PHY3303 SENSORS & TRANSDUCERS LAB REPORT EXPERIMENT 2: CHAPTER 3WHEATSTONE BRIDGE MEASUREMENTS

NAME

HON YONG DING LAI YEEK HRVE

157472 158922

DEMO DATE LAB TIME

: : :

NOR AINA BT. ABDUL WAHAB 13/3/2012 8-11AM (TUESDAY)

Experiment 2: (Chapter 3) Wheatstone Bridge Measurements Objectives of this Chapter: We will be able to: State the principles of the basic Wheatstone bridge circuit for resistance measurement. Describe the term null balance. State and apply the expression for calculating an unknown resistance from the Bridge values at balance. Discuss the factors affecting the resolution and accuracy of measurements. Discussed The reason for the three-wire resistance circuit. Apply null methods to voltage measurements. Make resistance and voltage measurements using the DIGIAC 1750 facilities.

Theory 3.6 Measurement of Resistance The circuit we now know as the Wheatstone Bridge was actually first described by Samuel Hunter Christie (1784-1865) in 1833. However, Sir Charles Wheatstone invented many uses for this circuit once he found the description in 1843. As a result, this circuit is known generally as the Wheatstone Bridge. To this day, the Wheatstone bridge remains the most sensitive and accurate method for precisely measuring resistance values. The fundamental concept of the Wheatstone Bridge is two voltage dividers, both fed by the same input, as shown below. The circuit output is taken from both voltage divider outputs. The Wheatstone Bridge operates when a galvanometer is connected between the output terminals, and is used to monitor the current flowing from one voltage divider to the other. If the two voltage dividers have exactly the same ratio, for example R1/R2 = R3/R4, then the bridge is said to be balanced and no current flows through the galvanometer. If one of the resistors changes in value, the bridge will become unbalanced and current will flow through the galvanometer. Thus, the galvanometer becomes a very sensitive indicator of the balance condition.

In its basic application, a dc voltage (E) is applied to the Wheatstone Bridge, and a galvanometer (G) is used to monitor the balance condition. The values of R1 and R3 are precisely known, but do not have to be identical. R2 is a calibrated variable resistance, whose current value may be read from a dial or scale. An unknown resistor, RX, is connected as the fourth side of the circuit, and power is applied. R2 is adjusted until the galvanometer, G, reads zero current. At this point, the equation to find the unknown resistor is as follow RX = R2R3/R1. Hence when the bridge is said to be balanced, it is given a term called null balance. The purpose of the galvanometer is to detect the presence of the null condition.

The ratio of the values of resistor R2:R1 sets the range, so that values of the unknown resistor R4 which are larger or smaller than the variable resistor R3 can be measured. There is no limitation to the range of the values which can be measured. Any inaccuracy in the values of the ratio arm resistor R1 and R2, and also in the standard variable resistor R3, will results in errors in the measurement value of R4. In the following experiments, the Wheatstone bridge layout is provided with DIGIAC 1750 facilities. This facilities has a high quality 10-turn potentiometer fulfils the function of the resistors R1 and R3 for resistance, or a potentiometer for voltage measurements. The dial reading from the facilities enable us to read the resistance up to a resolution of 10. 3.8 Measurement of Voltage Using Method 1 In this part of experiment, the measurements use the Wheatstone bridge nullbalance method. The null-balance method of output indication is widely used in instrumentation techniques and sensor applications. The position of the slider of the variable resistor is adjusted until the circuit is balance with no current flow through the galvanometer. With no current in the galvanometer, the voltages at either end of it must be the same. The relationships between two-port parameters of passive null-balance circuits are described, and the applications are demonstrated using bridge circuits. The systematic calculation of null-balance circuit sensitivity shows the importance of the theory of autonomous two-ports and the compensation theorems in the theory of null-balance circuits.

During the experiment, the measurement of the voltage, a calibrated variable resistor, standard voltage source and galvanometer arc are used. The set-up was normally known as Slide-Wire Potentiometer. The position of the slider of the variable resistance is adjusted until null-balance is achieved. Under this condition, the voltage across the variable resistance is equal to the value of the standard voltage supply. The unknown voltage is proportional to the total resistance of the variable resistor and the section resistance. Hence the unknown voltage can be calculated from:Unknown voltage =
Rt X Standard voltage R

However, this method has some disadvantages:1. The unknown voltage source is loaded by the variable resistor and hence the voltage may be affected 2. The method only allows measurement of voltage greater than the standard voltage.

3.10 Measurement of Voltage Using Method 2 For this part if experiment, it requires an additional DC source of voltage with a magnitude exceeding the maximum value of the unknown voltages to be measured and another variable resistor Rs. Basically, there are two types of measurements for this, measurements of voltages less than the standard voltage and measurement of voltages higher than the standard voltage. i. Measurement of voltages less than the standard voltage The slider of the variable resistor is set to maximum position and, with the galvanometer connected to the standard voltage source, the values of Rs is adjusted until there is no current flowing in the galvanometer and the circuit is said to be balanced. To measure the unknown voltage, the galvanometer is connected to the unknown voltage and the slider position is again adjusted for the circuit balance. The section R at balance represents the magnitude of the unknown voltage.

ii.

Measurement of voltages higher than the standard voltage The variable resistor can be calibrated against the standard voltage with the slider set to a position lower than a maximum setting. This setting will now represent a magnitude equal to the standard voltage. The calculation is shown as below:

By using this method, there are no current is taken from the unknown voltage source at balance and hence the circuit is not loaded. The voltage obtained should therefore be accurate, within the limits of accuracy of the variable resistor.

Result 3.6 Measurement of Resistance

Dial reading

200 2000 8000

Resistance R3 = 10 x dial reading Resistance R1 = 10,000 R3

Resistance R2 = 12,000 = 3000

Unknown resistance Rx =

R2 R3 R1

3.6a

When the unknown resistor Rx = 3k:

10k Resistor Setting 10 9 8 7 6 5 4

Dial Reading at Balance R3 Reading1 Reading2 Reading3 Average (10 x Dial) R1 (10k - R3)

R4 =

R2 xR3 R1

(k) 498 478 450 418 380 340 286 501 475 451 420 377 340 278 501 475 451 420 378 340 279 500.0 476.0 450.7 419.3 378.3 340.0 281.0 5.000 k 4.760 k 4.507 k 4.193 k 3.783 k 3.400 k 2.810 k 5.000 k 5.240 k 5.493 k 5.807 k 6.217 k 6.600 k 7.190 k 12.000 10.900 9.846 8.665 7.302 6.182 4.690

3 2 1

238 157 78

238 156 79

238 156 78

238.0 156.3 78.33

2.380 k 1.563 k 0.783 k

7.620 k 8.437 k 9.217 k

3.748 2.223 1.020

3.6b

The value for the 10k variable resistor at the setting 5 = 6.182 k

3.8 Measurement of Voltage Using Method 1 Unknown voltage =

1000 Standard voltage Dial reading 1000 1V Dial reading Dial Reading at Balance 1 2 3 252.0 252.0 2527.0 287.0 284.0 285.5 336.0 336.0 337.0 401.0 402.0 403.0 504.0 504.0 504.0 670.0 671.0 669.5 988.0 988.0 988.0 Table 3.2

= "Unknown" Voltage 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0

Average 252.0 285.5 336.3 402.0 504.0 670.2 988.0

Calculated Voltage (volt) 3.968 3.503 2.973 2.488 1.989 1.492 1.012

3.8a

Dial reading with the unknown voltage set to 2.5V = 402.0 Unknown voltage: When connected to the bridge = 2.003 V Disconnected from the bridge = 2.715 V The value of the Unknown Voltage when disconnected from the bridge = 2.715 V

3.8b

3.10 Measurement of Voltage Using Method 2

Unknown Voltage Input

Dial Reading at Balance

1 0.25 V 0.40 V 0.60 V 0.70 V 0.80 V 0.95 V 252 mV 404 mV 608 mV 712 mV 818 mV 974 mV

2 248 mV 410 mV 608 mV 710 mV 815 mV 970 mV

3 248 mV 408 mV 606 mV 713 mV 812 mV 978 mV

Average 249.3mV 407.3mV 607.3mV 711.7mV 815.0mV 974.0mV

Measurement of Voltage Less Than the Standard Voltage

Table 3.3

3.10a The dial setting corresponding to an input voltage of 0.53 V which read from graph 3.1 = 530.8 mV.

Graph 3.1: The Graph of Dial Reading against "unknown" Input Voltage
1200

1000

800

Dial Setting
600 400 200 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Unknown Voltage (V)

Discussion: From the part 3.6 which is the Measurement of Resistance, the dial reading we obtained is 200. This value of dial reading represents the resistance R3 in the theoretical circuit and from this reading; we found that the Unknown resistance is about 3000. By using the unknown resistance, we found that the value for the 10k variable resistor at the setting 5 is equal to 6.182 k. The value deviates a little from the actual value due to some errors occur during the experiment. From the part 3.8 which is the Measurement of Voltage Using Method 1, the unknown voltages measured and calculated using this method differ only a little from the actual unknown voltage. Most of the calculated voltages are the same as the actual unknown voltage which show that the accuracy and precision of the values obtained. The unknown voltage (with the setting to 2.0V) was obtained as follow: when connected to the bridge, the unknown voltage is about 2.003 V, and when the unknown voltage is disconnected from the bridge, the unknown voltage is about 2.715 V. The difference in values shows that this method has disadvantages since the unknown voltage source is loaded by variable resistor and the voltage obtained is greatly affected.

From the part 3.10 which is the Measurement of Voltage Using Method 2, we could get a linear graph since the circuit is no loaded and the voltage obtained is accurate as predicted in the theory. This indicates that the dial setting is proportional to the unknown voltage. When the dial setting increases, the unknown voltage also increases. The method requires an additional DC source of voltage and no current will be taken from the unknown voltage source at balance. Thats the reason why we could get an almost accurate linear graph. The dial setting corresponding to an input voltage of 0.53 V which read from graph 3.1 is about 530.8 mV.

The experiment values of this experiment maybe not the same with the actual value or theoretical value this may because some error occur during the experiment. The error that maybe occurs is the parallax error. When measures the reading using the adjustable offset control or 10-turn variable resistor, parallax error occur and the eye is not place perpendicular to the scale of the moving coil meter to get a approximate balance. Besides, in the part that measurement of voltage greater than the standard voltage, we cannot get any reading because this may due to the procedure step in the curriculum manual is not state clearly enough or the procedure step that are given is wrong. There is no any reading in the digital multimeter although we have follow the step accordingly. To get more accurate reading, we have to repeating the experiment more than one time then get the average reading. This had been done in part 3.6, 3.8 and 3.10. Beside we have to avoid the error that is being occurred. When adjust the setting to the wanted value, we have to place the eye perpendicular to the scale of the moving coil meter until it reached approximate balance so that we can avoid parallax error. We must also avoid zero error that may occur in the apparatus for example the moving coil meter. If there are zero error occur in the moving coil meter where we can know by observe the meter when no power supply are connected to the DIGIAC 1750, we must minus out the error.

Conclusion: 1. Wheatstone bridge circuit uses the principle of null balance, whereby during measurements, resistance of resistor R3 is adjusted until no current flow in the galvanometer to measure unknown resistance. 2. For measurement of voltage using Wheatstone bridge, two methods may be used. 3. Method 1 consists of calibrated variable resistor, standard voltage source and galvanometer arc and it can be used to measure unknown voltage. However, it can only be used for voltage measurements greater than standard measurements and voltage calculated may be affected since the unknown voltage is loaded with variable resistor. 4. Method 2 need an additional DC source of voltage exceeding the maximum value of the voltage measured but it can measure for both voltage less than standard voltage and those with voltage more than standard voltage. Its measurement would be more accurate since no current taken from the unknown voltage source at balance.

Student Assessment 2

1. For the circuit of Fig 1, the name of the circuit is: A. wirewound potentiometer C. slide wire potentiometer B. Wheatstone Bridge D. carbon track variable resistor

2. When the circuit od Fig 1 is balanced, the value of the unknown resistor Rx is: A. 85.3 B. 853 C. 1172 D. 8.53k

3. For the circuit of Fig 1, if the supply voltage was increased to +2V the effect on the balance condition would be to: A. double the resistance value C. half the error in the measurement B. half the resistance value D. make no change at all

4. For the circuit of Fig 1, which of the following components would NOT affect the accuracy of the measurement? D. galvanometer G A. 1000 resistor B. 853 resistor C. 1000 resistor

5. A resistance transducer is situated at a distance from the measuring bridge and is connected to it via just two wires, each of which has a resistance of 10. If the resistance of the transducer is 120, the bridge reading will be: A. 110 B. 120 C. 130 D. 140

6. If the circuit connected described in question 5 used a three-wire system, the bridge reading would be: A. 110 B. 120 C. 130 D. 140

7. The circuit of Fig 2 and Fig 3 are for measuring: A. Fig 2 voltage, Fig 3 resistance C. both voltage B. Fig 3 voltage, Fig 2 resistance D. both resistance

8. When the circuit in Fig 2 is balanced, the value of V1 will be: B. 4.35V C. 3.9V D. 0.52V A. 5.85V 9. The circuit of Fig 3 is calibrated against a standard voltage (V2) of 1V to a dial setting of 0200. The dial has a discrimination of 1:1000. To be able to measure the maximum unknown voltage the value of the additional supply (V1) must be: A. <1V B. >1V C. =2V D. >5V

10. Which of the following is NOT an advantages of the circuit of Fig 3 compared to that of Fig 2? A. measures higher and lower voltages C. does not load the voltage source tested B. measure resistance D. draws no current from the source tested