Why Did Our Geophysical Group Use a L&N Bridge Instead of a Slide-Wire Bridge?

In summary, a professional crew working to find water in the Yuma Arizona area used a Leeds and Northrup unit instead of a slide-wire bridge for three reasons: 1) the L&D bridge is more accurate in this situation, 2) it is more portable, and 3) the heat in the area may cause discrepancies in data collected by a slide-wire bridge.
  • #1
hamburgler
22
0
My teacher gave us this problem to work on:

Homework Statement


Some years ago I worked with a geophysical group that was looking for water in the Yuma Arizona area. Boy what it hot! Because of the high temperatures in the summer, water was badly needed in large amounts to irrigate crops. Our crew inserted probes in the soil over large areas so we could measure the resistance of the soil and hopefully find water. The instrument that we used in this research was a Leeds and Northrup unit just like the one you used in your experiment. We did not use a slide-wire bridge. Give three reasons why a professional crew like I have described used a L&N bridge rather than the slide-wire bridge.

2. The attempt at a solution

1. A L&D bridge is far more accurate than a slide-wire bridge is in this situation.
2. It is more portable.
3. The heat may cause the wire in the slide-wire bridge to shrink/expand and cause discrepancies in the data.


The last two are just shots in the dark because I can't think of anything else beyond accuracy.
 
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  • #2
No one?
 
  • #3
Please? lol
 
  • #4
I think 1) is because of 3) which is the correct answer. I am not very sure what an L&D bridge is though. I assumed they consisted of the arrangement of resistor boxes usually seen in labs.
 

1. What is a Wheatstone Bridge?

A Wheatstone Bridge is a type of electrical circuit used to measure an unknown resistance by comparing it to a known resistance.

2. How does a Wheatstone Bridge work?

A Wheatstone Bridge works by using four resistors arranged in a diamond shape, with the unknown resistance in one arm and a known resistance in another. By adjusting the remaining two resistors, the bridge can be balanced and the unknown resistance can be calculated using Ohm's Law.

3. What is the purpose of a Wheatstone Bridge?

The purpose of a Wheatstone Bridge is to accurately measure unknown resistances, such as in strain gauge sensors or thermistors, by comparing them to a known resistance.

4. How accurate is a Wheatstone Bridge?

A Wheatstone Bridge can be very accurate, with precision up to 0.01%. However, accuracy also depends on the quality and calibration of the resistors used in the bridge.

5. What are some common applications of a Wheatstone Bridge?

Wheatstone Bridges are commonly used in strain gauge sensors to measure changes in weight or force, in thermistors to measure temperature, and in potentiometers to measure voltage.

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