Measuring Voltage Using A Microcontroller

Image of a microcontroller
Learning Goals

Learning Goals:

  1. Students will apply Ohm’s Law.
  2. Students will use a multimeter to measure current, voltage, and resistance. 3. Students will use a breadboard to set up a series circuit.
  3. Students will read circuit diagrams.
  4. Students will calculate times for an RC circuit to change state.
  5. Students will prove that resistors in series have an equivalent resistance equal to their individual sums.
  6. Students will program the Basic Stamp to measure voltage levels in a voltage divider and RC circuit.
Materials List

Handouts

Group Supplies

  • LED
  • Multimeter
  • Photoresistor
  • 220 Ohm resistor
  • 440 Ohm resistor
  • 2k Ohm resistor
  • 10K Ohm resistor
  • uF Capacitor
  • 5k Ohm potentiometer
  • Basic stamp homework board
  • Jumper wires

Important Links

Next Generation Science Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

  • HS-PS3-1. Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.
  • HS-PS3-3. Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
  • HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
  • HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
  • HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem-based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Lesson 1 of 5 / Time: 2 hours 30 mins

This lesson was developed as the first in a unit that culminates in the construction of a robotic sunflower that tracks the sun. While it will provide a lot of the foundational knowledge that the rest of the unit will be built on, it is helpful if students have some understanding of basic electricity concepts, including voltage, current, resistance, how a diode works and how to use a multimeter.

 

Robotic Sunflower

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