Scribd
Upload
8 views

wheatstone bridge

The Wheatstone bridge is a circuit used to measure unknown resistance by balancing two legs of the circuit, consisting of known and variable resistors. It operates on the principle of null deflection and provides accurate measurements, with applications in various fields including temperature and strain measurement. Despite its advantages, it has limitations such as inaccuracies under unbalanced conditions and sensitivity to high DC currents.

Uploaded by

arifa20387
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
8 views

wheatstone bridge

The Wheatstone bridge is a circuit used to measure unknown resistance by balancing two legs of the circuit, consisting of known and variable resistors. It operates on the principle of null deflection and provides accurate measurements, with applications in various fields including temperature and strain measurement. Despite its advantages, it has limitations such as inaccuracies under unbalanced conditions and sensitivity to high DC currents.

Uploaded by

arifa20387
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 13

INDEX

1. WHAT IS WHEATSTONE
BRIDGE
2. CONSTRUCTION OF
WHEATSTONE BRIDGE
3. WHEATSTONE BRIDGE:
 PRINCIPLE
 DEREVATION
 FORMULA
 APPLICATION
 LIMITATION
 SUMMARY

WHAT IS WHEATSTONE BRIDGE


 Wheatstone bridge also known as
the resistance bridge calculates
the unknown resistance by
balancing two legs of the bridge
circuit. One leg includes the
component of unknown
resistance.
 The Wheatstone Bridge Circuit
comprises two known resistors,
one unknown resistor and one
variable resistor connected in the
form of a bridge. This bridge is
very reliable as it gives accurate
measurement.
 The wheat bridge was invented by
Samuel hunter christie in 1833
and improved and popularised by
Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1843.
One of the Wheatstone bridge’s
initial uses was for soil analysis
and comparison.

CONSTRUCTION OF WHEATSTONE
BRIDGE
A Wheatstone bridge circuit consists
of four arms of which two arms
consist of known resistances while
the other two arms consist of an
unknown resistance and a variable
resistance. The circuit also consists
of a galvanometer and an
electromotive force source. The emf
source is attached between points a
and b while the galvanometer is
connected between points c and d.
The current that flows through the
galvanometer depends on potential
difference across it.
WHEATSTONE PRINCIPLE
whether the value of the R2 is too
high or too low. The Wheatstone bridge works
on the principle of null deflection, i.e. the ratio of their
resistances are equal and no current flows through the
circuit. Under normal conditions, the bridge is in an
unbalanced condition where current flows through the
galvanometer. The bridge is said to be in a balanced
condition when no current flows through the
galvanometer. This condition can be achieved by
adjusting the known resistance and the variable
resistance.

So, at this balanced or stable condition, the ratio of the


two resistances in the known leg (R2/R1) is equal to the
ratio of the two resistances in the unknown leg (Rx/R3).

en Rx can be measured to the high precis


ion. A very small change to the Rx can disturb the
stability of the Wheatstone bridge and it can be easily
detected by thBut if the bridge is unbalanced, then
the direction of the electric current indicate
If R1, R2, R3 are known, but R2 is not adjustable,
then the potential differences across or current flow
through the galvanometer can be used to calculate
the value of Rx by using Kirchhoff’s circuit laws.

At the balanced condition –


 RR 21 = RRx3

 Rx=
R2
R1
.R3

Detecting zero current in the galvanometer is a work of


very high precision. If R1, R2, and R3 are known to high
precision, the galvanometer.
WHEATSTONE DERIVATION
The current enters the galvanometer
and divides into two equal
magnitude currents as 11 and 12.
The following condition exists when
the current through a galvanometer
is zero.

I1P = I2R  (1)

The currents in the bridge, in a


balanced condition, are expressed as
follows:
E
I1 = I3 = P+ Q
E
I2 = I4 = R +S

Here, E is the emf of the battery.


By substituting the value of 11 and
12 in equation (1),
We get,
PE ℜ
=
P+ Q R+ S
P R
=
P+ Q R+ S

P(R+S) = R(P+Q)
PR + PS = RP + RQ
PS = RQ  (2)
P
R= Q
×S  (3)
Equation (2) shows the balanced
condition of the bridge while (3)
determines the value of the unknown
resistance.

In the figure, R is the unknown


resistance, S is the standard arm of
the bridge and P and Q is the ratio
arm of the bridge.
WHEATSTONE FORMULA
Following is the formula used for
Wheatstone bridge:
PS
R= Q

Where,
 R is the unknown resistance
 S is the standard arm of the
bridge
 P and Q is the ratio of the arm of
bridge

WHEATSTONE APPLICATION
 The Wheatstone bridge is used for
the precise measurement of low
resistance.
 Wheatstone bridge along with an
operational amplifier is used to
measure physical parameters
such as temperature, light and
strain.
 Quantities such as
impedance, inductance and
capacitance can be
measured using variations
on the Wheatstone bridge.
 For low resistance
measurement, the resistance
of the leads and contacts
becomes significant and
introduces an error.
 For high resistance
measurement, the
measurement presented by
the bridge is so large that
the galvanometer is
insensitive to imbalance.
 The other drawback is the
change in the resistance due
to the heating effect of the
current through the
resistance. Excessive current
may even cause a
permanent change in the
value of resistance.

WHEATSTONE LIMITATION
Along with all these
advantages, there are a few
limitation of the Wheatstone
bridge as well, such as:
 Reading may be
inaccurate under
unbalanced conditions.
 The range of measured
resistance varies from a
few ohms to mega ohms.
 Susceptibility for high dc
current is not there.

SUMMARY
 Created in 1833, popularized
in 1840s
 Wheatstone bridge are one
of the best methods of
measuring resistance due to
the basic mathematical ratio
involved.
 Accurate standards with
sensitive enough voltmeter,
measurements of resistance
within 0.05% cab be
reached.
 Many calibration laboratories
still use this method today.
 The Wheatstone Bridge are
replaceable; however, for its
simplicity and versatility the
circuit is an indispensable
piece of technology.

You might also like