POWER MEASUREMENT IN RESISTIVE LOAD CIRCUITS

Experiment No.2
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the experiment, the students are expected to:
1
2
3
4

Identity the electrical characteristics of resistive load circuit.

Determine the power dissipation of resistive element based on voltage-current,
power and resistance measurement.
Compare the hot and cold resistance of resistive element.
Describe passive circuits and active circuits.

THEORY AND DISCUSSION:

Power is the rate of change of electrical energy at any instant of time.
P = dW / dt, and W =

P dt

equation (1)

Where: P = power in Watts, or Newton-meter per second

W = work or energy in Joules, or watt-sec
t = time in seconds
At constant rate, the power is directly proportional to the product of the measured voltage and
current. Hence, power = voltage x current, watts or volt-ampere. A load of 1 ampere at 1-volt potential
difference will produce a 1-watt of electrical power consumption. Instrument used for measuring the actual
consumed power by the load is wattmeter. The current through a material depends not only upon the
voltage impressed but also the properties of the material that contains resistance. Conductivity varies with
different a material that possesses a reciprocal property that tends to oppose current. This property is
called electrical resistance or plain resistance. A resistor is a device that possesses this property and is as
much a property of a wire as its malleability, or as in the resiliency of a spring or oil viscosity. The load
resistance can be obtained by means of the measured voltage and current otherwise known as hot
resistance. Reciprocal of resistance is conductance, there are four factors affects the resistance of the
conductor aside from voltage and current. These are (a) the type of material, (b) the length, (c) crosssectional area, and (d) temperature.
The resistance of an electric conductor is dependent upon the temperature of the material; it has
been proven experimentally that as the temperature increase, the resistance will also increase. This is due
to the passage of increased load current and within the usual temperature range; the resistance varies
linearly with the temperature. This temperature increase gives hot resistance of a conducting material
hence;

POWER MEASUREMENT IN RESISTIVE LOAD CIRCUITS

Experiment No.2
R2 / (T + t2) = R1 / (T + t1), or R2 = R1 [1 + a1 (t2 t2)], ohms equation (2)
Where:

R2 = resistance at temperature (t1), in ohms

R1 = resistance at temperature (t2), in ohms
T = inferred absolute temperature, degree Celsius
a = coefficient of temperature per degree Celsius
t2 = final temperature, degree Celsius
t1 = initial temperature, degree Celsius

When a conductor posses by an electric current, heat develop due to its resistance. The heat that
is transformed is a power loss. A 1-watt power loss is equivalent for every 1-meter feeder conductor having
a resistance of 1 ohm. The power loss will also depend on the length of the conductor, which therefore
introduces a certain voltage drop. The power consumed by a DC load network can also be calculated
through the total resistance and the current or the potential difference. From Joules law- power is equal to
the square of the current times the resistance or the square of the voltage over the resistance hence;
P = l2 x R = V2 / R, watts equation (3)
Where: P = Power in Watts or Newton-meter per second
l = Current drawn by the load in ampere
V = Applied Voltage
R = Resistance in ohms

Experimentally, the power consumed by a DC network as being measured by the wattmeter is the
same as the square of the measured current times the hot resistance. Power measurement in resistive
network is significant when dealing with the evaluation of power loss and efficiency in DC power
transmission lines.

DATA AND RESULT:

POWER MEASUREMENT IN RESISTIVE LOAD CIRCUITS

Experiment No.2
Resistive
Measured
Element
Resistance,
Ohms
One (1)
Incandescent
Bulb
Two (2)
Incandescent
Bulbs in
Parallel
Three (3)
Incandescent
Bulbs in
Parallel

Measured
Voltage,
Volts

Measured
Current,
Amps

Measured
Power,
Watts

% Difference in
Power
Dissipation

INTERPRETATION OF DATA AND RESULT:

OBSERVATION / FINDINGS:

CONCLUSION:
In this experiment we identify the electrical characteristics of resistive load circuit. Determine the power
dissipation of resistive element based on voltage-current, power and resistance measurement. Compare
the hot and cold resistance of resistive element and describe passive circuits and active circuits.