split into pieces by several wires$ 3he point in the circ!it where the c!rrent splits is #nown as a node$ <ig!re == ill!strates a no e in a typical circ!it$

Kirchho's Laws

<ig!re 1> 7!rrent no e in a circ!it networ# 3his relationship can be expresse mathematically
N

Ii ? I1 @ I0 @ I, @ : : : ? /;
?1

A1B

Xi

where I1; I0; I,; : : : are the c!rrent thro!gh each wire that branches from the no e$ <or <ig!re ==, the Kirchho no e e'!ation wo!l be I1 @ I0 @ I, ? /: A0B 8nother way of thin#ing of this relationship is that the c!rrent that :ows into a no e m!st be balance by the c!rrent that :ows o!t of the no e Ai$e$ c!rrent oes not b!il !p or lea# o!t of a no e in a circ!itB$ 3his means that at least one of the c!rrents in the c!rrent e'!ation will be negative an represent the c!rrent :owing o!t of the no e$ 3his expression is an application of the conservation of charge$
Kirchho's secon law, which is similar to his %rst law, states that the s!m of all voltage rops across each electrical element As!ch as resistors, capacitors, batteries, etc$B in a circ!it loop m!st be ;ero$ 8 mechanical e'!ivalent to this is a roller coaster$ 3he car in a

roller coaster is initially p!lle to the top of a hill$ In a circ!it, this is represente by the battery placing the charges at the top of a potential )hill'$ Once the roller coaster reaches the top of the hill, it begins to fall an move thro!gh vario!s twists an t!rns$ In the circ!it, these twists an t!rns can be tho!ght of as the vario!s elements, s!ch as resistors, within the circ!it$ 8fter moving thro!gh the vario!s twists an t!rns, the roller coaster car en s at the bottom of the hill where it initially starte $ In a similar manner, the charges in a circ!it en !p at the )bottom' of the potential hill in a circ!it$ In or er to s!m the voltages aro!n a loop, the voltage polarity of each object m!st be #nown Ai$e$ we m!st etermine if the charges are )moving !phill' or )moving ownhill' in o!r roller coaster analogy as we go aro!n the loopB$ <or a battery, the polarity is !s!ally in icate on the battery with a C@D or C"D near one of the terminals$ On a circ!it iagram, the ierent terminals are represente by the si;e of the plate$ 3he larger plate in icates a positive terminal, while a smaller plate in icates a negative terminal$ Ehen going aro!n a loop, the sign we en !p on as we go across the battery is the polarity of the battery in the loop$ <ig!re == ill!strates this convention$

Kirchho's Laws

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<ig!re 0> +attery voltage polarity convention

3he irection of c!rrent :ow thro!gh a resistor etermines the polarity of resistors in a circ!it$ <or these types of problems, c!rrent is tho!ght to be the :ow of positive charges$ In act!ality negatively charge electrons :ow, b!t this was not #nown when Kirchho ma e his iscovery$ 3he iscrepancy here oes not eect the res!lts, b!t sho!l be #ept in min $ If we consi er the c!rrent to be ma e !p of positive charges :owing thro!gh the wires, then the charges will move from higher, C@D, potential to lower, C"D, potential$ G!st as in batteries, the sign we en !p on as we go aro!n the loop will etermine the polarity of the resistor$ 3his convention is ill!strate in <ig!re ==$

<ig!re ,> -esistor voltage polarity convention

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Kirchho's Laws

3he application of these polarity conventions on the circ!it shown in <ig!re == are shown in <ig!re ==

<ig!re (> &xample of application of voltage polarity convention 8pplying Kirchho's voltage law to this circ!it gives the following e'!ations> <or loop H 1,
N
?1

Vi ? / ?) VB1 I1R1 @ I,R( ? /;

A,B

<or loop H 0,
N

Xi

?1

Vi ? / ?) VB0 @ I0R0 @ I0R, I,R( ? /:

A(B

Xi

7ombining these e'!ations with the c!rrentIno e e'!ation we obtain the following>
N

Ii ? / ?) I1 @ I0 @ I, ? /:
?1

A.B

Xi

4ere we have three e'!ations that escribe the voltages an c!rrents in the circ!it$ In a typical Kirchho's laws problem, the battery voltages an the val!es of the resistances are #nown, while the c!rrents are not #nown$ In this sit!ation, the application of Kirchho's laws wo!l give several e'!ations that co!l be !se to solve for the c!rrents$ One volt"ageIloop e'!ation is pro !ce for each loop in the circ!it$ 3he n!mber of c!rrentIno e e'!ations is typically one less than the n!mber of voltageIloop e'!ations$

In this set of experiments, Kirchho voltage an c!rrent laws will be experimentally veri%e for a typical circ!it containing two loops$ 8 itionally, Kirchho's laws will be applie to solve for the c!rrents in a n!mber of ierent circ!its, an these c!rrent val!es will be compare to experimentally meas!re val!es$

Kirchho's Laws

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Proce !re an *ata 8nalysis

Jeri%cation of Kirchho's Laws
7!rrentIKo e Law In this experiment, Kirchho c!rrentIno e law, which states that the s!m of the c!rrents :owing into a no e m!st be ;ero, will be teste experimentally$ 1. Lsing the m!ltimeter, meas!re the val!e of the resistance of each of the three resistors provi e by setting the scale of the m!ltimeter on the 0//K scale$ 2. Lse the m!ltimeter to meas!re the voltage from the batteryAsB in the single * battery hol ers an the two * battery hol er$ 3. 5et !p the circ!it shown in <ig!re ==$ In this circ!it, !se one of the single * battery hol er for VB1a an the two * battery hol er for VB0$ <or the resistors in the circ!it, !se the resistors closest to the following val!es> R1 ? ./ k"; R0 ? 0/k"; an R, ? 1/ k"$

<ig!re .> 7irc!it for veri%cation of Kirchho's Laws

4. 5et the m!ltimeter on 0// ! on the c!rrent scale Ai$e$ )the )8D scaleB$ 8ttach a blac# lea to the 7O2 terminal an a re lea to the m8 terminal$ Eith these settings, the m!ltimeter is set to rea the c!rrent in the circ!it in micro 8mperes Ai$e$ AB$ 5. 2eas!re the c!rrent :owing into the top no e of the circ!it from each of the three branch wires$ 3o meas!re the c!rrent yo! will have to brea# the circ!it to insert the m!ltimeter$ Mo! m!st also meas!re the polarity of the c!rrent in a consistent manner$ If the c!rrent :ows into the no e, then the c!rrent sho!l be meas!re from the positive Are Im8B terminal to the negative Ablac#I7O2B terminal$ -ecor these meas!re c!rrents on yo!r ata table$ v></ F

Kirchho's Laws

6. In the space provi e on the ata table, a the three c!rrents to chec# that the s!m of the c!rrents is ;ero Aor close to ;eroB$ 7. If yo!r ata res!lts o not comply with theory confer yo!r iscrepancy with the Lab Instr!ctor or Lab 38$ JoltageILoop Law 1. P!ll the re lea o!t of the m8 terminal on the m!ltimeter an place it in the J " terminal$ 5et the m!ltimeter to the 0/ volt scale$ 2. Lsing the circ!it shown in <ig!re ==, meas!re the voltage rops across each element
in each loop$ 3he polarity of the voltage m!st be meas!re in a consistent manner$

In or er to meas!re the voltage in a consistent manner, always place the positive lea Ai$e$ the re or J " lea B in front of the element, relative to the arrow while the negative lea Ai$e$ the blac# or 7O2 lea B is behin the element, relative to the arrow$ If this proce !re ca!ses iNc!lties, cons!lt yo!r Lab Instr!ctor or Lab 38 for assistance$ -ecor the voltage rop across each element, for each loop, in the space provi e on the ata table$ 3. <or each loop, a the voltage rops across each element to verify that the voltage a s to ;ero Aor close to ;eroB$ If yo!r ata res!lts o not comply with theory, confer yo!r iscrepancy with the Lab Instr!ctor or Lab 38$

7alc!lation of 7!rrent Lsing Kirchho's Laws

In this series of experiments, Kirchho's Laws will be !se to calc!late theoretical val"!es of c!rrent :owing into a no e$ 3he theoretical res!lts will be con%rme thro!gh experimentation$ 1. Lsing the val!es of the voltages from the battery hol ers an the resistance of the resistors, apply Kirchho's Laws to one of the circ!its shown in <ig!re == to generate the voltage an c!rrent e'!ations for the circ!it$ &ach person in a lab gro!p sho!l choose a ierent circ!it to wor# with$ &ach person sho!l choose only one circ!it$ 3here may be some circ!its in the %g!re that are not !se $ If yo! have tro!ble generating the e'!ations, cons!lt with the members of yo!r lab gro!p or with the Lab Instr!ctor or Lab 38$ 2. Lsing these e'!ations, solve for the c!rrent :owing into the top no e of the circ!it$ If yo! have tro!ble solving for the c!rrents, cons!lt with the members of yo!r lab gro!p or with the Lab Instr!ctor or Lab 38$ 3. -ecor the theoretical val!es of the c!rrents in the space provi e in the ata table$ 4. 5et !p each circ!it an meas!re the c!rrent thro!gh the no e at the top of the circ!it$ In these circ!its, !se the single * battery hol er for VB1a an the two * battery hol er for VB0$ <or the resistors in the circ!it, !se the resistors closest to the following val!es> R1 ? ./ k"; R0 ? 0/k"; an R, ? 1/ k"$ -ecor the experimental val!es of the c!rrents in the space provi e $ v></ F

Kirchho's Laws

5. <or each c!rrent, calc!late the percent ierence between the theoretical an the experimental val!es of the c!rrent$ -ecor these val!es in the space provi e $ 6. -epeat this process for the circ!its shown in %g!re ==$ &ach person within a lab gro!p sho!l choose a circ!it from the assortment of both cases an in ivi !ally pro !ce all re'!ire ata for the circ!its analy;e $ It is not necessary to analy;e every circ!it$ +e s!re to incl! e a s#etch of the analy;e circ!it in the spaces provi e on the ata table$

5electe P!estions
1. <or the following circ!it, set !p the appropriate n!mber of c!rrentIno e

e'!ations an voltateIloop e'!ations on a separate sheet of paper$ *o not attempt to eval!ate the c!rrent val!es$

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Kirchho's Laws

<ig!re F> 7irc!its for c!rrent pre iction from Kirchho's Laws> 7ase 1

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Kirchho's Laws

<ig!re O> 7irc!its for c!rrent pre iction from Kirchho's Laws> 7ase 0

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