Department of Electrical Engineering

NIT Hamirpur

EE-213: Potentiometers

Ravinder Nath
 DC Potentiometer
A potentiometer is an instrument for measuring e.m.f or 'potential difference' by
comparison of an unknown voltage with a known reference voltage. Since the
reference voltage can be produced from an accurately calibrated voltage divider, a
potentiometer can provide high precision in measurement. The method was
described by Johann Christian Poggendorff around 1841 and became a standard
laboratory measuring technique.
Principle of Operation
DC Potentiometer
 Standardization of Potentiometer
• Standardisation of a potentiometer is a process of adjusting the working current supplied
by the supply battery such that the voltage drop across a portion of sliding wire matches
with the Standard reference source.
• The practical set up for standardizing a DC Potentiometer is shown in Figure. A slid wire
with total length of 200cm and resistance of 200Ω is connected which is indicated by
points ‘a’ and ‘b’. A Battery of sufficient capacity is connected in series with a Rheostat
(Rh ) which regulates the working current flowing through the slid wire.
• A Standard Cell usually a Weston standard Cell of emf 1.0186 volts is connected to
galvanometer G and a switch K. By properly adjusting the Rheostat (working current)
null deflection is achieved in the galvanometer.
• Under the condition of null deflection, the voltage drop along 1.0186cm of the slid wire
equals the emf , of standard Weston cell.
• Once the potentiometer is standardized the Rheostat not to be disturbed i.e working
current should remain unchanged. The voltage along the slid wire at any point is
proportional to the length of the slid wire where the point is obtained by moving the
sliding contact along the slid wire to get the null deflection in the galvanometer for any
unknown source whose emf to be measured.
Volt-Ratio Box
DC Potentiometer
• It consists the simple resistive potential divider which has many tapping
on the input side. The volt-ratio box assist to measures the high voltage.
• The whole arrangement of the volt-ratio box is placed inside the wooden
box. The volt-ratio box gives the accurate result of measure voltage.
• The operation of the volt-ratio box is simple. The volt-ratio box uses for
measuring the voltage having the value higher than 1.8 volts. It is also
used for step down the high voltage for measurement.
• The voltage marked on the internal tapping of the volt-ratio box along with
the multiplying factor of the potential scale.
• The emf which is to be measured is
applied to the input terminals of the volt-
ratio box. The potential difference
between the two points is measured
through the potentiometer. Consider the
voltage measured by the potentiometer
is v and the multiplying factor of the
voltage ratio box is k then the value of
the measured voltage is V = k×v volt.
Volt-Ratio Box
Example – Consider the voltage to be measured is applied to the terminal
of the voltage ratio box. The potentiometer reads the value of 0.825. The
value of the unknown voltage is measured through the formula.
V = 0.825 X (300/1.5) = 165 volts.
During the high voltage measurement, the current passes through
the resistance R shown in the figure. The voltage drop occurs across the
resistance in the measurement of the high voltage. The resistance act as a
load on the measurand voltage source and hence consume power.
The resistance of high value is used in
the volt-ratio box for low power
consumption.
Usually, the resistance of 100 Ω/volt or
200 Ω/volt is used in the volt-ratio box
which allows maximum 5 to10 mA
current to pass through
 Measurement of Voltage and Current
• A potentiometer measures the unknown voltage by comparing it with a
known voltage source rather than by the actual deflection of the pointer.

• This ensures a high degree of accuracy.

• As a potentiometer measures using null or balance condition, hence no

power is required for the measurement.
Any Question

Thank you
Errors in Current Transformer

P
Power factor  cos  
VI