Physic Projec  
Potentiometer 

Name: Srihari.S
Class:XII R RollNo. 16

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 Index 

➢ Introduction pg 3,4
○ Electromotive Force of a cell (3) 
○ Internal Resistance (4) 
○ Principle of Potentiometer (4) 

➢ Experiment 1: to compare the emfs of two cells

pg 6-11
○ Apparatus pg 6 
○ Theory pg7 
○ Circuit diagram pg 7 
○ Procedure pg 8,9 
○ Observations and Calculations and result pg 9,10 
○ Precaution pg 10 

➢ Experiment 2: to determine the internal

resistance of a cell
○ Apparatus pg 11 
○ Theory pg 12 
○ Circuit diagram pg 13 
○ Procedure pg 13,14 
○ Observations and Calculations and result pg 15  

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Introduction
A potentiometer acts as an adjustable voltage divider.It is an accurate
instrument for measuring the emf of a cell .

Through this project we would compare the emfs of two cells, and also
find the internal resistance of a circuit using the potentiometer .

Electromotive force (Emf)of a cell

Electromotive force is the electrical energy per unit charge that is
imparted by a source of electrical energy in the circuit. The work done on
a unit of electric charge, or the energy thereby gained per unit electric
charge, is the electromotive force. It is abbreviated E in the international
metric system but also, popularly, as emf.

Internal Resistance
Internal Resistance is the resistance which is present within the battery
that resists the current flow when connected to a circuit. Thus it causes a
voltage drop when current flows through it. It is the resistance provided
by the electrolyte and electrodes which is present in a cell.

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Principle of a potentiometer
Potentiometer consists of a long and uniform metallic wire AB(usually a
4-12 metre manganin/constantan wire having high specific resistance
and low temperature coefficient of resistance screwed to a wooden
board at ends A and B ), which is connected to a storage battery
E1(which is also called the driver voltage), through a rheostat and a key
K. E2 is the cell whose emf is to be found. Its positive terminal is
connected to the end A of the wire and the negative terminal is
connected through the galvanometer G to a jockey X which can be slid
along the wire AB and touch at any point on the wire. As current from the
battery flows through the wire from end A to end B, the electric potential
falls continuously. The fall in potential per unit length of the wire is called
potential gradient along the wire from A to B. If the jockey is placed on
the position X1 where the potential difference between A and X1 is lower
than the emf of the cell E2, current flows from the battery E1 in the
direction AX1E2 and from the cell in AE2X1 . But the pd between A and X1
is lower than the emf of the cell, the current from the cell dominates and
the galvanometer deflects on one side.
But if the jockey is placed on the position X2 where the potential
difference between A and X2 is lower than the emf of the cell E2, the
current from the battery will predominate and the galvanometer will
deflect on the opposite side. There is also a point on the wire
where there will be no deflection on the galvanometer. Such a point is
called the null point where the potential difference between A and X is

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 the emf of the cell E2.
Since the potential
gradient is constant
throughout the wire the
Emf could be
calculated as per the
equation

E = Kl where:E is
emf,
K is potential gradient and l is distance between A and X( which is
measured using the ruler kept along AB)
The potential gradient could be found out by using a standard cell of
known( like Weston cadmium cell(emf=1.0184volt)) emf by the same
procedure.

Sensitivity of a potentiometer- 

The sensitivity of a potentiometer implies what the small voltage

difference can be measured by the potentiometer.
For the same driver voltage if we increase the length of the potentiometer
resistance, the length of the resistance per unit voltage gets increased.
Hence the sensitivity of the potentiometer gets increased. So we can say
sensitivity of a potentiometer is directly proportional to the length of the
resistance. Again if we reduce the driver voltage for a fixed length of
potentiometer resistance, then also voltage per unit length of the

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resistance gets decreased. Hence again the sensitivity of the
potentiometer gets increased. So the sensitivity of the potentiometer is
inversely proportional to the driver voltage.

Experiment I:

Aim:

To compare the emfs of two cells.

Apparatus:
 

● Potentiometer
● Daniel Cell
● Leclanche Cell
● low resistance Rheostat
● Ammeter
● Voltmeter
● Galvanometer
● A one-way key
● A two-way key
● Set Square
● Jockey
● Resistance Box

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 ● Connecting wires
● Piece of sandpaper

Theory:
Using a voltmeter it is possible to measure only the potential difference
between the two terminals of a cell, but using a potentiometer we can
determine the value of emf of a given cell. where E1 and E2 are EMFs of
two cells, l1 and l2 are the balancing lengths when E1 and E2 are
connected to the circuit respectively and k is the potential gradient along
the potentiometer wire.
E1 /E2 = k l1 /k l2 = l1 /l2

Circuit diagram:

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 Procedure:
I. Connect the circuit as shown in the figure.
II. With the help of sandpaper, remove the insulation from the ends of
connecting copper wire.
III. Measure the EMF (E) of the battery and the EMFs (E1 and E2) of
the cell and see if E1 > E and E2 > E.
IV. Connect the positive pole of the battery to the zero end (P) of the
potentiometer and the negative pole through the one-way key, low
resistance rheostat and the ammeter to the other end of the
potentiometer (Q).
V. Connect the positive poles of the cells to the terminal at the zero
end (P) and the negative poles to the terminals a and b of the two
way key.
VI. Connect the common terminal c of the two-way key through a
galvanometer (G) and a resistance box to the jockey J.
VII. Take maximum current from the battery by making the rheostat
resistance zero.
VIII. Insert the plug in the one-way key through the resistance box and
the galvanometer to the jockey J.
IX. Take out a 2000 Ω plug from the resistance box.
X. Note down the direction of the deflection in the galvanometer by
pressing the jockey at zero end.

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 XI. Now, press the jockey at the other end of the potentiometer wire. If
the deflection is in the opposite direction to that in the first case, the
connections are correct.
XII. Push the jockey smoothly over the potentiometer up to a point
where the galvanometer shows no deflection.
XIII. Put the 2000 Ω plug back to the resistance box and obtain the null
point position accurately with the help of the set square.
XIV. Note the length l1 of the wire for the cell E1.
XV. Note the current as indicated by the ammeter.
XVI. Disconnect the cell E1 from the plug
XVII. Connect E2 by inserting the plug into the gap of the two-way key.
XVIII. take out a 2000 ohms plug from the resistance box and slide the
jockey along the potentiometer wire and obtain no deflection
position.
XIX. put 2000 ohms plug back in the RB and obtain null for E2.
XX. note the length L2 of wire in this position for the cell E2.
XXI. by increasing the current and adjusting the rheostat to get five sets
of observations.

Observations and Calculations:

L 1 for cell E1(cm) L 2 for cell E2(cm) E1/E2=l1/l2

327 376 0.87
323.5 371 0.87
321.5 369 0.87

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312.5 352.5 0.88

Mean E1/E2= 0.87+0.87+0.87+0.88

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=0.875

Result:
The ratio of emf E1/E2≈ 0.875

Precautions:
(i) The positive poles of all the cells should be connected to the same
point A.
(ii) The emf of the storage cell B should be higher than the emf of each
of the cells E1 and E2 otherwise the null point will not be obtained.
(iii) The diameter of the wire should be uniform throughout, otherwise the
potential gradient will not be the same at all places.
(iv)The current should not be allowed to flow in the wire for a long time
otherwise the wire will become hot and due to increase in resistance of
the wire the potential gradient will change.
(v)After taking the observations with one cell, the other cell should be
taken quickly in the circuit. The current in the wire should remain
unchanged throughout.
(vi)The jockey should not be rubbed on the wire, otherwise the wire will
not remain uniform in the cross section throughout.

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Experiment II:

Aim:

To determine the internal resistance of a cell using a

potentiometer.

Apparatus:
1. A potentiometer
2. a battery (or battery eliminator)
3. two- one way keys
4. a rheostat
5. a galvanometer
6. a high resistance box
7. a fractional resistance box
8. an ammeter
9. Voltmeter
10. a cell
11. a jockey
12. a set square
13. connecting wires
14. Sandpaper.

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Theory:
The potentiometer is a device used to measure the internal resistance of
a cell and is used to compare the e.m.f. of two cells and potential
difference across a resistor. The relation between potential difference,
emf, and internal resistance of a cell is given by

Hence V=IR = E-Ir

This indicates the value of V is less than E by an amount equal to the fall
of potential inside the cell due to its internal resistance.
From the above equation

The internal resistance of the cell is given by 

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Circuit Diagram:

 
Here the internal resistance of the cell is given by

Where l1 and l2 are balancing lengths without shunt or with the shunt. R
is the shunt resistance in parallel with the given cell.

Procedure:
1. The connections should be according to the diagram shown
above.
2. Using sandpaper, clean the ends of the connecting wires and
make sure that the connections are tight.
3. The plugs in the resistance box should be tight.

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4. The e.m.f of the cell and battery is more than that of the cell. If it is
not then the null point won’t be obtained.
5. Rheostat resistance can be made minimum by taking maximum
current from the battery.
6. To check if the circuit connections are correct, the galvanometer
deflections should be in the opposite direction. This is done by
inserting the key K1 and making note of ammeter reading.
7. To obtain the null point on the fourth wire, the rheostat should be
adjusted without inserting the key K2.
8. take the small resistance between 1-5 ohm from resistance box R
connected in parallel with the cell.
9. Slide the jockey and obtain the null point
10. Record your observation

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Observations and Calculations:

Value of Balance Balance Mean ‘r’

Shunt Length l1(K2 length l2 with
resistance(R is open ) Shunt(K2 is
in ohm) Without closed)(cm) (in ohm)
Shunt(cm)
1.5 171.4 64 1.67

2 171.3 61.5 1.78 1.77 ohm

2.5 171.1 59.6 1.87

Result:
The internal resistance of the given cell is 1.77 ohm.

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Bibliography
❖ Potentiometer: Definition, Types, And Working
Principle ,electrical4u.com
❖ Nootan ISC Physics Class XII Nageen Prakashan
Images:
❖ www.google.com
❖ Compare the EMF of The Two Given Primary Cells - Using
Potentiometer, byjus.com
❖ To Determine The Internal Resistance Of A Given Primary Cell
Using A Potentiometer - Class 12 Physics Practicals , byjus.com

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