UNIVERSIDAD DE LA SALLE

INGENIERIA ELECTRICA
LABORATORIO DE CIRCUITOS

Measurement of resistances
Miguel A. Rodriguez1, Jorge L. Cubides2

Abstract the main purpose of this lab is to know and learn the
basic concepts in the measurement of resistances with the help of
current and voltage reading. The circuits that are going to be
considered in this lab are circuits made to measure high and low
resistances. In order to find the resistances with the help of
ammeters and voltmeters we have to consider the limitations of the
multimeter, we must know the minimum and maximum amperage
and voltage it can read and I it surpasses this values, understand
and know what steps to take.
Index Termscapacitor, resistivity, multimeter, DC circuits,
resistances.

I. INTRODUCTION
Technology keeps progressing as time goes on, without any
doubt technology makes every day life a lot much easier, but
even though it has progressed so much it has some limitations.
In the case of multimeters, which is a basic tools for everyone
that handles currents, it has like all the measurement
instruments some limitations. When measuring resistances the
multimeter has some reading limitations. For example, a fluke
179 can read a minimum of 0.01 and a maximum of 50 M.
In order to know a certain measurement that cannot be read by
a multimeter you can use Voltage a currents reading and with
the help of all the circuits techniques learned you can find
whatever kind of resistance you want.

II. OBJECTIVES
The use of voltage and current readings in order to calculate
very high and low resistances.

(6)

Equation 6 is going to be our cables resistance found

experimentally.
How it is possible to measure a low value resistance by
means of current and voltage measures?
In order to measure a low value resistance we can use the
voltmeter and the ammeter simultaneously in order to measure
the current and potential difference in the unknown resistance,
and with Ohms law calculate the value of that certain resistance.
But since the resistance is too high the instrument is not going
to be able to read a current so small. So we can use equation 8
in order to find that unknown resistance.
Figure 1.5 Circuit with unknown resistance ( ) and
voltmeter ( ).

III. QUESTIONNAIRE
How it is possible to measure a low value resistance by
means of current and voltage measures?
In order to measure a low value resistance we can use the
voltmeter and the ammeter simultaneously in order to measure
the current and potential difference in the unknown resistance,
and with Ohms law calculate the value of that certain resistance.
In order to be able to measure very low resistors since they have
a very low resistance , its current and voltage is going to be too
high and the multimeter is not going to be able to measure
values that high we add a resistance in series so we can be able
to measure that resistor.
An example can be seen on figure 1.2.
Figure 1.2 Circuit with unknown resistance ( ),
voltmeter ( ), and ammeter (RA), set resistance (R).

( )

UNIVERSIDAD DE LA SALLE
INGENIERIA ELECTRICA
LABORATORIO DE CIRCUITOS
Equation 8 is going to be our capacitor resistance found by
theory

2.053

1
= 0.002053
1000

IV. CIRCUITS USED IN LAB

Two circuits are going to be used, the first one consist of a 10
V DC power source, 1 meter long 12 AWG copper wire. The
following image shows the first circuit that is going to be
used.
Figure 1.1 Circuit design

Diameter in meters
12 = 0.002053

(2)

Since the formula requires the radio o the cable we divide the
diameter obtained in (2) and divided by 2.
0.002053
2

12 =
Radio in meters

12 = 0.0010265

(3)

The resistivity is the only unknown variable in order to replace

formula (1). The common resistivity of wire gauges at normal
temperature is about:

= 1.724 108 m
In order to find the resistance of the cable the following
formula must be used:

(1)

Where the resistivity of the cable, L is the longitude of the

cable and A is the transversal area of the cable.
Table 1.2. The table below shows the diameter in inches
and millimeters of different kinds of wire gauges.
AWG
Diameter
In

mm

12

0.0808

2.053

13

0.0720

1.828

14

0.0641

1.628

15

0.0571

1.450

16

0.0508

1.291

A wire has a shape of a cylinder, if the transversal side of the

wire is analyzed it can be seen that it has the shape of a circle,
so to find the transversal area of the wire, we use the circles
area formula.
Now that all the variables are known they are replaced in
formula (1).

(1.724 108 m)(1)

(0.0010265)2

Resistance = 0.00520798

Equation 5 is going to be our cables resistance found by theory

Figure 1.3 Second circuit design

Since the wire gauge that is going to be used or this experiment

is AWG 12 and we always work with the SI unit system we take
the millimeters and convert them into meters.
12 = 2.053
Convert millimeters into meters

(5)

0.433
= 5.217
0.083

UNIVERSIDAD DE LA SALLE
INGENIERIA ELECTRICA
LABORATORIO DE CIRCUITOS
=

( )
100
( )

(7)
V. REFERENCES

Equation 7 shows the percentage of error in the measurement.

By replacing equation 7 we can see the error percentage.

5.208 5.217
100 = 0.17 %
5.208

Figure 1.4 Circuit design

Rx of reference

Figure 1.6 second circuit design

=
=

10(10 2.078)
= 38.123 (8)
2.078

( )
100
( )

(7)

38.13 38.123
100 = 0.018 %
38.13

[1] Professor.ingeniero, Intensidad y tension de un

condensador, 2012.
[2] O. Boyle, Resistance of capacitors, 2015.
[3] Hyperphysics, Common Wire Gauges.
[4] EEVBlog, Does current Flow through a capacitor?,
2013.
[5] A. Sanchez, Capacitors and inductors, Bogota D.C.,
2014.