NAME ______________________ MODS ______

ELECTRONICS ELECTRONICS
EXPERIMENT: BRIDGE CIRCUITS

Introduction/Purpos:
The purpose of this experiment is to study a circuit configuration which is called a bridge
circuit (a meter or load is usually connected between points A and B in the circuit on the
following page, thus bridging the circuit). When all four components of the circuit are
resistors, the circuit is called a Wheatstone bridge, after the man who first discovered its
useful properties. The importance of this complex seriesparallel circuit will be examined
in terms of its use in measurement and control applications.
M!tri!":
!" #ower $upply
!igital %ultimeters
& '.(() resistors '*
& +.,,) resistors '*
& +,.,) resistors '*
' '( resistor
-) or '() potentiometer
A.A/0AB01 '* 21$/$T32$ '), +.,,), '(), '-), 44), +,.,), '((),
'-(), 44(), 5-(), '% (actual values needed determined by your circuit design for
6uestion 7)
Procdur:
'. 1xamine the circuit on the following page and calculate the following voltages8
.
A
9 9 /& : 2& 9
& '
'(.
R R +
: 2
&
9 ;;;;;;;; .
B
9 ;;;;;;;;
$<3W W32=>>
&. ?sing the calculations from step ', determine the potential difference from #3/@T
A to #3/@T B (i.e. .
AB
9 .
A
.
B
). @3T18 Aour answer should be positive if A
is at a higher potential than B or negative if B is at a higher potential than A) .
AB

(calc) 9 ;;;;;;;;.
4. "onstruct the circuit and measure .
AB
. .
AB
(meas) 9 ;;;;;;;;.
+. <ow do the two values compareB #rovide a 6uantitative answer.
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
2
'
9 +,.,) '*
2
&
9 '.(() '*
2
4
9 +,.,) '*
2
+
9 +.,,) '*
.
$
9 '( .olts
-. 2eplace 2
+
with a '.(() '* resistor.
%easure8 .
AB
9 ;;;;;;;;
This setup is referred to as a balanced bridge, since .
AB
is very close to Cero.
/n the above circuit, 2
'
9 2
4
AND 2
&
9 2
+.
/s this a necessity for the bridge to
be balanced (i.e. .
AB
is very close to Cero) or would the following condition be
sufficientB
9
B2/1D0A 1E#0A/@ A3?2 "<3/"18
7. !evise and construct a setup to bac) up your answer. $)etch the circuit, including
circuit parameters, below. Deel free to change resistance values (use '* resistors)
as well as the power supply. Briefly describe how your design bac)s up your
conclusions on balanced bridge circuits.
5. @ow that the concept of a balanced bridge is understood, letFs ta)e a loo) at how
this can be used to our advantage.
1xamine the circuit below. 2
'
and 2
&
are +.,,) resistors placed in series.
"alculate and measure the potential difference (voltage) across 2&. $how wor)>
/nclude all significant figures in your values.
.& (calculated) 9 ;;;;;;;;;;;; .& (measured) 9 ;;;;;;;;;;;;
G. /f 2
&
was a variable resistor that was dependent on some other parameter such as
light (e.g. a photoresistor), this change in resistance could be used to detect changes
in light intensity.
Dor example, what would happen if the resistance of 2
&
changed from +,,( to
-(((B !etermine the new potential difference (voltage) across 2
&.
(i.e. 2
'
9
+,,( and 2
&
9 -(((). $how wor)> "onstruct the circuit by inserting a '(
resistor in series with 2& and measure the voltage across 2& and the '( resistor.
.& (calculated) 9 ;;;;;;;;;;;; .& (measured) 9 ;;;;;;;;;;;;
,. Based on your calculations, what is the c#!n$ in potential difference across 2
&
as
its resistance changes from +,,( to -(((B ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
'(. Were you able to precisely measure this change in potential differenceB 1xplain.
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
''. /f we were to use the bridge circuit in a near balanced condition, then measuring
-m. changes on a &((m. range with the meter as the bridge in the circuit should
be relatively easy. "onstruct the circuit below. !o not worry about an exact
balance on the bridge get it within '((m. (using the potentiometer to balance the
bridge) and then press 210 on the meter. This will allow you to measure changes
in .AB directly. @ext insert a '( resistor in series with 2
&
and record .AB.
@ote8 24 is connected by using one end lead and the middle lead of the
potentiometer.
2
'
9 +.,,) '*
2
&
9 +.,,) '*
2
4
9 -) or '()
potentiometer
2
+
9 '.(() '*
.
$
9 '( .olts
/nitial value of .
AB
8 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
(near balanced condition)
H.
AB
8 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
'&. 2emove your '( resistor from the circuit and measure its value with the meter (its
value should fall within the tolerance range of the resistor as based on its color
code). The addition of this resistor produced H.
AB.
2esistance value 9 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
'4. ?sing your value of H.
AB
, calculate the value of 2 that was necessary to produce
such a change in voltage. "ompare this value of 2 to the value recorded in the
previous step.
'+. Based on you observations and analysis, why is this circuit configuration (i.e.
Wheatstone Bridge) beneficialB (!id this configuration allow you to precisely
measure the change in potential difference due to the addition of the '( resistorB)