PHYSICS PROJECT

RAYLEIGH’S POTENTIOMETER

Done by
Nikhilesh s p
 INDEX

INTRODUCTION
RAYLEIGH’S POTENTIOMETER
AIM
APPARATUS REQUIRED
PROCEDURE
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
OBSERVATION
RESULT
SOURCES OF ERROR
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION

 POTENTIOMETER IS AN INSTRUMENT WHICH

MEASURES THE EMF OF UNKNOWN SOURCE.
 A COMMERCIAL POTENTIOMETER IS MADE UP
OF A THREE TERMINAL RESISTOR WITH A
SLIDING OR ROTATING CONTACT THAT
FORMS AN ADJUSTABLE VOLTAGE DIVIDER.
 A SIMPLE POTENTIOMETER IS A LONG WIRE
WITH A POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE TWO ENDS .WHEN AN UNKNOWN
SOURCE IS CONNECTED ,THE BALANCING
LENGTH IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE EMF OF
THE SOURCE.
 SINCE ITS INVENTION 1841 BYJOHANN
CHRISTIAN POGGENDORFF,IT IS A REGULARLY
USED DEVICE IN LABORATORIES.
 THE POTENTIOMETER IS A VERY ACCURATE
MEASURING DEVICE.
 A COMMERCIAL POTENTIOMETER CAN ALSO
BE USED AS AVOLTAGE DIVIDER AS WELL AS
RHEOSTAT.

AIM
TO COMPARE THE EMF’S OF TWO CELLS USING
THE RAYLEIGH’S POTENTIOMETER.

apparatus required

 TWO VOLT BATTERY

 TWO RESISTANCE BOXES
 PLUG KEY
 Daniel cell
 LECHLANCHE CELL
 A DOUBLE THROW SWITCH
 SENSITIVE GALVANOMETER
 HIGH RESISTANCE

RAYLEIGH’S POTENTIOMETER
  THIS POTENTIOMETER USES RESISTANCES
IN PLACE OF WIRES TO COMPARE THE EMF
OF CELLS.
 THIS WAS DEVISED BY LORD RAYLEIGH.
 THE MAJOR ADVAANTAGEE OF THIS
POTENTIOMETER IN COMPARISION TO
WIRED POTENTIOMETER IS THAT IT
REDUCES THE ERRORS CAUSED DUE TO
THE NON UNIFORMITY OF THE WIRES.
 IT CONSISTS OF TWO PLUG TYPE
RESISTANCES JOINED IN SERIES AND THE
EMF TO BE COMPARED ARE CONNECED IN
PARALLEL TO ONE THE RESISTANCES.

PROCEDURE

 TAKE TWO REISTANCE BOXES NAME THEM P

AND Q.
 CONNECT THEM IN SERIES
 THE HIGH POTENTIAL TERMINAL OF P IS
CONNECED TOONE OF THE COMMON
DOUBLE THROW KEYS.
 OTHER TERMINAL OF THE DOUBLE THROW
KEY IS CONNECTED TO A HIGH RESISTANCE
FOLLOWWED BY A GALVANO MTER.
 RESITANCE P IS USED TO COMPARE THE
EMF’S OF THE BATTERY WHERE AS
RESISTANCE Q IS USED O BALANCEE THE
EXCESS POTENTIAL.
 THE LECHANCHE CELL OF EMF E1 IS
CONNECTED TO ONE PAIR OF TERMINALS OF
THE DOUBLE WAY KEY AND DANEIL CELL OF
EMF E2 TO THE OTHER.
 THE TERMINALS OF THE BATTERY OF EMF E
ARE CONNECTED TO END TERMINALS OF THE
RESISTANCE AS SHOWN.
 WHEN LECHLANCHE CELL IS CONNECTED
E1=E*P1/P+Q
 WHERE P1 IS THE RESISTANCE INTRIDUCED
IN P .
 WHEN DANEIL CELL IS CONNECTED
E2=P2*E/P+Q
 WHERE P2 IS THE RESISTANCE INTRODUCED
IN P.
 E1/E2=P1/P2
 THE EXPERIMENT IS REPEATED WITH
VARIYING THE VALUE OF P AND Q KEEPING
P+Q CONSTANT IN EACH CASE.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
 + --

P Q
E1
G

E2

OBSERVTION

P+Q BALANCING BALANCING E1/E2=P1/P2

RESISTANCE(P1) REISTANCE(P2)
OF LECHLANCHE OF DANIEL
CELL (E1) CELL(E2)
12000 8800(3200) 6300(5700) 1.396
7300 5700(1600) 4300(3000) 1.335
4400 3300(1100) 2300(2100) 1.432
MEAN VALUE OF THE RATIIO:1.396

RESULT

THE RATIO OF THE EMF OF E1 AND E2 IS 1.396

SOURCES OF ERROR

 IMPROPER PLUGING OF RESISTANCE

KEYS.
 LEAVING THE CIRCUIT ON FOR A LONG
TIME.
 LOOSE CONNECTION OF WIRE
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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