Wheatstone Bridge Demo Unit

 

Code Number: 5F20.40

Demo Title: Wheatstone Bridge

Condition: Excellent

Principle: Determination of Unknown Resistance

Area of Study: Electricity & Magnetism

Equipment: 

Wheatstone Bridge Demo Unit, Lecture Bench Galvanometer.

Procedure:

Plug in the power supply that is mounted on the demo unit. Choose one of the unknown resistances and put it into the circuit. By adjusting the resistor box to the proper values and finding the place on the slide wire where the galvanometer read no deflection the exact resistance of the unknown or approximate resistor may be determined.

References:

  • Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "A Different Sort of Wheatstone Bridge Experiment", TPT, Vol. 52, # 6, Sept. 2014, p. 326.
  • Erich Landstrom, "The Proof is in the Picture", TPT, Vol. 48, # 5, May 2010, p. 278.
  • "Figuring Physics", TPT, Vol. 48, # 3, Mar. 2010.
  • Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "Wheatstone's Bridge", TPT, Vol. 43, # 1, Jan. 2005, p. 18.
  • Thomas B. Greenslade Jr. "The Hydraulic Analogy for Electric Current", TPT, Vol. 41, # 8,  Nov. 2003, p. 464.
  • Benjamin J. Pernick, "Optimum Setting of a Slide Wire Wheatstone Bridge", TPT, Vol. 29, # 1, Jan. 1991, p. 35.
  • Buford M. Guy, "Using an Oscilloscope with the Wheatstone Bridge", TPT, Vol. 11, # 1, Jan. 1973, p. 52.
  • Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "The Scientific Legacy of Charles Wheatstone", TPT, Vol. 55, #2, February 2017, p. 80-82.
  • Rene Blommaert, Maena Franzinetti, Vincent Gosse, Quentin Thomas, Philippe Maire, Emmanuel Abraham, "Experimental Physics with a Homemade Cycling Power Meter: Development and Characterization", AJP, Vol. 93, #7, July 2025, p. 589.
  • Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr., "The Kelvin Bridge in Use", AJP, Vol. 93, #7, July 2025, p. 526.
  • Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr., "Photo - Kohlrausch Slide Wire", AJP, Vol. 77, # 1, Jan. 2009, p. 47.
  • Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr., "Slide Wire Wheatstone Bridge (photo)", AJP, Vol. 76, # 4 & # 5, April/May 2008, p. 437.
  • T. Townsend Smith, "The Constant Battery Wheatstone Bridge", AJP, Vol. 21, #4, April 1953, p. 247.
  • Charles Williamson, "Sensitive Arrangements of the Wheatstone Bridge", AJP, Vol. 21, #2, Feb. 1951, p. 123.
  • Eg-6:  Freier and Anderson,  A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
  • George M. Hopkins, "Dynamic Electricity", Experimental Science, p. 442.
  • Walter C. Michels,  "3.2, The Wheatstone Bridge",  Electrical Measurements and Their Applications, p. 56 - 64.
  • Neil A. Downie, "Six-Wire Telegraph",  Ink Sandwiches, Electric Worms and 37 Other Experiments for Saturday Science, p. 264.
  • W. Bolton, "1. Wheatstone Bridge", Book 4 - Electricity, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 3 - 4.
  • D. Colson, C. J. Lapp, J. A. Eldridge, "Experiment LXII", 1936 Univ. of Iowa Physics Laboratory Manual, p. 62.
  • Forrest M. Mims III, "Wheatstone Bridge", Vol. IV - Electronic Formulas, Symbols & Circuits, p. 103.