Unit 05

Resistance and Electric Circuits

The goal of this experiment was to learn how to use a Wheatstone bridge
to measure resistances of several different wire lengths. After some
measurements, the Wheatstone bridge was applied to determine an unknown
resistance.
This lab required a clear understanding of resistance including how
resistance is calculated and what resistance is composed of. Calculating
resistance of a wire uses one equation that requires the wire length, the area
of a cross section of the wire, and the resistivity of the material that makes up
the wire. This is the equation:
R = x (L/A)
With this equation we can calculate an unknown resistivity. Once we know the
resistance of a wire, we can use it to calculate the circuit or voltage of a wire
using Ohms Law ( V = I x R). Since this experiment included both circuits in
series and parallel, Kirchoffs Laws were required to determine the current and
voltage of circuits. These laws state:
(1) The total current entering a junction always must always equal the
total current coming out of a junction.
(2) For a closed circuit loop, the total potential difference in going
around the loop must be equal to zero.

Series

Parallel

The procedure for this experiment was very straight forward. Instead of
using a multimeter that could potentially allow us to determine an inaccurate
resistance, it is more accurate to determine the resistance by inserting the
resistance into a circuit and see how the circuit reacts. This was accomplished
through the Wheatstone bridge.
+V

(total)

Two resistances were given, R1 and R2, and R3 was variable and had to be
adjusted to balance the circuit. (The circuit has to be balanced because the
Wheatstone bridge shows that when the circuit is balanced there is no current
flowing through an attached galvanometer.) R(total) was our unknown resistance
and the following equation was used to determine R(total):
R = (R2/R1) x R3
To calculate the unknown resistances at different lengths of the same
wire, the Wheatstone bridge was attached to a power supply, a galvanometer, a
digital multimeter, and the circuit. The slide wire on the top of a meter stick
served as the unknown resistance. We first measured the resistance of the total
length of the wire by using a digital multimeter. We then measured the
resistance at 50 cm.
Resistance of Total
Length
Resistance of 50 cm

0.0335
0.017

Next we were given two resistors, R1 = 100 and R2 = 10 , and these

were inserted into the circuit. The variable R3 resistor box was attached as
well. This R3 could be determined by balancing the Wheatstone bridge and was
dialed in. With the power supply attached, the slide wire resistor was pushed
by a lever onto the circuit. The galvanometer was then adjusted to equal zero,
the balance condition, and with a small increase of voltage R3 can be
determined. Now that the group had an understanding of the Wheatstone
bridge, we choose six different lengths of the wire and measure the R3. These
were then plotted into a graph of R3 vs. L (length of the wire). The graph
yielded a somewhat straight line.
Length (m)
0.35
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60

R3 ()
115
69
106
142
170
201

Once we found the best fit line for the graph, we had to determine the
slope of the line using our R1, R2, A (area), and (resistivity). The equation
utilized was:
Slope = (R1/ R2) x (/A)
Slope Obtained: 3.01 x 10-3 /m
We were given the diameter of the wire, 2 x 10-4 m. With this we could
figure out the area of a cross section of the wire. Now that we had area, we
could calculate the resistivity of the wire using the aforementioned equation.
Diameter:

2 x 10-4 m

Area:

3.14 x 10-8 m2

Calculated :

1.051 x 10-9 m

After all this, the lab instructor had a Wheatstone bridge with two
unknown resistances (R3), but a known R(total). We were to determine the
unknown resistances.
First R = 87, R3 = 870
Second R = 29.5, R3 = 295

Equations Used:

R = x (L/A)
V=IxR
R = (R2/R1) x R3
Slope = (R1/ R2) x (/A)
Overall our results were consistently accurate. The measured resistances
created a good straight line on a graph of R3 vs. Length (m). When I calculated
the slope, I did so by three different methods. Using the old rise over run
algebraic way to calculate slope, I calculated a slope of 3.0 x 10-3. I then put
the measured values of length and R3 into lists on my graphing calculator, and
used its programs to calculate a slope of 3.1 x 10-3. When using the equation
given in lab that included R1, R2, A (area), and (resistivity). This gave me a
slope of 3.01 x 10-3. All measurements were very similar.