KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA

CLRI CHENNAI

PHYSICS
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
2022-2023

TOPIC: WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

NAME: EUNICE SHERINE
ROLL NO: 12229
CLASS: XII B
 CERTIFIATE OF EXCELLENCE

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT EUNICE SHERINE, A

STUDENT
OF CLASS XII-B OF KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA
C.L.R.I HAS
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE RESEARCH
ON THE
BELOW MENTIONED PROJECT UNDER THE
GUIDANCE
OF MRS. PRERANA (SUBJECT TEACHER)
DURING THE
YEAR 2022-23 IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
PHYSICS PRACTICAL EXAMINATION
CONDUCTED BY
AISSCE, NEW DELHI.
 CERTIFIATE OF EXCELLENCE

IN THE ACOMPLISHMENT OF THE PROJECT

SUCESSFULLY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEST
OWNED UPON THEIR BLESSINGS AND THE
HEART PLEDGED SUPPORT. THIS TIME I AM
UTILIZING TO THANKS ALL THE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN ONCERNED WITH THE PROJECT.
PRIMALRLY I WOULD THANK GOD FOR BEING
AB CERTIFIATE OF EXCELLENCE LE TO
COMPLETE THIS PROJECT WITH SUCCESS.
THEN I WOULD THANK MY PRINCIPAL, MR.
RAMA PRASAD AND MY PHYSICS TEACHER
MRS. PRERANA WHOSE VALUABLE GUIDANCE
HAS BEEN THE ONES THAT HELPED ME PATCH
THIS PROJECT. THEIR SUGGESTIONS AND
INSTRUCTIONS HAVE SERVED AS THE MAJOR
CONTRIBUTIOR TOWARD THE COMPLETION OF
THE PROJECT. LAST BUT NO LEAST I WOULD
LIKE TO THANK MY PARENTS AND MY
CLASSMATES WHO HELPED ME A LOT FOR
THIS PROJECT
 INDEX

WHAT IS WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

CONSTRUCTON OF WHEATSTONE BRIDGE
WHEATSTONE BRIDGE: 1. PRINCIPLE
2. DEREVATIONS
3. FORMULA
4. APPLICATONS
5. LIMITATIONS
 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
the potential difference across it.
 WHEATSTONE PRINCIPAL

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
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).
But if the bridge is unbalanced, then the direction of the
electric current indicates whether the value of the R2 is
too high or too low.
If R1, R2, and R3 are known, but R2 is not adjustable,
then the potential difference 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-

Detecting zero current in the galvanometer is a work of

very high precision. If R1, R2, AND R3 are known to
high precision, then Rx can be measured to the high
precision. A very small change to the Rx can disturb
the stability of the Wheatstone bridge and it can be
easily detected by the galvanometer
 WHEATSTONE DERIVATION

The current enters the galvanometer and divides into

two equal magnitude currents as I1 and I2. The
following condition exists when the current through a
galvanometer is zero,

The currents in the bridge, in a balanced condition, are

expressed as follows:

Here, E is the emf of the battery.

By substituting the value of I1 and I2 in equation (1),
we get
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:

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 APPLICATIONS

 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.