RLC series circuit made simple and portable with smartphones

TL;DR

This paper introduces a portable, smartphone-based method for studying RLC series circuits, enabling accurate measurements of voltage and resonance frequency as an accessible educational tool.

Contribution

It presents a novel, low-cost approach using smartphones as signal generator and oscilloscope for electrical circuit experiments.

Findings

Smartphones accurately measure voltage and resonance frequency.

Experimental results align well with theoretical predictions.

The method offers a portable alternative to traditional lab equipment.

Abstract

This article presents a novel method for studying RLC series circuits using two smartphones, one used as a signal generator and the other as an oscilloscope. We measure the voltage at the external resistor as a function of frequency when subjected to a sinusoidal electromotive force. The experimental results demonstrate a remarkable agreement with the theoretical curve for the voltage at the resistor and the resonance frequency, validating the accuracy of the smartphone-based setup. The experiment fills the gap in educational materials related to electrical circuits and provides a portable alternative to traditional, expensive laboratory equipment.