Future Institute of Engineering And Management

Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities

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OBJECTIVE :………………………………………………………………………………..

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 Future Institute of Engineering And Management
Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities

EXPERIMENT NO. 4
TITLE: MEASUREMENT OF AN UNKNOWN RESISTACE

OBJECTIVE: TO MEASURE THE RESISTANCE PER UNIT LENGTH OF

THE WIRE OF A METRE BRIDGE AND HENCE TO MEASURE THE
VALUE OF AN UNKNOWN RESISTANCE BY CAREY FOSTER’S
METHOD

APPARATUS: 1. Meter – bridge provided with four gaps (or Carey Foster’s bridge)
2. Two nearly equal resistances
3. Resistance box provided with fractional ohm resistances
4. Galvanometer
5. Rheostat
6. Cell
7. Commutator
8. Connecting wires

THEORY: In the arrangement as sown in Fig. P and Q are two nearly equal resistances inserted in
gaps 1 and 2 respectively. Gap 3 of the bridge is closed by a copper connector. A resistance R is
introduced in gap 4 from the fractional resistance box. If now a null point be obtained at a distance l
cms from the left end of the bridge wire, then by the principle of Wheatstone’s bridge

P (l +  ) 
= -----------------------------(i)
Q R + (100 – l +  / ) 

Where  and  / are the end corrections at the left and right ends of the metre bridge respectively
(represented in equivalent lengths of the bridge wire ) and  is the resistance per unit length of bridge
wire.

Similarly, if the copper connector and the resistance R be interchanged and a null point obtained at l /
cms from the left end of the bridge wire.

P R + (l / +  ) 
= -----------------------------(ii)
Q (100 – l / +  / ) 
From (i) and (ii), we have

P+Q R + (100 +  +  /) 
= -----------------------------(iii)
Q R + (100 – l +  /) 
 Future Institute of Engineering And Management
Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities

And P+Q R + (100 +  +  /) 

= -----------------------------(iv)
Q R + (100 – l + 
/ /) 

Equating R.H.S. of equations (iii) and (iv), we have

R + (100 – l +  /)  = (100 - l / +  / ) 

Or, R = (l – l /) 

Or,  = R / (l – l /) -----------------------------(v)

Thus measuring R, l and l /,  may be determined.

E K

Rh 

P Q R G

S
3 1 2 4
R/
/
A N N B

Fig. 1 : Experimental set up for Carey Foster bridge

If a fractional resistance box S is connected to the extreme left gap no. 1 and an unknown resistance R
in the right gap no. 4 and in this condition a null point is obtained at a distance l1 cm from the left end
of the bridge-wire and then a null point is again obtained at a distance l2 cm from the left end with the
positions of S and R interchanged, then

S – R = (l2 – l1)

Where  = resistance per length of the bridge-wire.

Therefore,
R = S - (l2 – l1)

Knowing S, , l1, and l2 the unknown resistance R can be found out.

 Future Institute of Engineering And Management
Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS :

1. Determination of :

Resistance in the Null point ( in cm ) =R/(l~l/)

Obs. (in ohm) l ~ l / (cm.)
Left gap Right gap (ohm/cm)
0 0.2
1 0.2 0
0 0.3
2 0.3 0
0 0.4
3 0.4 0
0 0.5
4 0.5 0

Mean  = ----------------- ohm / cm.

2. Determination of R:

Obs. Resistance Position of null point (in cm) (l2 – l1) R=S- Mean
In the S when the unknown (cm) (l2 – l1) R
box (Ω) resistance R is (Ω) (Ω)
in the extreme right in the extreme left
gap no.4 gap no. 1

1 0.2

2 0.3

3 0.4

4 0.5

………………………………….
(Teacher Signature)
 Future Institute of Engineering And Management
Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities

ERROR CALCULATION:

❖ Analyze the following questions in the light of the experiment:

1. What precautions have you taken to perform the experiment?

2. What is the advantage of Carey-Foster’s Bridge over the meter bridge?

 Future Institute of Engineering And Management
Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities

3. Why the Wheatstone bridge is not used in the laboratory in place of meter bridge?

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(Student’s Signature) (Teacher Signature)