Wheatstone bridge

noun Wheat·stone bridge \ˈhwēt-ˌstōn-, ˈwēt-, chiefly British -stən-\

Definition of WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

: an electrical bridge consisting of two branches of a parallel circuit joined by a galvanometer and used for determining the value of an unknown resistance in one of the branches

Origin of WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

Sir Charles Wheatstone

First Known Use: 1872

Medical Dictionary

Wheatstone bridge

noun Wheat·stone bridge \ˌhwēt-ˌstōn-, ˌwēt-, chiefly British -stən-\

Medical Definition of WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

: a bridge for measuring electrical resistances that consists of a conductor joining two branches of a circuit

Biographical Note for WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

Wheatstone, Sir Charles (1802–1875), British physicist. Wheatstone was professor of experimental philosophy at King's College, London. He is remembered for his researches in electricity, sound, and light. In 1834 he devised a revolving mirror for an experiment to measure the speed of electricity in a conductor. In 1843 he constructed the Wheatstone bridge and began to popularize its use. He initiated the use of electromagnets in electric generators, and in 1837 he and Sir William Fothergill Cooke patented an early telegraph.