DETERMINATION OF EMF BY COMPENSATION

METHOD

:Theory Of The Method

Every current source redistributes electric charges in an electric circuit. Such
redistribution may be caused by
chemical reaction, contact potential, electromagnetic induction, Lorentz force,
.photoelectric effect, etc
Forces, produced by all of the noted above phenomena, do nonzero work
moving a charge along a closed path
in distinction from electrostatic field, for which a work along a closed path )
.(always equals zero
These forces are acting in a current source and move charges against electrostatic
.forces
. Chemical sources of energy are called galvanic elements
If a galvanic battery is used to establish an electric current in a
conductor, there is a continuous transformation of chemical energy in the battery
to kinetic energy of the
electrons and then to internal energy in the conductor, resulting in an increase in
the temperature of the
conductor. In typical electric circuits, energy is transferred from a source such as
a battery, to some device
such as a lightbulb or a radio receiver. Because the ,(called a load or a resistor)
connecting wires also have
resistance, some energy is delivered to the wires and some energy to the resistor.
Unless noted otherwise, it
is assumed that the resistance of the wires is so small compared to the resistance
of the circuit element that
the energy delivered to the wires may be neglected. Because the potential
difference at the galvanic battery
terminals is constant in a particular circuit, the current in the circuit is constant in
magnitude and direction
and is called direct current. A battery is called either a source of electromotive
force or, more commonly, a
source of emf. (The phrase electromotive force is an unfortunate historical term,
describing not a force but
rather a potential difference in volts.) The emf of a battery is the maximum
possible voltage that the battery

can provide between its terminals. When an electric potential difference exists
between two points, the
source moves charges uphill from the lower potential to the higher. Consider
the circuit consisting of a
battery connected to a resistor. The positive terminal of the battery is at a higher
potential than the negative
terminal. Because a real battery is made of matter, there is resistance to the flow
of charge within the
battery. This resistance is called internal resistance r. For an idealized battery
,with zero internal resistance
the potential difference across the battery (called its terminal voltage) equals its
emf. However, for a real
battery, the terminal voltage is not equal to the emf for a battery in a circuit in
.which there is a current
Emf of galvanic element depends only on chemical reaction reaction type and is
constant for every
particular type of electrochemical cell
Ohms law for a cirquit which contains a emf is written as

e = IR + Ir

(1)

where is value of emf, is current, R is load resistance, r is internal resistance

of emf source. Voltage across terminals of the source equals voltage on load
resistance: V = IR.
From equation (1) it follows that : V Ir .

(2)

Thus the voltage across the load equals emf minus voltage drop
.on internal resistance of the current source
In consequence, accurate measuring of ems by voltmeter alone
is not possible, because the current which must flow through the
voltmeter to operate it, also flows through the emf source, and
voltage drop on the internal resistance cause the experimental
error. Direct use of votlmeter for approximate emf measurement

may be only justified when internal resistance of the voltmeter is

.very large and thus the current is very small, then Ue
Compensation method (proposed by J.C. Poggendorf) allows the accurate measurement of
:emf Consider electric circuit shown in figure (1)

Figure (1)
e is source with large enough emf value, e is the measured
emf, eN is emf standard, G is galvanometer, is calibrated
wire or rheochord
If emf of the source under investigation e has lower value
than that of the battery e, then on the rheochord
there always is a position C of slide bar, for wich the current
through galvanometer G equals zero. According to
Kirhhoffs loop rule for the upper closed loop one may write the
: equation

(3)

where rx is internal resistance of the source under investigation,

.RAC is resistance of segment

If the current through the galvanometer is absent, then

(4)
In this case voltage across the segment equals the emf of
.the source under investigation
If one substitute the source with unknown emf with standard
emf source, the position of slide bar for the absence of current
through galvanometer shifts to point D. Then Eq. (4) reads as
(5)
Dividing Eq. (4) by Eq. (5) one has

(6)

: to have a form (6)

(7)
where l1, l2 are lengths of and AD segments, respectively. If
eN is known with sufficient accuracy then measuring =l1 and
.AD=l2, by formula (7) one calculate e

: Experiment Steps
Bulid up the cell as it shown in figure 1 (1)
put the cell of unknown E.M.F then move the slider till (2)
get the Null point(the point where galvanometer refers to
zero) then determine L

cell

replace the cell of unknown E.M.F with a standard cell (3)

(of known E.M.F) then move the slider till get the Null point
and determine L

standard

calculate Ecell from the relation : Ecell = Est *(Lcell/ Lst) (4)
: Lab Results
Est=

v
1.01859

cell

= 79 cm

Lst =42 cm
E

cell

= E st*(Lcell/Lst)= 1.01859* (79/42)= 1.9 v

Name : Ali Ebrahem ahmed

Section Number :3

Report subject: Determination of E.M.F by compensation method