Experinment

A2
AlM
To determine resistance
of a given wire standard resistor using metre

bridge

APPARATUS REQUIRED
Metre bridge
Given wire of about
1 m length

Connecting wire
.Sandpaper
Plug key
.Cell orbattery eliminator
.Resistancebox
.Galvanometer
.Jockey
Rheostat

DESCRIPTION OF THE APPARATUS

on
metre long constantanor mamganin wire (AC)of uniform cross-sectional area mounted
to terminals A and C. Two thick
ofone
It consists
to a metre scale. Thetwoends of the wire are attached
a wooden boárd parallel a Wheatstone
are used to provieétwogaps between ab and cd to connect resistors forming
L-shapedmetal strips the other terminal of the
bridge.
The terminal D between fhé gaps is used for connecting galvanometef and
is connected to a jockey J.
gadvanometer

THEORY/PRINCIPLE/FORMULA
It consists of four resistances P, Q,
R and
The metre bridge works on the principle of Wheatstone bridge.
four resistances in
circuit as shown in (6). It can be used to determine any one of the
S connected in the Fig.
terms of the remaining three.
In this
For a balanced bridge with the keys K and K, closed, no current flows through the galvanometer.
condition we have;

LAB MANUAL OF PHYSICSCLASS XI

 Metre bridge, also called slide wire bridge, is a practical form of Wheatstone bridge. If and $ are R
resistances in the gaps ab and od (Fig. a) of the bridge and B is the balance point on a one metre long wire Ac C
of uniform area of cross-section, we have

RResistance ofwire AB
S Resistance of wire BC
AC 100 cm is a constantan or manganin wire of uniform area of eross-section and resistances of AB and BC
are proportional to their lengths.

100-1

S Rx(100-/
DIAGRAM
Unknown Resistance

RB R

Resistance D
ww S

-
10
Box

20 30 40
Galvanometer
60 00 70 00 00
d

100
K
-1, Gw
mnammnmmmomm mmuhmhmmmhmhamulm

B
(100-1)-
R 1-,+
E K D

K
Lechlanche Rh
cell

Fig. (a) Metre Bridge Fig. (6)

OBSERVATIONS
Unknown Resistance
Name of the material of wire =
A.1.
9. Standard value of specific resistance from table =. 2m.
TABLE
Resistance
S. Ri right gap
No. from resistance Position of Balancing Length S' Mean S =
Positionof Balencing Length
box X (Q) balancing8 length,I 100-1 R(100-1)
of length, 100-
R(100- r) S+S
Balancing 2
point
(cm)
B (cm) (cm) point, B r (cm) (cm) (2) (O
(cm)

1. 435
53 53
43.s 5 5 259
2 3 y7 2-66
59.4 59-4 406 273
5
3.

s6 65 6S
69.5 67,5 305 243
35 2.69

33 2.44
Mean value of unknown resistance, ._S+S+S+S, tSs _
5
PRECAUTIONS
1. Draw the diagram before making connections.
circuit

2 3.
Clean the ends of the connecting wires before making connections.
The connections should be neat and tight
4. The plugs of the resistance box should be tight.

5. The value of R should be varied in small steps only (preferably 0.1 ohm each time).
6. The current should be passed for minimum possible time.
7. The balance point should lie between 40 cm and 60 cm.
8. The resistance wire should not be allowed to form a loop.

SOURCES OF ERROR
1. There may be error due to contact resistances.
2. Length of the wire used up in connections may not be correctly estimated.
flows continuously for somee
3. There may be a change in resistance due to heating of wires when current
time.
and connecting
4 The measurement of resistance is affected by the end resistances due to copper strips

screws.