DETERMINATIONOF THE ACTIVATION

ENERGY OF A THERMISTOR
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
Construct a wheat stone bridge type circuit by using resistors, dc supply and a galvanometer, and
analyze the variation of thermistorresistance with temperature. Find the activation energy for
conduction of the thermistor and its applicability in engineering fields.

ABSTRACT:
A new circuit element and control device, the thermistor or thermally sensitive resistor, is
made of solid semiconducting materials whose resistance decreases about four per cent
per centigrade degree. The thermistor presents interesting opportunities to the designer and
engineer in many fields of technology for accomplishing tasks more simply, economically
and better than with available devices. Part I discusses the conduction mechanism in
semiconductors and the criteria for usefulness of circuit elements made from them. The
fundamental physical properties of thermistors, their construction, their static and dynamic
characteristics and general principles of operation are treated. Part II of this paper deals
with the applications of thermistors. These include: sensitive thermometers and temperature
control elements, simple temperature compensators, ultrahigh frequency power meters,
automatic gain controls for transmission systems such as the Types K2 and L1 carrier
telephone systems, voltage regulators, speech volume limiters, compressors and
expandors, gas pressure gauges and flowmeters, meters for thermal conductivity
determination of liquids, and contactless time delay devices. Thermistors with short time
constants have been used as sensitive bolometers and show promise as simple compact
audio-frequency oscillators, modulators and amplifiers.

Thermistors are components of comparatively recent development, although the

phenomenon of conduction in metallic salts was recorded by Faraday over a century ago.
The paper, in a broad survey of the subject, describes the theory of their operation, explains
why they, in common with other semiconductor devices, possess a negative temperature
coefficient of resistance and develops the expressions which govern their parameters.
Methods of manufacture of the various forms of thermistor are outlined in general terms,
and numerous applications of the device are described and discussed. Guidance is given
on the approach to circuit problems, and the possibilities of exploiting some of the device's
interesting and unusual properties are indicated. The point is made that the thermistor can
now be used in many fields as an adequate alternative to components of more specialized
application.

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