A.

C Bridge
• The Wheastone bridge circuit is used at audio
frequencies (i.e. at frequencies up to about 20kHz) to
measure the impedance of reactive elements.
(detector is Headphones instead of galvanometer)

• The arms of the bridge contains circuit elements with

complex impedances Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4.
 A.C. Bridge
• The balance condition in the bridge is obtained by
applying Kirchhoff's law in complex form.
• In the balance condition the current ID must be zero so
that,
• I1=I2 and I3=I4
• So for balance condition
I1Z1 - I2Z2 = 0 and I3Z3 - I4Z4= 0
The balance condition
Z1/ Z2 = Z3/ Z4
To determine complex impedance
both real and imaginary parts must
be measured.
 A.C. Bridge
• Measurement of capacitance or capacity
– De sauty method
– Wein Bridge
– Schering bridge
• Measurement of frequency of an A.C. supply
• Measurement of an inductance
– Maxwell’s bridge
– Owen bridge
– Anderson’s bridge
 Measurement of capacitance
• The De Sauty bridge
• Uses two resistance and a
known capacitance to
determine an unknown
capacitance.
• The detector is headphone
and the balance condition
corresponds to minimum or
no sound in the head phone.
• The balance condition is
generally achieved by varying
R2 for a given value of R1.
 The De Sauty bridge
• The balance condition for the bridge is
Z1 Z 3

Z2 Z4
here,
Z1  R1, Z 2  R2
XC  1
jC
1 The balance condition,
Z3  and therefore, takes the form
jC1
1 1
Z4  R1 jC1 C 2
jC2  
R2 1 C1
jC 2
 The De Sauty bridge
• This bridge having only one balance condition.
• It enables us to determine the ratio of two
capacitance in terms of two resistor.
• The resistance used have been supposed to be
non inductive and capacitance to have
negligible power factor.
 The Wein bridge
• This bridge is modification of the De Sauty
bridge and uses additional resistance in series
with a standard capacitor C of negligible
power factor.
• This bridge enables us to determine unknown
capacitance and its power factor.
 The Wein bridge
• The balance condition
Z1 Z 3 R1  1 jC1 R2
  
Z2 Z4 R  1 jC R3
or
R3 R2
R1 R3   R2 R 
jC1 jC
R3 R2 R3 R2
R1 R3  j  R2 R  j R1 R3  R2 R, 
C1 C
C1 C
Equating real and imaginary parts we get the two balance conditions
 The Wein bridge
R3 R2
R1 R3  R2 R,  • We can vary R3 and
C1 C
R to satisfy the two
R1 R2
 and balance condition
R R3
until the best
R3
C1  C balance point is
R2
obtained.
• The power factor of capacitor C1 will be
given by cos  
R1
R12  1
 2 C12
1
cos   R1C1 , R1 
C1
 The Schering Bridge
• This is one of most accurate
bridges for measurement of
unknown capacitance in terms of
standard capacitor.
• Developed by Schering in 1920.
• This bridge capable of
determining small capacitance
and hence useful in measuring
dielectric constant of solids and
liquids.
• The standard capacitor used in the
circuit shown in figure by C1.
 The Schering Bridge
Z1 Z 3
 ,
• The unknown capacitance Z2 Z4
is shown by C and C1 is Z1  R1 
1
,
selected by such a way that jC
there might not be a large Z2 
1
,
jC1
difference between them C
Z 3  R2 ,
and C1.
1 1 1
• The resistance R3 is variable  
Z 4 R3 1 jC3
and it is connected in 1
R1 
parallel with variable jC  1 
 R2   jC3 
capacitor C3. RC
1  R3 
R1  2 3 jC1
C1
 R1 
1

R2 R jC3
 2
1 R jC jC1 R3 jC1
 2
C C1 R3
 Measurement of an inductance
• Two equal non inductive
resistances of known value
• A variable capacitor C1, of
which the capacity is known
at every setting
• The inductance L are
connected as shown in the
circuit.
• An A.C. source and head
phone are also connected in
the circuit.
 Measurement of an inductance
R XC
 , X L  j L , X C  1
XL R j C
R 1

jL jCR
L  R 2C

• The potential difference between B and D must

be zero for the balance condition and this is
achieved by making the voltage between B and
D of the same amplitude and phase.
 Maxwell’s L/C bridge
• Useful in determining an unknown
inductance in terms of a known variable
standard capacitor and a standard known
resistance.
• Care must be taken that resistances used in
the circuit having low residual inductance.
 Maxwell’s L/C bridge
• Applying the balance condition
Z1 Z 3

Z2 Z4
R1 R3  jL

Z2 R4
1 1
Also,   jC 2
Z 2 R2
Hence, Equating real and imaginary parts,

 1  R3  jL R1 R3 L
R1   jC 2    , C 2 R1 
R2 R4 R4
 R2  R4
L  C 2 R1 R4
 Maxwell’s L/C bridge
• Here, R3R2 must equal to R1R4 and L equal to
C2R1R4.
• The two balance condition is independent of
one another only if C2 is variable.
– R1/R2 is kept simple ratio and R3 is varied first to
obtain in phase minimum.
– C2 is varied to obtain the quadrature minimum.
– Good balance is obtain by two or three alternate
variation of R3 and C2.
 The Owen’s L-C bridge
• It is the most accurate and
widely used bridge for
measurement of inductance.
• This bridge involves two
capacitance. One of the
capacitor C1 is placed in
series with adjustable
resistance R1.
• The resistance R3 includes the
resistance of inductance L.
 The Owen’s L-C bridge
• Making use of balance condition,
Z1 Z 3

Z2 Z4
We get
 1  R3  jL
 R1   jC 2 
 jC1  R4
Equating real and imaginary parts
jC 2 R3 jL C 2 R3
jC 2 R1     
jC1 R4 R4 C1 R4
jL
jC 2 R1   L  C 2 R1 R4
R4
 The Owen’s L-C bridge
• Owen’s bridge is easy to assemble and simple
to operate.
• To obtain a sharp balance, we need to use
good capacitors whose apparent resistance is
negligible.
• This bridge is used to measure inductance of
any size since L is proportional to R1.
 Anderson’s L-C bridge
• This is a modification of Maxwell’s L-c bridge.
• The working of bridge requires a fixed
standard capacitor along with variable
resistances.
 Measurement of the frequency of an
A.C. source
• In this bridge, the balance depends upon the
frequency of the A.C. source.
• The balance condition for the bridge is