Laboratory №8

Oscilloscope and Function Generator, Transformers Basics

Section: 5
Date:
Anel Galymzhankyzy
Sulu Yntymakova
Alnur Zhumadil

Objectives:
● To use an oscilloscope and a function generator to read the wave's amplitude and
frequency (or period).
● To gain a basic understanding of transformers
● To observe transformer efficiency.
● To test the oscilloscope scale's sensitivity and accuracy.

Experimental Description:
In this experiment, it is required to obtain knowledge about transformers and understand
oscilloscope principles. This laboratory work is divided into two parts. In the first part, the
number of divisions in the sinusoidal curve should be identified using horizontal and vertical
scales. Now, in the second part, using different transformers (200 turns(blue), 400 turns(yellow),
800 turns(grey)) the values of frequencies and amplitude were obtained in order to plot a graph.
Also, two main apparatuses used in this experiment were signal generator and oscilloscope.

Experimental data:
Table 1. Initial setup for part 1
Frequency of
power, f, Hz 1000± 0.05
Voltage, V, V 5.0± 0.05
Vertical
sensitivity -
Voltage scale (
V/ div) 1.0 ±0.05
Horizontal
sensitivity -
Time scale
(s/div) 0.2 * 10^(-3)

Table 2. Measurements from oscilloscope for part 1

Amplitude Measured
from period
# Runs oscilloscope (ms)
 (V)
1 5.1 0.9
2 2.05 0.84
3 10 0.42

Table 3. Initial setup for part 1

Frequency of
power, f, Hz 500± 0.05
Voltage, V, V 5.0± 0.05
Start phase,
deg 0

Table 4. Measurements from oscilloscope for part 2

Number of Number of Amplitude
turns of turns of from Period from
primary secondary oscilloscope oscilloscop
# Runs circuit circuit (V) e (ms)
1 400 - 4.6 1.7
2 400 200 1.8 1.7
3 400 800 7.2 1.7

Data analysis:
Part1:
The period can be calculated by the following formula:
1
𝑇= 𝑓
(1)
where,
𝑓 - Frequency,𝐻𝑧.
The number of divisions for horizontal scale is equal to:
𝑇
𝑁 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
= ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦
(2)
where,
𝑇 - Period,𝑠.
To calculate the theoretical value of N for vertical scale:
𝑉
𝑁 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
= 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦
(3)
where,
𝑉 - Voltage,𝑉.
In order to find the error of T for horizontal scale we use the following formula:
∆𝑇 𝑒𝑥𝑝 = ∆𝑁 𝑒𝑥𝑝 * ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 (4)
In order to find the error of V for vertical scale:
∆𝑉 𝑒𝑥𝑝 = ∆𝑁 𝑒𝑥𝑝 * 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 (5)

Calculation1:
Horizontal/Time scale
Since we already have a frequency, the theoretical value of the period will be equal to:
1
𝑇= 1000𝐻𝑧
= 0. 001𝑠 = 1𝑚𝑠
Table 5. Values of calculated period
Number of runs Calculated period (ms)

1 1

2 1

3 0.5

Table 6. Experimental results of horizontal sensitivities after calibration

Horizontal sensitivity, Calculated number of Measured number Period, 𝑚𝑠
𝑚𝑠 divisions, 𝑑𝑖𝑣 of divisions, 𝑑𝑖𝑣
𝑑𝑖𝑣

1 5.00 0.20 0.20±0.50 1.00±2.50

2 1.00 1.00 1.00±0.50 1.00±2.50

3 0.50 2.00 2.00±0.50 1.00±2.50

4 0.20 5.00 5.00±0.50 1.00±2.50

Vertical/Voltage Scale
Table 7. Experimental results of vertical sensitivities after callibration
Vertical sensitivity, Calculated number of Measured number Peak to peak
𝑉 divisions, 𝑑𝑖𝑣 of divisions, 𝑑𝑖𝑣 value, 𝑉
𝑑𝑖𝑣

1 0.50 10.00 10.00±0.50 5.00±0.25

2 2.00 2.50 2.50±0.50 5.00±1.00

 Table 8. Results of Part 1
Number of Number of
divisions Number of divisions Number of
for divisions for for divisions for
amplitude period amplitude period
№ (calculated) (calculated) (measured) (measured)
5.00 2.00 5.1 ± 0.1 1.8 ± 0.1
1 (1V/div) (0.5ms/div) (1V/div) (0.5ms/div)
4.00 5.00 4.1 ± 0.1 4.2 ± 0.1
2 (0.5V/div) (0.2ms/div) (0.5V/div) (0.2ms/div)
5.00 5.00 5 ± 0.1 4.2 ± 0.1
3 (2V/div) (0.1ms/div) (2V/div) (0.1ms/div)

Part2:
Transformers
The voltage of primary coil:
𝑑Φ
𝑉 𝑝
=− 𝑁 𝑝 𝑑𝑡
𝐵
(6)
where,
𝑉 𝑝 - Primary coil’s voltage,𝑉;
𝑁 𝑝
- Number of turns in the primary coil;
Φ - Magnetic flux, 𝑉 * 𝑠;
𝑡 -time, 𝑠.
The voltage of secondary coil:
𝑑Φ
𝑉 𝑠
=− 𝑁 𝑠 𝑑𝑡
𝐵
(7)
where,
𝑉 𝑠 - Secondary coil’s voltage,𝑉;
𝑁 𝑠
- Number of turns in the primary coil;
Φ - Magnetic flux, 𝑉 * 𝑠;
𝑡 -time, 𝑠.
 The connection between primary and secondary coil voltage and the number of turns:
𝑁
𝑉 𝑠
= 𝑉 𝑝 𝑁
𝑠
(8)
𝑝

where,
𝑉 𝑝 - Primary coil’s voltage,𝑉;
𝑉 𝑠
- Secondary coil’s voltage,𝑉;
𝑁 𝑝
- Number of turns in the primary coil;
𝑁 𝑠
- Number of turns in the secondary coil.
Another formula for current magnitudes:
𝑁
𝐼 𝑠
= 𝐼 𝑝 𝑁
𝑝
(9)
𝑠

where,
𝐼 𝑝 - Primary coil’s current,𝐴;
𝐼 𝑠
- Secondary coil’s current,𝐴;
𝑁 𝑝
- Number of turns in the primary coil;
𝑁 𝑠
- Number of turns in the secondary coil.

In order to calculate the efficiency of the transformer, we must use this formula:
𝑉𝑠(𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙)
E= 𝑉𝑝(𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙)
× 100% (10)
where,
𝑉 𝑠 - secondary voltage, 𝑉;

𝑉 𝑝- primary voltage, 𝑉.

4.6
𝐸1 = 5
× 100% = 92%
3.6
𝐸2 = 5
× 100% = 72%
4.6
𝐸3 = 5
× 100% = 92%

Table 9. Results of Part 2

Number of Number of Number of Number of
Number of divisions for divisions divisions for divisions
divisions 𝑉𝑠 for 𝑉𝑠 period for period
№ 𝑁1 𝑁2 for 𝑉𝑝 (calculated) (measured) (calculated) (measured)
1 400 0 5.00 5.00 4.6± 0. 1 4 (0.5ms/div) 3.4± 0. 1
 (1V/div) (1V/div) (1V/div) (0.5ms/div)
5.00 5.00 3.6± 0. 1 3.4± 0. 1
2 400 200 (0.5V/div) (0.5V/div) (0.5V/div) 4 (0.5ms/div) (0.5ms/div)
5.00 5.00 4.6± 0. 1 3.4± 0. 1
3 400 800 (2V/div) (2V/div) (2V/div) 4 (0.5ms/div) (0.5ms/div)

Discussion:
Starting from answering the question in the video, why when a person touched the end of
the cable the change in line occurred? The main reason and the simple answer is that a human
caused the ground effect. Because the person is in the area of an electromagnetic field, its body
works as an antenna, i.e electromagnetic waves were caught by a human body, resulting in
changes observed in the oscilloscope.
For the first part of the experiment, we compared the obtained values for the number of
divisions for amplitude and period for both measured and calculated results. For example, from
Table 8 it can be observed that in the first run, the calculated number of divisions for amplitude
is 5 (1V/div) when its measured value is 5.1 ± 0.1 (1V/div). Also, the calculated number of
divisions for the period is 2(0.5ms/div), whereas its measured results are 1.8 ± 0.1 (0.5ms/div),
and other values can be observed in the above-mentioned table. Here it can be said that the errors
are not significant and results are quite accurate.
For the second part of the experiment, the numbers of divisions for the period and
numbers of divisions for secondary coils were obtained for both measured and calculated values.
For the first and the third run, 𝑉𝑠 (calculated) = 5 (1V/div) and 𝑉𝑠 (calculated) = 5 (2V/div) ,
while number of divisions it was 𝑉𝑠 (measured) = 4.6 ± 0.1 (1V/div) and 𝑉𝑠 (measured) = 4.6 ±
0.1 (2V/div) respectively. Number of divisions for period (calculated) is 4 (0.5ms/div), whilst its
measured result is 3.4 ± 0.1 (0.5ms/div) for all three runs. It resulted in forming Table 9 in the
analysis part. We can say that errors were not quite big, except for the second run, but deviations
still occurred. It can be said that the efficiency loss is not drastic. Mentioning the factors that
caused the deviations, the transformer’s coil material or frequency may not be perfectly adjusted
for the most precise and accurate results. And the sensitivity of the oscilloscope might be the
case too because even the slightest deviations in charge can influence the results.

Conclusion:
In this laboratory work, we use an oscilloscope and function generator to track the wave’s
amplitude and learn the basics of transformers. The theoretical and experimental results are quite
close, results show us that the efficiency loss of transformers is very small, and measured values
of signals of different amplitudes and wavelengths are correct. The possible reasons why the
errors occurred are the technical errors of equipment resulting in systematic errors and human
errors, which occurred during the setting of the equipment. Solutions are to use more advanced
equipment and be more accurate. Overall, the experiment was conducted successfully and all
objectives are achieved.

References

[1] S. J. Ling, W. Moebs, and J. Sanny, “University Physics Volume 2,” 06-Oct-2016. [Online].
Available: https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-2. [Accessed:
24-Jan-2021].

[2] R. A. Serway, J. W. Jewett, and V. Peroomian, Physics for scientists and engineers with
modern physics. Boston, MA: Cengage, 2019.

[3] Physics Labs, Lab 8 Oscilloscope and Function Generator, Transformers Basics, 2021.
Available: https://youtu.be/CB-UJKDdyME