What could be the possible sources of error if the circuit experiment was to be done in a laboratory.
Answers
1.Wrong connecting the circuit
The ammeter is used to measure the current. It always connects in series with the circuit. Wrong connecting the ammeter will damage the instrument.
The voltmeter measures the potential difference between two points. It connects in parallel to the circuit. Wrong connecting the voltmeter will yield wrong readings.
2. Wrong taking the readings
Wrong measurements usually happen due to careless handling behavior. Carefully take the readings to avoid the errors.
3. Systematic errors —Tolerance values of resistors
Carbon and metal film resistors are the most popular class of resistors which are employed in our labs. Such resistors have a tolerance value which ranges between 0.05-20%. The leftmost band of carbon resistors indicates the possible tolerance of resistance. A silver band indicates a tolerance of 10%, the golden band indicates 5% and brown band indicates 1%. More tolerance means your resistance, and thus the voltage/current will fluctuate away from the theoretical value.
4. Quality of Multimeter
Your multimeter is the actual tool which measures the electrical quantities. While low-quality multimeters yield wrong observations, they are equally dangerous. Again you have two choices.
5. Variable DC Power Supply
A variable power supply displays the output voltages on its main screen. For the time being, the accuracy of components decreases and your supply might display wrong results. Such cases are common in general labs where supplies are used thousands of times.