RLC Circuits

In this lab, students will learn about RLC circuits. These circuits consist of a resistor (R), inductor (L), and capacitor (C) wired in series, parallel, or any combination of the two. RLC circuits are oscillators, meaning that they produce a periodic, oscillating electronic signal. Each RLC circuit has its own resonant frequency, an input frequency at which the circuit exhibits distinctive behavior. For this lab, students will be given an RLC circuit and asked to calculate its resonant frequency. They will then build that circuit with the NI ELVIS III to observe how it behaves and confirm its resonant frequency using the Bode analyzer.