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Ask an Expert Forum Need help to understand whats happening with simple led circuit?
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Need help to understand whats happening with simple led circuit?

mk1manno
mk1manno over 10 years ago

Hi had a mate ring me today said he had a circuit made with a 12 volt power supply, a led, a 220ohm resistor and a push switch to turn it on and off when testing with multimeter black lead on ground and push button not pressed so led is not lighting tested circuit with red lead first put red lead to just after resister and got 12 volts like we should then put red lead to anode of led and again got 12 volts like we should but then put red lead of meter to cathode and read 10 volts and led is on very dim when I would of though we should either get 0 volts or else 12 volts and no led on .Can someone please explain why this is to me and sorry if this is a basic question just can find this explained any where all info is with circuit running.

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  • dougw
    dougw over 10 years ago +1
    If I understand the setup correctly, it sounds like the input impedance of the meter is low enough that some current is flowing through the meter to ground - just enough current to dimly illuminate the…
  • Robert Peter Oakes
    Robert Peter Oakes over 10 years ago +1
    OK, OK, this is all speculation We know that LEDs can light dimly with very, very low current so we need to know about the multimenter being used here It is all basic ohms law, and there seems to be enough…
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  • Robert Peter Oakes
    0 Robert Peter Oakes over 10 years ago

    OK, OK, this is all speculation

     

    We know that LEDs can light dimly with very, very low current so we need to know about the multimenter being used here

     

    It is all basic ohms law, and there seems to be enough current to light the weeeee LED a bit

     

    so WHAT IS THE MULTIMETER BEING USED, if it is a cheap version then an 0K or more current is more than enough to light the LED with that voltage being applied even through 10K or so

     

    So it is down to the poster to provide the details

     

    Peter

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  • yagi
    0 yagi over 10 years ago in reply to Robert Peter Oakes

    No Peter, not speculation, but my analysis based on the facts available. 

     

    I advised the OP to next check the LED cathode connection as this is probably much easier for him (given we know he has a multimeter) than getting accurate information on the meter. 

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  • yagi
    0 yagi over 10 years ago in reply to Robert Peter Oakes

    No Peter, not speculation, but my analysis based on the facts available. 

     

    I advised the OP to next check the LED cathode connection as this is probably much easier for him (given we know he has a multimeter) than getting accurate information on the meter. 

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