ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 1 (EEE230) EXPERIMENT 4 THEVENINS THEOREM AND WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

OBJECTIVES 1) To analyze dc resistive circuits using Thevenins Theorem. 2) To analyze an unbalanced Wheatstone bridge using Thevenins Theorem.

LIST OF REQUIREMENT Equipment 1) DC power supply 2) Galvanometer 3) Digital multimeter 4) Ammeter Components
1) Resistor: 2.2k,1.2k,10k,3.3k

2) Decade resistor

THEORY Thevenins theorem Thevenin theorem states that a linear two-terminal circuit can be replaced by an equivalent circuit consisting of a voltage source VTH in series with a resistor RTH, where VTH is the open-circuit voltage at the terminals and RTH is the input or equivalent resistance at the terminals when the inpedent sources are turned off. According to Thevenins Theorem, the linear circuit in figure 4.11(a) can be replace by that in the figure 4.11(b).the load in fig. 4.11 may be a single resistor or another circuit. The circuit to the left of the teminals a-b in fig. 4.11(b) is known as the Thevenin equivalent circuit; it was develop in 1883(1857-1926), a French telegraph engineer.

A Linear two-terminal circuit b (a) load

Load

(b) 2

FIGURE 4.11

Replacing a linear two-terminal circuit by its Thevenin equivalent : (a) original circuit, (b) the Thevenin equivalent circuit.

If the terminals a-b are made open-circuit (by removing the load), no current flows, so that the open-circuit voltage across the terminals a-b in fig. 4.23(a) must be equal to the voltage source VTH in fig. 4.11(b), since the two circuits are equivalent. Thus VTH is the open-circuit voltage across the terminals as shown in fig. 4.11(a) ; that is : VTH = VOC Thevenins theorem is very important in circuit analysis. It helps simplify a circuit . A large circuit may be replaced by a single independent voltage source and a single resistor. This replacement technique is a powerful tool in circuit design. The thevenin equivalent of the circuit at the loads terminals is obtained, as shown in figure. 4.12(b). from fig. 4.12 we obtain

Figure 4.12 To find VTH we use this formula

Figure 4.13 To find RTH we use this formula

Wheatstone Bridge Wheatstone bridge is the most accurate method for measurering resistance and is popular for laboratory used. It consists of 4 resistor, a dc voltage source and a galvanometer arranged as shown in figure 4.2 . The galvanometer is used to detect the current flow from point A and B.

Figure 4.12 : Basic circuit diagram for a Wheatstone bridge

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A bridge is said to be in balance condition(null condition) if there is no current flows through the galvanometer (Ig = 0)

Ig = 0 if VA = VB Rx = R2R3/R1
A bridge is said to be unbalanced condition if there is current flows through the galvanometer ( Ig 0). It can be determined using Thevenins equivalent circuit. See the figure 4.13

Figure 4.13 VTH = VA - VB

VTH= [R3/( R1+R3) RX/(R2+RX)][Vin] RTH = [R1R3 /R1+R3] + [R2RX]

PROCEDURES PART A : THEVENINS THEOREM

R1=1.2 V=12 R2=10k Figure R1=1.2 R1=1.2 R3=3.3

V=12

R2=10

Vth

R2=10k

Rth

Figure Rth

V=12V

R3

Figure

1) The circuit in Figure 4.8 was connected.

2) The current was measured through R3 (IR3) and the voltage across R3 (VR3 ).The

results were recorded in Table 4.1(without using Thevenins Theorem).

3) R3 was removed and the circuit was connected as in Figure 4.9(a)(Figure 4.8

with R3 removed).The voltage across point a and b were measured and it was recorded as VTH.
4) The circuit was construct as in Figure 4.9(b)(Figure 4.8 with R3 removed and the

12V source replaced by a short circuit).The resistance at point a and b were measured and it was recorded as RTH.
5) The circuit was construct as in Figure 4.10.A resistor for RTH was obtained as

close as possible to its value using decade box.

6) The current was measured through R3 and the voltage across R3 in the circuit of

Figure 4.10.The results were recorded in Table 4.1.

7) The percent of error between VTH(estimated) from theory with VTH from step 3

was calculated.
8) The percent of error between RTH(estimated) from theory with RTH from step 4

was calculated.
9) The percent of error between IR3 (estimated) from theory with IR3 using Thevenins

Theorem and without using Thevenins Theorem was calculated.

10)

The percent of error between VR3(estimated) from theory with VR3 using

Thevenins Theorem and without using Thevenins Theorem was calculated.

PART B:WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

Refer to Figure 4.11.Set R1 =2.3k (use decade resistance) and R2=R3=R4=2.2k.

1) The internal resistance of galvanometer current,IG was measured. 2) The circuit as in Figure 4.11 was construct and the galvanometer current,IG was

measured.
3) The galvanometer from the circuit was removed as Figure 4.5 and VTH was

measured. The equivalent circuit was modified as in Figure 4.6(b) and RTh was measured.
4) IG was calculated when the galvanometer was connected to the equivalent

Thevenin circuit (from step 3) as shown in Figure 4.12.

5) The percent of error between IG(estimated) from theory and from step 2 was

calculated.

6) The percent of error between IG(estimated) from theory and calculated IG from

step 4 was calculated.

7) The percent of error between VTH (estimated) from theory with VTH from step 3

was calculated.
8) The percent of error between RTH(estimated) from theory with RTH from step 3

was calculated.
9) Step 1 to 8 were repeated for R1=2.0k and R2=2.5k and the results were

recorded in Table 4.2.

RESULT

QUANTITY VTH RTH Current through R3 (IR3) Voltage across R3 (VR3)

ESTIMATED VALUE (PRE-LAB) 10.71 V 1.07 k 2.33 mA 7.68 V

MEASURED VALUE WITHOUT USING USING THEVENINS THEVENINS THEOREM THEOREM 10.10 V 1.02 k 2.50 mA 6.54 V Table 4.1 2.78 mA 7.30 V

Table 4.2

R1 RG VTH(estimated) RTH(estimated) IG(estimated) IG(step 2) IG(step 4) VTH(step 3) RTH(step 3) % of error IG (step 5) % of error IG (step 6) % of error VTH(STEP 7) % of error RTH(step 8)

2.3k 1k 0.111 V 2.224 k 49.910 A 48 A 38 A 0.160 V 2.130 k 3.8% 23.86% -44.14% 4.23%

2.0k 1k - 0.238 V 2.148 k -111 A -0.14 A -90 A -0.200 V 2.070 k 99.87% 18.92% 16.00% 3.47%

2.5k 1k 0.319 V 2.270 k 141 A 0.18 A 150 A 0.350 V 2.140 k 99.87% -6.38% -9.72% 5.73%

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QUESTION & DISCUSSION PART A: THEVENINS THEOREMS 1) Thevenins theorem states that the current through a resistor R connected across any two points A and B of an active network (network containing one or more sources or emf ), is obtained by dividing the potential difference between A and B (with R disconnected) by R+r, where r is the resistance of the network measured between A and B with R disconnected and the sources of emf replaced by their values of internal resistance.
2) When we not using Thevenins Theorem, we cant calculated the

values of VTH because they has no total voltages when the circuit is disconnected but when using the Thevenins Theorem we can find the values of VTH. In resistor R2 they has no voltage drop at the resistor. Thats why we cant calculated total voltage in the circuit without using Thevenins Theorem.
3) Its a same situation when we want to calculate RTH, because its

difficult to us to calculate the total resistance in the circuit when we disconnect the resistor R3. The total resistance is unable to calculate if we disconnect any resistor at the circuit.
4) But the values of current through R3 (IR3) and voltages across R3 (VR3)

without using Thevenins Theorem is slightly different with the values of current through R3 (IR3) and voltages across R3 (VR3) when using the Thevenins Theorem. Its maybe because the error during the experiment. Although the results obtained is varies with magnitude obtained, it can be corrected by doing some calculation and adjustment during the experiment. 5) To minimize the errors, precaution should be taken in order to get more accurate and increase the accuracy of the values obtained both theory and experiment values. The gross error can be minimize by taking proper care in reading and recording the measurement parameter, where two or more reading should be taken by different experimenters. The experimenters also should know how to handle the instrument and ensure to follow the instruction of the experiment they carried out. Instrument error can be reducing by selecting a suitable instrument. Selecting improper devices or instruments can effect the result and thus can cause incorrect results.

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PART B: WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

1) Wheatstone Bridge is an electrical circuit . In wheat-stone bridge

four resistance R1, R2, R3 and R4 are connected end to end with each other to form a closed loop. A sensitive galvanometer "G" is connected between their junctions as shown . Generally wheatstone bridge is used to determine unknown resistances. The VTH are related as follow: VTH = VA - VB. They have two type situation of Wheatstone Bridge, thats unbalanced situation and balanced situation.
2) 3) The values of VTH,RTH and RG (estimated) is slightly diffrence with the

values that we get from the experiment. Its causes the percentages of error that we calculated had a negative percentages.
4) If we not using the Wheatstone Bridge Theorem, the valyes of IG is

zero reading. Its because they have no current that passes through the galvanometer at circuit during the experiment.

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CONCLUSION

1) As a conclusion from the experiment, now we know how to analyze dc

resistive circuit using Thevenins Theorem and how to analyze an unbalanced Wheatstone Bridge using Thevenins Theorem.

2) Other than, we also could be able to calculated or simplify any complex

circuit using Thevenins theorem and its will show we the accurate reading that we analyze.

3) From this experiment also, show to us that we can determined or

calculated 3 or more values using only one theorem. We can manage to determined voltages across among a resistor or the values of current passes through the resistor without using voltage divider rules (VDR) and current divider rules (CDR).

4) If we have four resistor in the circuit and to estimate the values of

resistor changes, we can using the Wheatstone Bridge to determine the values of and is a most accurate method to solve it.

5) The values from the experiment have slightly different with estimate
values from the theory due to some problem or error during the experiment. From the experiment, we had studied about Wheatstone
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Bridge and Thevenins Theorem and the way to solve it have been determined.

REFERENCES
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9venin%27s_theorem

Alexander, C.K., & Sadiku, M. N. O. (2004). Fundamentals of electric circuits (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
2)

Kalsi, H.S. (2004). Electronic instrumentation (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill.
3)

4)

Electrical Measurement ESE 122

5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatstone_bridge

6) Laboratory Manual (Electrical Engineering Laboratory 1,EEE230)

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