Potentiometer

Potentiometer

Potentiometer is used for the accurate measurement of potential differences, current and resistances. It consists of ten meter long uniform wire of manganin or constantan stretched in parallel rows each of 1 meter length, on a wooden board. The two free ends A and B are brought to the same side and fixed to copper strips with binding screws. A meter scale is fixed parallel to the wire. A jockey is provided for making contact.

The principle of the potentiometer is illustrated in Figure 2.27. A steady current is maintained across the wire CD by a battery  Bt. The battery, key and the potentiometer wire are connected in series forms the primary circuit. The positive terminal of a primary cell of emf ξ is connected to the point C and negative terminal is connected to the jockey through a galvanometer G and a high resistance HR. This forms the secondary circuit.

Let contact be made at any point J on the wire by jockey. If the potential difference across CJ is equal to the emf of the cell ξ then no current will flow through the galvanometer and it will show zero deflection. CJ is the balancing length l. The potential difference across CJ is equal to Irl where I is the current flowing through the wire and r is the resistance per unit length of the wire.

Since I and r are constants, ξ ∝ l. The emf of the cell is directly proportional to the balancing length.