Delhi Public School
-------Bilaspur-------
WRITE-UP FOR THE EXPERIMENT
SUBJECT-PHYSICS
CLASS-XII
Please follow the instructions provided to maintain the physics practical file.
➢ Procedure, observation and precaution must be written in passive voice.
➢ Diagrams to be drawn at the left hand side white page of the write up.
➢ Diagram should be neat and clean.
➢ Practical copy to be maintained neat and clean.
Please write the following in your practical file
EXPERIMENT-02
AIM :
To determine the resistance of a given wire using a meter bridge.
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED:
Metre bridge, a wire about 1m long, a resistance box, a rheostat, galvanometer, a jockey, one-way key, a cell
or battery eliminator, thick connecting wires, sand paper.
PRINCIPLE:
A meter bridge works on the principle of Wheatstone’s bridge. As shown in Fig, it consists of four resistors P,
Q, R and S connected in the form of a network ABCD. The terminals A and C are connected to two terminals of
a cell. Terminals B and D are connected to a sensitive galvanometer G. If there is no deflection in the
galvanometer G, then balance condition for Wheatstone’s bridge is
𝑷 𝑹
=
𝑸 𝑺
We use this relation to determine S if P, Q and R are known. The unknown resistance S is connected in the gap
E and a resistance box (RBox) in gap F of the metre bridge. The terminal B is connected to one terminal of the
galvanometer G. The other terminal of the galvanometer is connected to a jockey J which slides along the wire
AC. A source of dc current is connected between A and C through a key K1 so as to provide a constant
potential drop along AC.
A wire of known resistance is inserted in the gap F by taking out corresponding key from the resistance box
RBox. The jockey is moved on the wire AC to obtain a condition of no-deflection in the galvanometer. It
happens when the jockey is kept at a point D called the null point. In this condition;
𝑷 𝑹 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝑫(𝒍𝟏 )
= =
𝑸 𝑺 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝑫𝑪(𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝒍𝟏 )
Unknown resistance S of the wire, having uniform cross-sectional area, is then given by
𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝒍𝟏
S=Rx 𝒍𝟏
Because, for a wire of uniform cross-sectional area, resistance is proportional to length. Thus, knowing l1 and
R, and using above equation the unknown resistance S can be determined.
Table to measure unknown resistance
Sl. No. Resistance (R) Ω Balancing length Length DC = 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝒍𝟏
S1 = R x 𝒍𝟏
AD (l1) 100-l1
1
2
3
CALCULATIONS:
𝑆1 +𝑆2 +𝑆3
∴ Unknown resistance S = 3
Precautions:
1. All the connections and plugs should be tight.
2. Jockey should be moved gently over the metre bridge wire.
3. The plug in the key (K1) should be inserted only at the time of taking observations.
4. Null points should be in the middle of the wire (30 cm to 70 cm).
