Scott Hall

Lab Report #4
Wheatstone Bridge
Sunday, August 2, 2015

Abstract
This lab was conducted in order to gain familiarization with the Wheatstone Bridge method for finding the resistance
in a resistor of unknown value. This is technology that predates the digital multimeter, however the theory is still
applicable, and is in fact at work within a digital ohmmeter. For this experiment a Wheatstone bridge circuit was
constructed from component parts and used to determine the resistance of 5 different lengths of conductive wire.
Measurements were made for each of the five coils and the resistance calculated analytically. The results were
compared to a direct reading made with a digital ohmmeter. Four of the five coils were found to have a resistance
value within 2% error of the reading made directly from a multimeter. The remaining coil provided a large value for
the error and was considered suspect. Finally, the resistivity was calculated experimentally for the coils and
produced a large degree of error. This was suspected to be a result of unaccounted for internal resistance of the many
components involved in the Wheatstone bridge apparatus.

Introduction and Theory

In 1833 Samuel Hunter Christie came up with the initial design and theory for a means of testing an unknown
resistance. The Wheatstone bridge owes its name, however, due to further refinement and subsequent popularization
by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1843. It is used to measure an unknown electrical resistance by balancing two legs of a
bridged circuit. The first leg includes the unknown component while the second contains resistors of known values.


Figure 1. Example Wheatstone Bridge Schematic

The unknown resistor is RX, while the value of RS is known, and the two resistors R1 and R2 have a known ratio of
R2/R1. A galvanometer (G) measures the voltage difference VAB between points A and B. Either the known resistor
RS, or the ratio R2/R1 is adjusted until the voltage difference VAB is zero and no current flows through G. When
VAB = 0, the bridge is said to be balanced. At this point the value for the unknown maybe calculated from the
known values. A convenient advantage of the Wheatstone bridge is that, because it uses a null measurement, (VAB =
0), the galvanometer does not have to be calibrated.

Materials and Methods

Multimeter
Adjustable/Selectable decade resistor box
Adjustable power supply
Connecting jumper cables
2 Alligator clips
1 meter length of conducting wire
Meter stick
Galvanometer
The Wheatstone bridge was assembled using the requisite components listed above (see also figure 2). The power
supply was engaged and the moveable contact point from the mulitmter was applied to the conductive wire along a
meter stick. The probe was adjusted from left to right along the length of the wire until the galvanometer gave a zero
value. The lengths L1 and L2 were recorded into the data table. Rx was then calculated using the ratio described by
the following formula:
RX = l1/l2 RS
The process was repeated, substituting the first trials RX value as the new known value, and calculating the new RX
with the formula:
RX = l2/l1 RS
The average value for RX for the two trials was then used to calculated the resistivity from experimental values for
each coil of wire. As a means for calculating the resistivity of each coil, RX was used along with the known values
for the area and length of each wire, according to the following equations:
RX = L/A
= RX A/L


Figure 2. Wheatstone Bridge Setup

Results
Table 1.
Coil #

l1 (cm)

l2 (cm)

l1/l2 (cm)

RS (ohms)

RX (ohms)

Rxmultimeter (ohms)

% error

1
2
3
4
5

54.0
50.3
50.7
50.0
50.0

46.0
49.7
49.3
50.0
50.0

1.174
1.012
1.028
1.000
1.000

0.80
2.60
1.40
4.80
9.70

0.94
2.63
1.44
4.80
9.70

0.8
2.6
1.4
4.8
9.7

14.81
1.19
2.75
0.00
0.00

Coil #

l1 (cm)

l2 (cm)

l2/l1 (cm)

RS (ohms)

RX (ohms)

Rxmultimeter (ohms)

% error

1
2
3
4
5

49.3
50.3
50.3
50.0
50.0

50.7
49.7
49.7
50.0
50.0

1.03
0.99
0.99
1.00
1.00

0.94
2.63
1.44
4.80
9.70

0.97
2.60
1.42
4.80
9.70

0.8
2.6
1.4
4.8
9.7

2.84
1.19
1.19
0.00
0.00

% Error

Table 2.

Table 3.
Coil #

Rxmultimeter
(ohms)

Avg. Rx

Length (m)

Radius
(10-4m)

Area
(10-8m2)

Resistivity
(10-8 ohm*m)

Accepted Value
(10-8 ohm*m)

0.8

0.93

10

3.2

32.17

2.96

1.70

74.12

2
3

2.6
1.4

2.65
1.45

10
20

1.6
3.2

8.04
32.17

2.12
2.32

1.70
1.70

24.71
36.47

4
5

4.8
9.7

4.80
9.70

20
10

1.6
3.2

8.04
32.17

1.92
31.04

1.70
33.00

12.94
5.94

Discussion and Questions

This procedure was very effective at demonstrating the application, and usefulness of, the Wheatstone bridge. While
there was some error in these results they appear to be limited to a single coil (#1, 10m length of 3.210-4 radius
copper wire). In every case save for coil #1, the margin of error when compared to the multimeter was within a
reasonable degree. The coils were built into a prefabricated apparatus. As part of a whole it could not be modified or
inspected for damage. It is possible the coil was defective, suffered from corrosion, stored improperly, or even
damaged. Once the calculations were made there became evident a high degree of error for the final resistivity
values. This is possibly due to the lack of consideration for internal resistances for all of the hardware involved in
the modular nature of the whole experiment. The power supply, the multimeter, the galvanometer, the decade
resistor box, and the multiple coil apparatus, all have some degree of internal resistance. This cumulative effect no
doubt had a significant impact on the final calculation of rho.