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Q.(a) State Kirchoff's Law for an electrical network. Using these laws deduce the condition for balance in a Wheatstone Bridge.

(b) A battery of emf 10 V and internal resistance 3 Ω is connected to a resistor: If the current in the circuit is 0.5 A, what is the resistance of the resistor?
Andhra Pradesh BieapBIEAP Intermediate Board 2024Subjective· 8mImportance★★★★★
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(a) Junction rule (∑I=0\sum I=0) + loop rule (∑ε=∑IR\sum\varepsilon=\sum IR) applied to a Wheatstone bridge give the balance condition P/Q=R/SP/Q = R/S. (b) From ε=I(R+r)\varepsilon = I(R+r), R=17 ΩR = 17\ \Omega.

Wheatstone bridge circuit
Wheatstone bridge circuit

(a) Kirchhoff's Laws (NCERT/CBSE current-electricity):

  1. Junction (Current) Rule — Kirchhoff's First Law: The algebraic sum of currents meeting at any junction is zero, i.e. the total current entering a junction equals the total leaving it: ∑I=0\sum I = 0. (Consequence of conservation of charge.)
  2. Loop (Voltage) Rule — Kirchhoff's Second Law: Around any closed loop, the algebraic sum of the emfs equals the algebraic sum of the potential drops (IRIR terms): ∑ε=∑IR\sum \varepsilon = \sum IR. (Consequence of conservation of energy.)

Balance condition of a Wheatstone Bridge:

A Wheatstone bridge has four resistances P, Q, R, S in a quadrilateral ABCD; a galvanometer G connects B and D, and a battery connects A and C. Let I1I_1 flow through P (arm AB) and I2I_2 through R (arm AD); at balance the galvanometer current Ig=0I_g = 0.

Applying the junction rule at balance (Ig=0I_g = 0): the current through P also flows through Q, and the current through R also flows through S. So current in P = current in Q = I1I_1, and current in R = current in S = I2I_2.

Applying the loop rule to loop ABDA (with Ig=0I_g = 0, points B and D are at the same potential):

I1P=I2R...(1)I_1 P = I_2 R \quad\text{...(1)}

Applying the loop rule to loop BCDB:

I1Q=I2S...(2)I_1 Q = I_2 S \quad\text{...(2)}

Dividing (1) by (2): …

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