Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Wheat·stone bridge Pronunciation:
"hwEt-"stOn-, "wEt-, chiefly Brit -st&n- Function:
noun : a bridge for measuring electricalresistances that consists of a conductor joining two branches of a circuit
Wheatstone,
Sir Charles (1802–1875), British physicist. Wheatstone was professor ofexperimental 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 ofelectricity 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 WilliamFothergill Cooke patented an early telegraph.
