EEB2053 : INSTRUMENTATION & MEASUREMENT

Lecturer : Ms Suhaila Badarol Hisham

Lab Experiment 3: STRAIN GAUGE

Date: Tuesday, 14th March 2023

10 am – 12 pm, 1st Session Group 3

Name ID Number
Muhammad Faiz bin Bakrin 20001169

EXPERIMENT 4 OBJECTIVES:

1. To observe the characteristics of a cantilevered strain gauge.

2. To determine relationship between stress, voltage and resistance measurements.
PROCEDURES

1. The Lab-Volt training board was switched on.

2. On the Strain Gauge module, the dial was adjusted so that no stress was applied by
the black clamp at the bottom end of the metal plate. A jumper (shown as white
block) was placed across the unknown resistance terminals.
3. Using a digital multimeter, the resistance of the strain gauge from the variable
resistor terminal, and the op-amp voltage output was measured.
4. Measurements in Step 3 was repeated for 6 quarter-turns in a clockwise (CW)
direction, turning the dial a quarter at a time.

Figure 1: Quarter-turn clockwise (CW)

5. The dial was returned to its original no-stress position. Then, the resistance and op-
amp voltage output measurements in Step 3 was repeated for 6 quarter-turns in the
counterclockwise (CCW) direction, turning the dial one quarter at a time.
6. All the measurements were recorded in Table 1 and 2 (stress in quarter-turns,
voltage and resistance). The relationship of (i) stress vs. resistance and (ii) stress vs.
voltage was plotted.
RESULTS & ANALYSIS

Clockwise Direction (CW)

Stress Voltage measured (V) Resistance measured (MΩ)

(quarter-
V1 V2 V3 Avrg R1 R2 R3 Avrg
turns)

1st turn 2.70 2.57 2.54 2.57 9.36 9.55 9.85 9.60

2nd turn 2.41 2.30 2.40 2.37 8.32 8.22 8.35 8.30

3rd turn 2.20 2.17 2.22 2.19 7.25 7.34 7.16 7.25

4th turn 2.05 1.83 1.85 1.91 6.03 5.77 5.70 5.83

5th turn 1.53 1.46 1.37 1.45 1.84 1.41 1.71 1.65

6th turn 1.23 1.10 1.27 1.20 1.41 1.39 1.21 1.34

Table 1
Table 1 shows 6 voltage and resistance readings when the dial on the strain gauge is turned
at the clockwise (CW) direction. The voltage and resistance measurements get lower as the
dial is turned by increasing quarter-turns. This is because the conductor (or metal beam) on
the strain gauge is under compression. When the conductor is getting compressed, its
length decreases and its cross-sectional area increases, making the conductor resistance
decreases.
 Counter Clockwise Direction (CCW)

Stress Voltage measured (V) Resistance measured (MΩ)

(quarter-
V1 V2 V3 Avrg R1 R2 R3 Avrg
turns)

1st turn 3.04 3.09 3.12 3.08 12.96 14.74 13.86 13.85

2nd turn 3.26 3.40 3.29 3.32 14.47 16.33 18.69 16.50

3rd turn 3.65 3.57 3.74 3.65 22.25 18.33 21.54 21.35

4th turn 4.01 3.89 3.93 3.94 23.03 28.17 30.25 27.15

5th turn 4.10 4.31 4.17 4.19 31.16 35.44 37.30 34.30

6th turn 4.52 4.54 4.60 4.55 50.54 50.54 50.54 50.54

Table 2

The table above shows the voltage and resistance readings when the dial on the strain
gauge is turned at the counterclockwise (CCW) direction. As the quarter-turn increases, the
voltage and resistance measurements increase. The conductor on the strain gauge is under
compression and as a result, its length increases and cross-sectional area decreases, hence
increasing the conductor electrical resistance.
CONCLUSION
This experiment was