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Answer in Brief · Q12

Q.In a Wheatstone's meter-bridge experiment, the null point is obtained in the middle one third portion of the wire. Why is it recommended?

Maharashtra MsbshseTextbookSubjectiveImportance★★★★★
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The metre-bridge formula X=(lx/lR)RX=(l_x/l_R)R depends on the RATIO of the two measured lengths, so any small absolute error in reading either length (from the jockey position or scale) turns into a percentage error in X. If the null point falls very close to either end of the wire, one of the two lengths becomes very short, and the same small absolute reading error becomes a LARGE percentage error in that short length, which then dominates the error in X. Keeping the resistance box value R chosen so the null point falls in the wire's middle third (34 cm to 66 cm) keeps both lengths reasonably large and of comparable size, so the percen …

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