Lab 1: Solderless Breadboards, Open-circuits and Short-circuits

Objective: 

Grant students familiarity with the resistance of the circuit based on the positioning of the circuit along the breadboard.

Procedure:

1.       Measure the resistance between two holes in the same row.

2.       Measure the resistance between two holes on opposite sides of the breadboard.

3.       Measure the resistance between two arbitrary holes along the breadboard.

4.       Measure the resistance between two holes connected by a jumper wire.

Lab Results:

1.       Provide the resistance you measured between two holes in the same row. State whether these operate as an open or closed circuit.

Figure 1.1 – Resistance measured between two holes of the same row. The value turned out to be 0.04 Ohms. This is a closed circuit as there is a complete path for the current to travel through, which is indicated by the presence of resistance.

2.       Provide the resistance you measured between two holes opposite sides of the channel. Characterize as an open or closed circuit.

Figure 1.2 – Resistance measured between two holes across the channel of the breadboard. The value shows 1 Ohm. However, this just means that there is infinite resistance. This is an open circuit as there is a break in the current path, which is indicated by lack of resistance.

3.       Provide the resistance you measured between two arbitrary holes in the breadboard. Characterize as an open or closed circuit.

Figure 1.3 – Resistance measured between two holes at any arbitrary point. We picked different rows and across the channel. The value shows 1 Ohm. This means that there is infinite resistance. This is an open circuit as the current path is broken, which is indicated by lack of resistance.

4.       Provide the resistance you measured between holes connected by a jumper wire. Characterize as an open or closed circuit.

Figure 1.4 – Resistance measured between two holes at any arbitrary point after being connected by a jumper wire. We used the same circuit as shown in Figure 1.3 but just attached two wires. The resistance was measured to be 0.04, which is the same as the initial conditions when the two wires were placed on the same row. This is a closed circuit as there is a current path, which is indicated by the presence of resistance.