DC/AC Student Guide: Wire Cable Characteristics

This 10-page lab activity is provided by Maricopa Advanced Technology Education Center (MATEC). "The purpose of this lab is to collect data on measurements, observe skin effect in wires and propagation delay in a cable, and summarize your findings." This lab activity includes information on the equipment needed, learning objectives, a detailed procedure, prerequisite knowledge and skills, and more.

Student learning activity outcomes include:

• Define conductor, insulator, and semiconductor materials.
• Apply Ohm's and Kirchhoff's laws to solve series, parallel, and series-parallel circuit problems as well as loaded and unloaded voltage divider problems.
• Define and identify a sine wave and determine frequency, period, peak, peak-to-peak (pp) and root mean square (rms) values of a sine wave.
• Measure AC voltage, current, impedance, frequency, period, duty cycle, rise/fall time, pulse width and phase angle with an oscilloscope and function generator.
• Name the most common types of wire and cable, state where each is used, and make basic wire/cable tests and measurements.