EE101 EE CIRCUITS 1

1T SY 2014-2015

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Circuit Theorems
Bridge Circuits

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LEARNING OUTCOME
Solve

parameters involved in a basic bridge circuit.

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BRIDGE CIRCUITS

Bridge circuits are used in electronic measuring

equipment to precisely measure resistance in dc
circuits and similar quantities in ac circuits

Wheatstone bridge: used to measure resistance (more

accurate measurement)
Maxwell bridge: used to determine the inductance and series
resistance of an inductor having relatively large series
resistance
Hay bridge: used to measure the inductance and series
resistance of an inductor having a small series resistance
Schering bridge: used to determine the value of unknown
capacitance
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BRIDGE CIRCUITS

Various configurations of bridge circuits

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BRIDGE CIRCUITS

A balanced bridge is one in which the current through the

resistance R5 is equal to zero

An unbalanced bridge is one in which the current through R5 is

not zero
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WHEATSTONE BRIDGE CIRCUIT

The unknown resistance is connected to the bridge.

The variable resistance is adjusted until no current flows through
the galvanometer (which is essentially a dArsonval movement
operating as a sensitive current-indicating device like an ammeter
in the microampere range).

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WHEATSTONE BRIDGE CIRCUIT

Under this condition, 1 = 2 and the bridge is said to be

balanced.
Since no current flows through the galvanometer, 1 and
2 behave as though they were in series; so do 3 and .
The fact that no current flows through the galvanometer also
implies that 1 = 2 .

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WHEATSTONE BRIDGE CIRCUIT

Applying the voltage division principle

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BRIDGE CIRCUITS

To analyze the operation of these networks,

use the techniques developed earlier such as:

Resistor 5 may be removed and replaced with

either a short (since 5 = 0) or an open (since
5 = 0)
May use mesh or nodal analysis
May use Thevenins theorem
May use delta and wye transformation
And other applicable techniques
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ILLUSTRATION 1: BRIDGE CIRCUITS

Solve for the currents through R1 and R4 in the

circuit below:

1 = 2 A

4 = 1 A

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ILLUSTRATION 2: BRIDGE CIRCUITS

a)
b)

For the circuit shown, what value of R4 will ensure

that the bridge is balanced?
Determine the current I through R5 in the figure
below when R4 = 0 and when R4 = 50 .

20 , 286 mA, -52.6 mA

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REFERENCES
Please refer to course syllabus.

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