DE LA SALLE LIPA

COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
CKTS002 – CIRCUITS 2 LABORATORY EXPERIMENT

EXPERIMENT #5: THE PARALLEL RLC CIRCUIT

I. OBJECTIVES
To study the characteristics of a parallel RLC circuit.

II. DISCUSSION
In working with resistances in parallel, we found that the more resistors we connect in
parallel, the less is the total resistance. In a way, the solution of parallel circuits is a bit more
involved than the solution of series circuits. In solving parallel circuits, we use the same procedure
as before but the results are less predictable.
The total impedance would depend on the nature of the elements. The total impedance
may not always become smaller with the additional elements in parallel.

III. COMPONENTS NEEDED

ITEM NO. DESCRIPTION QUANTITY
ELE-FMA-003 DMM 1
Lamp, 220V, 100W 1
ELE-FPT-002 5µF capacitor 1
ELE-FPT-002 1H inductor 1

IV. PROCEDURE
1. Connect the circuit shown in Fig. 5.1.
2. Measure and record the voltage and the currents of each element. Measure and record the
total current.
3. Using Ohm’s law, compute for the total impedance Z.
4. Compute for the total impedance Z’ using the capacitance and inductance of the elements.
5. Compute for the percent difference between Z and Z’.

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 DE LA SALLE LIPA
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
CKTS002 – CIRCUITS 2 LABORATORY EXPERIMENT

V. CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

VI. DATA AND RESULTS

Connecting the voltmeter and the ammeter:
IT ET IR IL IC

Z Z’ % diff θ (comp)
441.8 Ω 336.3762 Ω 27.0951 % 45.9734°

VII. QUESTIONS

1. What conditions must be fulfilled for a series circuit to be the exact equivalent of
a given parallel circuit?
In order for a series circuit to be the exact equivalent of a given parallel circuit,
both networks must be able to draw the same amount of current given a fixed
source. A series circuit will be an exact equivalent of a parallel circuit through the
aid of the Thevenin equivalent. Thevenin equivalent is a linear two-terminal circuit
that is replaced by a single voltage source and a series impedance. This can come
up with an equivalent resistance (RTh). RTh is the resistance of two terminals if
all ideal voltage sources in the circuit were replaced by a short circuit and all ideal
current sources were replaced by an open circuit.

2. What is the significance of equivalent circuits in the analysis of electric and

electronic circuits?

Equivalent circuits helps us comprehend and predict the functions and responses

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 DE LA SALLE LIPA
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
CKTS002 – CIRCUITS 2 LABORATORY EXPERIMENT
of a device. Electronic devices can be broken down into a number of basic
theoretical components. In the same way, these equivalent circuits are models
built up from such ideal components. Therefore, the said equivalence can be vital
for simulation, design, and fault analysis and circuit explanation.

VIII. CONCLUSION

This experiment engaged us to learn about the Parallel RLC circuit connection. As our group
followed methodically the procedure given at hand, it was still evident that the percentage error
garnered by the group is still relatively large compared to the computed values. Heeding to this, it is
in our assumption that given the systematic approach, the error may be attributed to the calibration of
the devices utilized.
Regarding the experiment it is important to take note that in a parallel RLC circuit, the circuit
current IS is the phasor sum made up of three components, IR, IL and IC with the supply voltage
common to all three. Thereby, Parallel RLC networks can be analyzed using vector diagrams just
the same as with series RLC circuits. However, the analysis of parallel RLC circuits is a little more
mathematically difficult therefore, it can be easily analyzed using Admittance Method. If we vary
the frequency across these circuits there must become a point where the capacitive reactance
value equals that of the inductive reactance and therefore, XC = XL. The frequency point at which
this occurs is called resonance. The resonance frequency is defined as the frequency at which
the impedance of the circuit is at a minimum. Equivalently, it can be defined as the frequency at
which the impedance is purely resistive. This occurs because the impedances of the inductor and
capacitor at resonance are equal but of opposite sign and cancel out. Also, in a circuit containing
inductor and capacitor, the energy is stored in two different ways: a.) when a current flows in a
inductor, energy is stored in magnetic field and b.) a capacitor is charged, energy is stored in
static electric field.

Given the results of the experiment, it is with clear conclusion that the group has gained vital
knowledge and insight regarding the RLC circuit not only theoretically but also in hands-on
analysis. However, it is important to take note that the group must still exercise a more precise
process in conducting the experiment to minimize the experimental error in the laboratory

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 DE LA SALLE LIPA
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
CKTS002 – CIRCUITS 2 LABORATORY EXPERIMENT