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Q.Obtain the balancing condition in Wheatstone's bridge.

Kerala DhseKerala DHSE Plus Two Board 2026Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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When the Wheatstone bridge's galvanometer shows zero deflection, Kirchhoff's rules give the balance condition P/Q=R/SP/Q = R/S.

A Wheatstone bridge has four resistors P, Q, R, S forming a closed quadrilateral ABCD, with a battery connected across one diagonal (A to C) and a galvanometer across the other diagonal (B to D). At balance, no current flows through the galvanometer, i.e. Ig=0I_g = 0, and points B and D are at the same potential.

Let the battery drive current I1I_1 through P then R (branch A→B→C), and current I2I_2 through Q then S (branch A→D→C), since with Ig=0I_g=0 the current entering at B (or D) does not divide into the galvanometer branch.

Applying Kirchhoff's loop rule to loop A–B–D–A (through P, galvanometer, Q), with Ig=0I_g = 0:

I1P=I2Q...(i)I_1P = I_2Q \quad \text{...(i)}

(no drop across the galvanometer branch since Ig=0I_g=0, so the potential drop along P from A to B must equal the drop along Q from A to D)

Applying it to loop B–C–D–B (through R, S, galvanometer), again with Ig=0I_g=0:

I1R=I2S...(ii)I_1R = I_2S \quad \text{...(ii)}

Dividing (i) by (ii): …

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