EXPERIMENT

AM wire using a metre bridgee and

To determine the resistance of a given
material of the wire.
hence determine the resistivity of the

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Metre bridge, a wire about 1m long (of material whose specifie
resistance is to be determined). a resistance boOx. a rheostat.
galvanometer, a jockey, one-way key, a cell or battery eliminator
thick connecting wires, sand paper, screw gauge.

DESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS
Metre bridge
It consists of metre
one
long constantan wire AC of uniform
cross-sectional arca mounted on a wooden board
with a scale
(Fig. E 2.1). The two ends of the wire are attached to
and C. Thick metal terminals A
strips bent at right angles are used to
two gaps E and F to
connect resistors provide
forming a Wheatstone's

K
Rh
R
B R
Ox
F
G

10 20

ludailuulLiilluuluuluululi
9
50
70
90 10
Jockey J LatluluululuulutmdiuiluP

Cm-

100-1 Jcm C
Flg. E 2.1I A
metre
bridge
 used for
the gaps isbetween
The terminal B is
bridge (Fig. E 2.2). the galvanometer
galvanometer and other end of
connecting
connected to a jockey J.

PRINCIPLE the principle of Wheatstone's brldge.

the
As shown
Ametre brtdge works on S connected In
resistors P9. Rand
in Fig. E 2.2. it
consists of four
terminals A and C
a r e connected
to two
of a network ABCD. The connected
form B and D are
Terminals
terminals through a key K,.
of a cell a key K,.
to a sensitive galvanometer G through
condition
G, then balance
If there is no deflection in the galvanometer
Wheatstone's bridge is
for
(E 2.1)

determine S
We use this relation (E 2.1) to
Rare known.
ifP9and
connected in
The unknown resistance Sis
box (Roin gap
the gap E and a resistance
The terminal B is
F of the metre bridge.
terminal of the
c o n n e c t e d to o n e A
G
other terminal of the
galvanometer G. The
connected to a jockey J
galvanometer is
AC. A s o u r c e of S
which slides along the wire
between A and C
de current is connected
a constant
through a key K, so as provide
to
D
potential drop along AC (Fig. E 2.1).
resistance is
A resistor (or wire) of known
out
inserted in the gap F by taking
from the resistance
corresponding key Wheatstone's bridge
The jockey is moved
on the wire FIg. E 2.2 The
box Ran condition of no-deflection
AC to obtain a
It happens when the
in the galvanometer.
at a point D called
the null
jockey is kept
point. In this condition;

DC
(E 2.2)
R_Resistance of wire oflength
AD
S R e s i s t a n c e of wire of length
cross-sectional
Unknown resistance S of the wire, having uniform
area, is then given by
(E2.3)
S R x-
100-1
29
ABORATORY MANUAL
area, resíste.

wire of
unifornn
cross-sectional
ance
Secausc. for a

proportional to length. the unknown resies

and using Eq. (E 2.3).
Thus, krnowing /and R,
Scan be determined.

Resisttvi(y
P of the material of thhe
The specific resistance or resistivity en
wire is

Sa
pL
where S i s the resistance of the wire of length L a n d a = t ^ , (rbein.
ing
the radius) is the area of cross-section.

P ROCEDURE
1. Find the average diameter of the wire with a screw gauge. From
this, obtain the value of its radius r

2. Clean the insulation at the ends of connecting wires with a piece of

and paper. Tighten all plugs ofthe resistance box (Rby pressing
each plug.
3. Set up the circuit as shown in Fig. E 2.1 with unknown resistance
wire of known length in gap E.
4. Next, introduce some resistance R in the circuit
from the
resistance box. Bring the jockey J in contact
A first and then with
with terminal
terminal C. Note the direction in
which pointer of the
case. Make sure that
galvanometer gets deflected in each
jockey remains in contact with the
wire for a fraction of a second. If the
on both sides of its
zero mark for
galvanoneter shows deflection
of the jockey, null these two points of contact
it is not so,
point will be somewhere on
the wire AC.
is somewhere in
adjust resistance R so that the null point
the middle of the
30 cm and 70 cm. wire AC, say, beteen

5. If there is one-sided deflection,

check the circuit
junctions, for their
continuity. again, espec1auy
6.
Repeat step 4 for four different values of
7. resistance R.
Interchange the position of the
steps 4 to 6 for the resistances
same live values of R While interchangs
S and epeat Rand rep
and R, ensure
that the same
in the
gapE. The length of wire of
interchange
offered by terminals. takes care of resistance
ance Sis now

unaccounted resisia
d resistance
 ExPERIMMEN

OBSERVATIONS
1. Length of the wire of unknown esistance, L= ..cmn
2. Measurement of dlameter of wire of unknown resistance
Least count of the screw gauge (L.C.) = .. mm
Zero error of the screw gauge =
...mm
Zero correction of the screw gauge =
...mm

Table E 2.1: Diameter of Wire

SI Reading along one Reading along mutually Mean

No direction perpendicular direction Diameter
Main Cotnciding Diameter| Main Coinciding Diameter d
scale circular d= scale circularT d
reading scale P+n L.Creading scale
P+
L.C4+d
division n division
|mm) mm mm (mm) (mm)

Mean diameter (corrected for zero error) = .. mm

Radius of wire rz... mm

Table E 2.2: Unknown resistance

Sl Sin the left gap Sin the right gap

No.

(ohm)(cm) (cm) (cm) (ohm) (cm) (cm)(cm)|(ohmn) (ohm)

Mean
LABORATORY MANUAL
C AN
r mmS-
Stbstitnting these values in p-S calculate the
yalue
value of p
f

in ohm m

ErTor
(F 2 4 AS 2Ar AL
P S r

EITors Ar, ALare the least counts of the measuring instrument

enor AS is the maximum of the values obtained by follo
cquations: wing
(E 2.5)
AS
AS, = ,(100-1)
A

(E 261
As (100-17)
If it is presumed that resistance offered by the resistance box
is the
same as that indicated on it, then AR= 0

Therefore, maximum error is AS= AS, +

AS,

ESULT
1. The unknown resistance
of the given wire is found to be
S+AS= ...t.. 2
2. The resistivity of the material of the wire is p:Ap
=...t... Qm
Here Sand p are mean values.
ASand AP are maximum
five values of error. of the

PRECAUTIONS
. All the connections and
plugs should be tight.
2. Jockey should be moved gently over the
metre bridge wire.
3. The plug in the key
(K,) should be inserted only at the
taking observations. time
4. Null points should be in the
middle of the wire to(30
2 cm
70
 ExPERIMME

DoURCEs OF ERROR
1. The metre
bridge wire may not be of uniform area of
cross-section.
2. Effect of end resistances due to copper
strips, connecting screws,
may affect the measurement.
3. The length Lof the wire should not include the lengths below thne
terminals when placed im gap E or F.
4. The resistances of end
pieces/metal strips may not be
negligible. The error introduced by it can be reduced by
interchanging the known and unknown resistances in
gapsS
E and F.

5. The length measurements land 7

may have error if the
metre bridge wire is not taut and
metre bridge.
along the scale in the
6. Galvanometer pointer is expected to be at zero
when no current
flows through it. However, many times it is observed
that it is not
so. In such cases,
pointer has to be adjusted to zero by gently
moving the screw below the scale with the help of a screw driver.
Otherwise null point must be obtained
the wire.
by tapping the jockey oon