Wheatstone bridge

American

Or Wheatstone's bridge

noun

Electricity.

a circuit for measuring an unknown resistance by comparing it with known resistances.

Wheatstone bridge British

/ ˈwiːtstən /

noun

a device for determining the value of an unknown resistance by comparison with a known standard resistance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Wheatstone bridge

First recorded in 1870–75; named after C. Wheatstone

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The two terminals are carried outside of the respiration chamber to the observer's table, where the temperature fluctuations are measured on a Wheatstone bridge.

From Project Gutenberg

The Port Elizabeth line was then connected up, and by means of a Wheatstone bridge on the lecture table, the resistance of the line was measured.

From Project Gutenberg

This involves the use of the balanced Wheatstone bridge.

From Project Gutenberg

The apparatus consists of a magneto-electric machine AT, which generates the testing current by turning a handle, and a Wheatstone bridge.

From Project Gutenberg

To do this we use an instrument called the Wheatstone bridge.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023