Experiment No.

10
Calibration of voltmeter by potentiometer.
10.1: Apparatus
Potentiometer, galvanometer, two rheostat, two batteries, one standard cell (Edison
or Leclanche cell), two way keys, one-two way key, voltmeter, sand paper,
connecting wires.
10.2: Circuit diagram

10.3: Theory
The EMF of a cell is its terminal voltage when no current is flowing through it. The
terminal voltage is the potential difference between the electrodes of a cell. A
voltmeter can not be used to measure the EMF of a cell accurately because the
voltmeter itself draws some current. For this purpose potentiometer is used. This is a
device for measuring the EMF of cell when no current is flowing. It employs a null
method of measuring potential difference so that when a balance is reached and the
reading is being taken, no current is drawn from a source to be measured.
In this method, a continuously variable potential difference is produced by sending a
steady current from a battery through a slide wire bridge. The cell to be measured is
connected through a galvanometer to two points on the wire in such a way that its
EMF opposes the potential difference in the wire.
To obtain a balance, one of the contacts is moved along the wire until no current
flows through the galvanometer.
The potential difference across this portion of the wire ‘l’ is now equal to the EMF of
the cell ‘E0’. This process is repeated with a standard cell ‘Es’. Since the wire is
uniform the length of the wire spanned is proportional to the potential difference.
Thus the EMF of any cell can be compared with that of standard cell and a voltmeter
can be calibrated according. Thus;
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 E0 l
=
Es ls
𝐥
𝐄𝟎 = 𝐄𝐬
𝐥𝐬
10.4: Procedure
i. Set up the apparatus as shown in the figure.
ii. Close key (k2) and adjust rheostat (R2) to get full scale deflection on the voltmeter
(V). Now close (k1) and gap 2 of the two-way key. Place the jockey at ‘C’ near
the end ‘B’ of the potentiometer wire and adjust rheostat (R1) till the deflection on
the galvanometer (G) become zero. Measure the length ‘l’ of the wire ‘A’ to ‘C’
and the voltmeter reading.
iii. Without changing the position of rheostat (R1), change the position ‘Q’ on
rheostat (R2) and find the balancing length ‘l’ for different voltmeter readings.
iv. Now open key (k2) and gap 2 of the way key. Close gap 1 so that the standard cell
(Es) comes into the circuit. Note the balancing length (ls).
v. Calculate the true reading (Vs) on the voltmeter according to the equation;
𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐕𝐬 ) 𝐥
=
𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐬
Since, true voltmeter reading=potential difference across ‘P’ & ‘Q’.
Vs l
=
Es ls
𝐥
𝐕𝐬 = 𝐄𝐬
𝐥𝐬
Calculate the true values of the voltmeter reading taken in steps 3.
vi. Calculate the difference (Vs-V) for different readings of the voltmeter.
vii. Plot a graph between voltmeter reading ‘V’ (taken along x-axis and the difference
(Vs-V) taken along y-axis). Join the point by a series of straight lines if the errors
bear no relation to each other.
10.5: Observations & calculations
EMF of the standard cell=Es=………………volt
Balancing length with standard cell=ls=…………………….cm
❖ Table given below

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 Sr. Observed Balancing True Difference
No. reading on length voltmeter (Vs-V)
voltmeter (l) reading Volt
(V) cm 𝐥
(𝐕𝐬 = 𝐄𝐬 𝐥 )
𝐬
volts

1.
2.
3.
4.

10.6: Precautions
a. Connections should be clean and tight.
b. Batteries must be connected with right polarity as shown in the diagram.
c. The EMF of battery (E0) should be greater than (E1) as well as (Es).
d. Jockey should gently touch the wire.
10.7: Sources of error
1) Voltmeter used may not have large internal resistance
2) Voltage of the driver cells (E0) or (E1) may change.
10.8: Viva questions
Q. What is meant by calibration?
A. Calibration of an instrument means constructing a scale of measurement on it and
checking its accuracy.
Q. What should be the material of the potentiometer wire?
A. The potentiometer wire should be made up of eureka or constantan of uniform thickness.
Q. What care should be taken when using a standard cell?
A. The temperature of the standard cell should remain constant.
Q. How can a potentiometer be used to calibrate a voltmeter?
A. Using the resistance box and the rheostat, different values of voltmeter can be observed.
The corresponding potential difference can also be obtained by using the potentiometer. The
difference between the observation of the voltmeter and the potential difference by the
potentiometer can be used to find the error.

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Q. What is the purpose of potentiometer?
A. The measuring instrument called a potentiometer is essentially a voltage divider used for
measuring electric potential (voltage); the component is an implementation of the same
principle, hence its name. Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices
such as volume controls on audio equipment.

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