JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

AND TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERINGAND TECHNOLOGY
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC AND
INFORMATION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
EEE 2208: CIRCUITS & NETWORK
THEORY (I) LABORATORY
PRACTICAL 1 REPORT
TITLE: R-L SERIES CIRCUIT
LECTURER: DR. MERCY KIIO

Group Members:

Name Reg. No.

1 Collins Muchiri ENE212-0059/2023

2 Declan Munene ENE212-0062/2023

3 Michelle Muthoni ENE212-0064/2023

4 Jecinta Nyawira ENE212-0066/2023

5 Joshua Mativo ENE212-0071/2023

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OBJECTIVE

To investigate the behavior of RL series circuit.

THEORY

Figure 1 shows a resistor connected in series with an inductor.

Figure 1: Series R-L circuit

Resistance R, and inductive reactance XL (L), oppose the flow of current in an AC circuit. The
resultant opposing component is known as impedance Z, and its value can be calculated by use of the
equation (1) below;

……………………………………………. (1)

Figure 2 shows the relationship between resistance R, reactance X L, and the impedance Z, by
impedance triangle.

Figure 2: Impedance triangle

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 ……………………………………… (2)

Therefore, the phase angle  is given by the above equation

The voltage across the total impedance V is given by

Where VR: voltage across the resistance being a vector quantity

VL: voltage across the inductance being a vector quantity

The same current I, flows through R and L.

Thus, a voltage triangle similar to the impedance triangle can be drawn as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Voltage triangle

The inductance causes a phase displacement , between the voltage and current as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Voltage and current waveforms in an RL circuit

If the supply voltage V and frequency f are maintained constant, the current I that flows in the circuit is
dependent on both R and L. The angle  also varies as R and L are varied.

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APPARATUS

Signal generator, dual (2) channel oscilloscope, three oscilloscope probes, plug type resistor (1 k),
variable self-inductor, circuit board (breadboard) and connecting wires.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
R1
1kΩ
V1
5 Vpk
10kHz
L1
0° 10mH
Key=A 50 %

Figure 5: Circuit connection diagram

PROCEDURE

Experiment 1

1. Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 5.

2. Set the following values:
Signal generator frequency f, 10 kHz and voltage 5 V peak to peak.
Inductance L, 5 mH
3. Measure the supply voltage (V), the current (I), and phase angle  using the dual oscilloscope and
record your results in Table A 1.
4. Measure the potential difference (p.d.) across R (VR) and L (VL) using the dual oscilloscope and
record your results in Table A 1.

Experiment 2

1. Maintain the output voltage of the signal generator at 5 Vp-p, frequency f 10 kHz, and resistance R 1
kΩ.
2. Set the inductance L at 2 mH.
3. Measure the supply voltage (V), the current (I), and phase angle  using the dual oscilloscope and
record your results in Table A 2.
4. Measure the potential difference (p.d.) across R (VR) and L (VL) using the dual oscilloscope and
record your results in Table A 2.
5. Vary L in steps of 2 mH up to a maximum of 10 mH each time repeating steps 3 and 4 above.

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 ANALYSIS

1. Draw the voltage triangle using the results obtained in Experiment 1.

2. From the results of Experiment 2, calculate the rms values of I, V, VR, and VL. Tabulate your
results as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Calculated results

L (mH)  () I (mA) V (V) VR (V) VL (V) VR+VL (V)

2 43.2 1.5 3.536 3.536 0.566 4.102

4 43.2 1.48 3.536 3.536 0.849 4.385

6 36 1.45 3.536 3.394 1.414 4.808

8 28.8 1.41 3.536 3.394 1.697 5.091

10 28.8 1.36 3.536 3.111 1.980 5.091

3. For supply voltage of 5V at 10 kHz, calculate the theoretical values of XL, Z, , I, VR, and VL for
the values of R and L used in Experiment 2. Tabulate your results as shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Theoretical results

L (mH) X L ( ) Z ()  () I (mA) VR (V) VL (V)

2 125.66 1007.86 7.162 4.96 4.96 0.631

4 251.33 1031.10 14.11 4.85 4.85 1.216

6 376.99 1068.70 20.66 4.68 4.68 1.76

8 502.65 1119.22 26.69 4.47 4.47 2.24

10 628.32 1181.01 32.14 4.23 4.23 2.666

DISCUSSION

1. Discuss how I, VR and VL change with change in inductance.

Current (I): The inductive reactance is given by: XL=2πfL

As inductance L increases, XL increases, causing the total impedance Z of the circuit to increase. Since
I=V/Z, where V is the applied voltage, an increase in Z will result in a decrease in current I.

Voltage across Resistor (VR): VR=IR

Since I decreases with increasing L, VR also decreases proportionally. The relationship between current and
voltage across a resistor is direct.

Voltage across Inductor (VL): VL=I×XL

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Even though I decreases with increasing L, XL increases. However, the overall product VL=I×XL will still
vary depending on the magnitude of L and I. Typically, VL can increase or decrease slightly, but often it
increases because XL increases significantly compared to the drop in I.

2. Discuss how the phase angle changes with change in inductance.

The phase angle ϕ in an R-L circuit is given by:

tan ϕ = XL/R

ϕ = tan-1(XL/R) = tan-1 (2πfL/R)

As L increases, XL increases, causing tan(ϕ) to increase. Therefore, the phase angle ϕ increases with an
increase in inductance. This means the current lags the voltage by a larger angle as L increases.

3. Compare and contrast your calculated (experimental) and theoretical results.

1. Current (I):
o Experimental: Shows a slight decrease in current as inductance L increases.
o Theoretical: The current decreases more rapidly with increasing L. This is due to higher
impedance in theoretical calculations.
2. Voltage across Resistor (VR):
o Experimental: VR remains relatively constant until higher L values, then decreases slightly.
o Theoretical: VR decreases as L increases, reflecting the increased impedance.
3. Voltage across Inductor (VL):
o Experimental: VL increases with increasing L, but the change is less pronounced.
o Theoretical: VL increases more significantly with increasing L, showing a larger response to
inductance changes.
4. Phase Angle (ϕ):
o Experimental: Phase angle decreases with increasing L, suggesting current lags voltage less
as L increases.
o Theoretical: Phase angle increases with L, indicating greater lag.

CONCLUSION

1. For the circuit investigated, does the current lead or lag the voltage?

 Current leads voltage in this circuit

2. Draw appropriate conclusions on the series RL circuit.

 Current-Voltage Relationship:
Lagging Current: In a series R-L circuit, the current lags behind the voltage due to the inductor's
tendency to resist changes in current. This phase difference increases with higher inductance.

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 Impedance:
Total Impedance: The impedance Z in an R-L circuit is influenced by both resistance (R) and inductive
reactance (XL). As inductance L increases, XL increases, causing the total impedance to rise.
Consequently, the current I decreases since I=V/Z

 Voltage Distribution:
Voltage Across Resistor: The voltage drop across the resistor (VR) decreases with an increase in
inductance because the current decreases.
Voltage Across Inductor: The voltage drop across the inductor (V) typically increases with an increase
in inductance as VL=I× XL.

Practical Implications:
 Design Considerations: Understanding the relationship between current, voltage, inductance, and
impedance is crucial in designing efficient electrical circuits. This is especially important in
applications like filters, transformers, and AC power systems.

REFERENCES

1. R-L Series Circuit experiment lab manual

2. JKUAT 2ndyear 1stsemester BSc. ECE Circuit and Network theory I notes
3. Fundamentals of electrical Circuits 4thedition by Charles K. Alexander and Matthew N.O.
Sadiku

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DATA SHEET

Table A 1: Experiment 1

Variable Measured values

VP-P (V) 5

IPP (mA) 1.47

 () 36

VR(P-P) (V) 4.8

VL(P-P) (V) 1.6

VR+VL (V) 6.4

Table A 2: Experiment 2
Measured values

L (mH) VP-P (V) IPP (mA)  () VR(P-P) (V) VL(P-P) (V)

2 5 1.5 43.2 5 0.8

4 5 1.48 43.2 5 1.2

6 5 1.45 36 4.8 2.0

8 5 1.41 28.8 4.8 2.4

10 5 1.36 28.8 4.4 2.8

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