Measure Voltage: Self-Check

• In this activity, you learned:
  • how to measure the voltages across elements in a circuit using a voltmeter and
  • how Kirchhoff’s voltage law applies to voltage in a circuit.
• Were you successfully able to determine the voltage at multiple points in the circuit?
• Do you understand why the voltage is different when measuring across different components?
• Are you able to apply KVL when calculating voltage across elements in a circuit?

Questions

1. If you expect the voltage across the elements in a circuit to add up to the supply voltage, what law would you be relying on?
2. If two parts are connected in series, describe how they are connected.

Exercises

1. A supply is 12 V, and there’s a circuit with 3 elements in series.  The voltages across two of the elements are 6 V and 4 V.  What is the voltage across the third element?
2. A supply is 2 V, and there’s a circuit with 3 elements in series.  The voltages across two of the elements are .5 V and 0.75 V.  What is the voltage across the third element?

Projects

1. Connect two 220 Ω resistors in series between 3.3 V and GND, and verify that KVL applies.
2. Connect two 1000 Ω resistors in series between 3.3 V and GND, and verify that KVL applies.