ECE 213 Lab Report 5

Kate Antonov

February 26, 2019

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Introduction
This lab intends to measure complex voltages and current in an RLC circuit. Polar
notation was used for most of the procedure in order to understand how phase angles
and magnitude were calculated and measured using the oscilloscope.

Procedure
The equipment needed for this lab was: a digital multimeter, oscilloscope, function
generator, 480nF capacitor, 150mH inductor, 1.6kΩ resistor, and 3 pairs of wire
leads. Each actual value for the components were measured and recorded. A series
circuit was constructed using the capacitor, inductor, and resistor in that order.
Node 1 was between the applied voltage source and the capacitor. Node 2 was
between the capacitor and the inductor. Node 3 was placed between the inductor
and the resistor. Resistor was connected to ground. The frequency on the function
generator was set to 1.2 kHz, and the output voltage was set to 3 Vrms, or 4.2 peak
voltage. A pair of wire leads was used to connect the function generator to the
oscilloscope. The DC offset control in the function generator was adjusted to obtain
a zero DC level. Another pair of wire leads were connected from the oscilloscope
to the multimeter. The multimeter was then used to connect to Node 1, which
measured the potential there. This was also done for nodes 2 and 3. The potentials
between the nodes were measured and recorded as well.
Next, the oscilloscope was used to measure phase angle. Node 1 was the reference
node. Nodes 2 and 3 were measured and the phase angle was calculated from the
time difference shown on the oscilloscope. To measure the magnitude and phase
angle of the capacitor potential, the capacitor and resistor were exchanged on the
bread board. To measure for inductor potential, capacitor was replaced and inductor
and resistor were exchanged. Current throughout circuit was also calculated and
measured.
Kirchoff’s Voltage Law was also tested by converting the polar forms of all com-
ponents’ potentials into rectangular form. This allowed for the sum of all these
voltages, which should theoretically equal 0. The calculations and results were
recorded.

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 Device Manufacturer Model
Oscilloscope Tektronix 2225
DMM WAVETEK BDM35
Function Generator HEWLITT * PACKARD 3311A

Table 1: Equipment Table

Calculations
Zcapacitor = −j/(480nF ∗ 2400π) = −276.31j

Zinductor = (150mH ∗ 2400π) ∗ j = 1130.97j

Zeq = 1750 + 854.59j

Node 1:
V1 = 3Vrms

I1 = (3Vrms /(1750 + 854.59j)) = 1.546 − 26.027◦ mA

Node 2:

Vcapacitor = (−276.31j) ∗ (I1 ) = 0.42566 − 116.027◦ mA

V2 = V1 − Vcapacitor = 3.20966 6.8437◦ Vrms

Node 3:
Vinductor = (1130.97j) ∗ (I1 ) = 1.766 63.973◦ Vrms

V3 = I1 ∗ R1 = (1.546 − 26.027◦ mA) ∗ (1.6kΩ) = 2.46466 − 26.02◦ Vrms

Percent Error:

P ercentError = ((M easured − Calculated)/Calculated) ∗ 100%

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 Potential Magnitude RMS Phase Angle (degrees)
Node 1 4.2 V 3Vrms 0
Node 2 4.54 V 3.20Vrms 6.843 leading
Node 3 3.48 V 2.46Vrms 26.02 lagging
VC 0.61 V 0.4256Vrms 116.027 lagging
VL 2.49 V 1.76Vrms 56.4 leading
I 2.17 mA 1.54mArms 26.02 lagging

Table 2: Circuit node angles calculated with oscilloscope

Potential Magnitude % RMS % Phase Angle %

Node 1 19 3.33 0
Node 2 18.9 2.8 60.30
Node 3 2.29 V 2.31 18.10
VC 18.03 5.8 13.5
VL 0.40 4.54 24.53
I 3.22 6.49 18.10

Table 3: Percent Error of Calculated and Measured Values

Phase Shift Calculations:

θ = (t(360))/T

T = 820µs

Phase Shift (tµs) Phase Shift (degrees)

Node 1 0 0
Node 2 25 10.97 leading
Node 3 70 30.73 lagging
Potential across C1 300 131.70 lagging
Potential across L 160 70.24 leading

Table 4: Circuit node angles calculated with oscilloscope

Measurements

Component Measured Value

C1 479 nF
L1 149.3 mH
LR 154 Ohms
R1 1.59 kOhms

Table 5: Measured values of components

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 Magnitude (V) RMS (Vrms )
V1 5 3.5
V2 5.4 3.81
V3 3.4 2.4
C1 0.5 0.35
L1 2.5 1.767

Table 6: Magnitude of Node Voltages with O-Scope

Potential Magnitude RMS Phase Angle (degrees)

Node 1 5V 2.9Vrms 0
Node 2 5.4 V 3.11Vrms 10.97 leading
Node 3 3.4 V 2.38Vrms 30.73 lagging
VC 0.5 V 0.40Vrms 131.70 lagging
VL 2.5 V 1.68Vrms 70.24 leading
I 2.1 mA 1.44mArms 30.73 lagging

Table 7: Circuit node angles measured with oscilloscope

Potential across Real Part Volts Imaginary Part Volts

Function Generator 2.9 0
C1 (Vcapacitor) -0.266 -0.298
L1(Vinductor) 0.567 1.58
R1(V3) 2.045 -1.216
KVL Sum (Vs - Vl - Vc - VR 0.554 -0.066

Table 8: Kirchoff’s Voltage Law using Measured Values

Questions
1. What would you expect to happen to the phase angles if the inductor was replaced
with a capacitor? What about replacing the capacitor with another inductor?
If inductor was replaced with a capacitor then the phase angles will lag more,
meaning the peak of the voltage waveform will be to the right of the origin. If the
capacitor was replaced with an inductor, then the phase angles would lead more,
the peak of the waveform will be to the left of the origin.
2. Using the magnitude of the current through the inductor and its resistance,
calculate how much power is lost using P=I 2 R. How much real power does this
circuit dissipate?

Pinductor = (1.44 ∗ 6 − 30.73◦ mA)2 ∗ 154 = 319.336 − 61.46W

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 Presistor = (2.1)2 ∗ 154 = 0.679mW

Preal = (1.44 ∗ 6 − 30.73◦ mA)2 ∗ (1750 + 854.59j) = 4.0386 − 35.43mW

3. Using your knowledge from physics 2 or through a bit of research, how might
you increase the resistance of the inductor while maintaining the same inductance?
Hint: consider the type of inductors used in lab.
Decreasing the wire gauge of the coil and increasing the number of rounds of it
in the inductor will increase the resistance while maintaining the same inductance.

Conclusion
This lab was intended to measure complex voltages and current in an RLC cir-
cuit. The procedure was done by measuring potentials across each component and
calculating the phase shifts. With the calculated and measured values seen below,

Potential Magnitude RMS Phase Angle (degrees)

Node 1 4.2 V 3Vrms 0
Node 2 4.54 V 3.20Vrms 6.843 leading
Node 3 3.48 V 2.46Vrms 26.02 lagging
VC 0.61 V 0.4256Vrms 116.027 lagging
VL 2.49 V 1.76Vrms 56.4 leading
I 2.17 mA 1.54mArms 26.02 lagging

Table 9: Circuit node angles calculated with oscilloscope

Potential Magnitude % RMS % Phase Angle %

Node 1 19 3.33 0
Node 2 18.9 2.8 60.30
Node 3 2.29 V 2.31 18.10
VC 18.03 5.8 13.5
VL 0.40 4.54 24.53
I 3.22 6.49 18.10

Table 10: Percent Error of Calculated and Measured Values

Phase Shift Calculations:

θ = (t(360))/T

T = 820µs

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 Phase Shift (tµs) Phase Shift (degrees)
Node 1 0 0
Node 2 25 10.97 leading
Node 3 70 30.73 lagging
Potential across C1 300 131.70 lagging
Potential across L 160 70.24 leading

Table 11: Circuit node angles calculated with oscilloscope

Component Measured Value

C1 479 nF
L1 149.3 mH
LR 154 Ohms
R1 1.59 kOhms

Table 12: Measured values of components

Magnitude (V) RMS (Vrms )

V1 5 3.5
V2 5.4 3.81
V3 3.4 2.4
C1 0.5 0.35
L1 2.5 1.767

Table 13: Magnitude of Node Voltages with O-Scope

Potential Magnitude RMS Phase Angle (degrees)

Node 1 5V 2.9Vrms 0
Node 2 5.4 V 3.11Vrms 10.97 leading
Node 3 3.4 V 2.38Vrms 30.73 lagging
VC 0.5 V 0.40Vrms 131.70 lagging
VL 2.5 V 1.68Vrms 70.24 leading
I 2.1 mA 1.44mArms 30.73 lagging

Table 14: Circuit node angles measured with oscilloscope

Potential across Real Part Volts Imaginary Part Volts

Function Generator 2.9 0
C1 (Vcapacitor) -0.266 -0.298
L1(Vinductor) 0.567 1.58
R1(V3) 2.045 -1.216
KVL Sum (Vs - Vl - Vc - VR 0.554 -0.066

Table 15: Kirchoff’s Voltage Law using Measured Values

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 it was noted that the only huge percent error is magnitude and phase angles
of calculated and measured values. The magnitude percent error can be explained
due to the difference between the measured peak voltage of the oscilloscope and the
calculated RMS value from said oscilloscope. The phase angle percent error can be
explained due to the estimation of the time shift on the oscilloscope, which could
round up or down the result significantly.
In conclusion, the calculated and measured values were accurate enough to ob-
serve the relationship between magnitude, RMS, and phase shifts, as well as the
Kirchoff’s Voltage Law.