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Q.In the given Wheatstone's network, calculate the value of electric current flowing through the galvanometer.

Karnataka PUCKarnataka II PUC Board 2024Subjective· 5mImportance★★★★★
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The four arms give ABBC=1020=0.5≠ADDC=515=0.33\frac{AB}{BC} = \frac{10}{20} = 0.5 \ne \frac{AD}{DC} = \frac{5}{15} = 0.33, so the bridge is not balanced and current flows through the galvanometer. Solving the circuit by Kirchhoff's laws gives Ig≈0.041 AI_g \approx 0.041\,\text{A} (40.8 mA40.8\,\text{mA}).

Given (from the network)

Note

  • Arm AB =10 Ω= 10\,\Omega, arm BC =20 Ω= 20\,\Omega, arm CD =15 Ω= 15\,\Omega, arm DA =5 Ω= 5\,\Omega
  • Galvanometer G=10 ΩG = 10\,\Omega across B–D
  • Cell emf =10 V= 10\,\text{V} across A–C

Step 1 — Test the balance condition

For a balanced Wheatstone bridge ABBC=ADDC\dfrac{AB}{BC} = \dfrac{AD}{DC}.

ABBC=1020=0.5,ADDC=515=0.33\frac{AB}{BC} = \frac{10}{20} = 0.5, \qquad \frac{AD}{DC} = \frac{5}{15} = 0.33

Since 0.5≠0.330.5 \ne 0.33, the bridge is unbalanced, so a non-zero current flows through the galvanometer and we must solve the network.

Step 2 — Set up node (Kirchhoff) equations

Take node C as reference, VC=0V_C = 0, and the battery terminal VA=10 VV_A = 10\,\text{V}. Let VBV_B and VDV_D be the potentials of the galvanometer nodes.

KCL at B (arms AB, BC and the galvanometer BD):

VA−VB10=VB−VC20+VB−VD10\frac{V_A - V_B}{10} = \frac{V_B - V_C}{20} + \frac{V_B - V_D}{10}

⇒5VB−2VD=20(1)\Rightarrow 5V_B - 2V_D = 20 \quad (1)

KCL at D (arms AD, DC and the galvanometer BD):

VA−VD5+VB−VD10=VD−VC15\frac{V_A - V_D}{5} + \frac{V_B - V_D}{10} = \frac{V_D - V_C}{15}

⇒3VB−11VD=−60(2)\Rightarrow 3V_B - 11V_D = -60 \quad (2)

Step 3 — Solve for the node potentials …

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