Name: Date:

CYBERJAYA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

FOUNDATION IN SCIENCE

EXPERIMENT 5: WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this experiment, you should be able to:
1. explain the principles on which the operation of the Wheatstone bridge is based
2. determine the value of several unknown resistances

EQUIPMENT:
1. Direct-current power supply or dry-cell battery
2. Wheatstone Bridge
3. Resistors (R1 and R2 = 220Ω)
4. Five color-coded resistors (range, 100 to 100000Ω) to serve as unknowns (RX)
5. Switch
6. Meter ruler
7. Sliding contact
8. Digital Multimeter
9. Jumper wire
10. Crocodile clip

PRE-LAB QUESTIONS (ASSIGNMENT #5): Submit together with the lab#5 report

Figure 6-1

1. When the Wheatstone bridge in Figure 6-1 is balanced, which of the following statements
are true? (More than one may be true) [4]
(a) There is no current in the unknown resistor
(b) There is no current in the galvanometer
(c) There is no voltage drop across the galvanometer
(d) The currents in R1 and R3 are the same
(e) The currents in R1 and R2 are the same
(f) The voltage in R1 and R3 are the same
(g) The voltage in R1 and R2 are the same

2. The slide-wire form of the Wheatstone bridge makes use of the fact that
(a) the resistance of a wire is equal to its length
(b) the resistance of a wire is proportional to its cross-sectional area
(c) the resistance of a wire is proportional to its length
(d) the resistance of a wire is inversely proportional to its length [2]

Physics Lab 2
1
3. A Wheatstone bridge as shown in Figure 6-3 R1 = 3.5 kΩ, R2 = 7 kΩ, and galvanometer
null is obtained when R3 = 5.51 kΩ. Calculate the value of RX. Show your work. [3]

4. A wire of cross-sectional area 5.00 x 10-6 m2 has a resistance of 1.75 Ω. What is the
resistance of a wire of the same material and the length as the first wire, but with a cross-
sectional area of 8.75 x 10-6 m2? Show your work. [3]

5. Does the measurement of resistance using the Wheatstone bridge depend on the value of
the power supply voltage used? If it does, explain why; if it does not, explain why not. [3]

6. The resistivity of copper is 1.72 x 10-8 m. A copper wire is 15.0 m long, and the wire
diameter is 0.0500 cm. What is the resistance of the wire? Show your work.
[2]

Physics Lab 2
2
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDUCES:

Figure 6-2

1. Use the resistor code table to read the nominal values of the five unknown resistors and
record them in Data Table 1. Record the smallest value as Unknown #1, and then the
remaining ones in increasing order.
2. Adjust the power supply voltage to 1.50 V. Leave the power supply fixed at this value for
all the measurements. All measurements should be made with the same voltage, which has
been choosing so that the currents in all resistors of the circuit will be small.
3. Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 6-2
4. Slide the contact key along the wire and find the equilibrium point where there is no
deflection in the galvanometer.
5. Measure the lengths of wire l1 and l2.
6. Repeat the procedure above for another 4 different resistors.
7. Use the resistance scale on a multimeter to measure the value of each of the five
unknown resistors and record those values in Data Table 2.

CALCULATIONS:

1. Using equation 1, calculate and record the resistance for the experimental values of the
five unknown resistors in the Data Table 1. [5]

Rx = Rs (l2/l1) (1)

2. Calculate and record the mean and standard error for the three measurements of each of
the five resistors. [5]

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:

1. Record your reading in tables as follows: [10]

Physics Lab 2
3
 Data Table 1

Rx= Average Average deavation

Rs (Ω) l1 (cm) l2 (cm) Rs(l2/l1) Rx(Ω) Rx(Ω)
Unknown #1
Coded
Value
( Ω)
Unknown #2
Coded
Value
( Ω)
Unknown #3
Coded
Value
( Ω)
Unknown #4
Coded
Value
( Ω)

Data Table 2

Unknown#
1 2 3 4
Resistance(Ω)

QUESTION:
1. Assume there is an uncertainty of 0.03 cm in locating the position B of the contact on the
slide wire. What percentage error does this introduce in the determination of AB/BD and
thus the measured value of resistance when B is at 50 cm? What percentage result when B is
at 10 cm. [3]

2. Compare your Wheatstone bridge values of the five unknown resistors with the values in
Data Table 2 determined by using the multimeter. Calculate the percentage errors for each
resistor assuming Data Table 2 as correct. For each resistor is the agreement better or worse
than agreement with the coded values? [3]

CONCLUSION:
State your conclusion from this experiment. [2]

**Number in brackets denotes allocated marks

Marks Allocated for: Contents & presentation of lab report [5]
Attendance & Conduct [5]
TOTAL MARKS [ ]

Physics Lab 2
4
APPENDIX:

Table 2-1: Resistor Color Code Chart

Physics Lab 2
5