APPLIED ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Morehead State University

Shane Holbrook
ITEC 141: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS
LAB EXPERIMENT 5
The Voltage Divider
INSTRUCTOR: MR. COMBS
GROUP MEMBERS:
Jordon Kurz
DATE: 10-15-2015

Objective:
The objective of this experiment is to better understand the voltage divider formula through various
resistors, including a variable resistor. Through various calculations, measurements, theory, and drawings
of the circuits, the idea is to better understand how it the formula works, and why.
Materials and Equipment:

One 330 Resistor

One 470 Resistor

One 680 Resistor

One 1.0k Resistor

One 1.0k Potentiometer

One Agilent U1241A Multi-Meter

One Photo-Board PB-503 Trainer

Wires of various sizes/lengths

Procedures:
After obtaining all of the required materials listed in our lab, and carefully reading the required
steps. The first step was to begin filling out table one. This was done as a group effort by my lab partner
and I. Listing the listed values of the resistors, and then totaling them up, then measuring the resistance of
each resistor. From here I took down the calculations for each resistor, whilst my lab partner began
recording the voltage across each resistor. After table one was completed, we turned our attention to the
circuit drawings for steps five, six, and eight. After determining the proper layout and drawing out each
design, we then faced table two. I computed the voltage minimums and maximums, whilst my lab partner
took down the measurements for each. After all of these steps were completed we analyzed the
computations and measurements to reassure they were both correct. From this point we concluded the
experiment was finished and left the Evaluation and Review questions alone for each of us to answer
separately and individually.

Findings:
Table 1:
Resistor

Listed

Measured

R1
R2
R3
R4
Total

Value
330
470
680
1.0k
2.48k

Value
327
463
676.5
1.0k
2.47k

Vx = (Rx/RT)Vs

Vx

1.33V
1.90V
2.74V
4.03V
10V

(Measured)
1.335V
1.893V
2.760V
4.077V
10.065V

Table 2:
VMIN
VMAX
Circuit for step 5:

Circuit for step 6:

Computed
3.13V
9.8V

Measured
3.132V
9.3V

Circuit for step 8:

Conclusion:

From the objectives portion of this report it was made evident that the purpose of this lab was for us
to gain a better understanding of how the voltage divider formula works, and correlates to actual electrical
devices. From the results gathered from Table one, it is quite clear that the calculated results are more than
accurate to the measured voltages across each resistor. The purpose of the voltage divider formula is to
measure or calculate how much voltage is across each resistor, and whether measuring or calculating, the
results obtained from this lab show that it is quite accurate. Now there are instances where they are off by a
thousandth or so, however this isnt enough to throw anything off too much and is expected due to the
dissipation of voltages. Even when measuring and calculating with the potentiometer the measured voltages
were quite accurate to what was calculated.
Evaluation and Review Questions:
1.
A. Nothing because the current would change, but not the voltage.
B. It would change from Megavolts to Giga-volts, when measuring voltage across all resistors
using voltage divider formula
2.
A. 10 V
B. 0 V
3. It would vary up to the 10k range
4.
A. 10V
B. 9V
C. 9.9V
D. 9.99V
5. VMIN = 13.33V VMAX = 20V