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Q.Explain Kirchhoff's laws for electrical circuit and on its basis, find the condition for resistances of balanced wheatstone bridge.

Uttarakhand UbseUttarakhand Board Intermediate (Class 12) 2018Subjective· 5mImportance★★★★★
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Kirchhoff's junction rule (∑I=0\sum I=0) and loop rule (∑ε=∑IR\sum\varepsilon=\sum IR) applied to the bridge give balance when P/Q=R/SP/Q=R/S.

Wheatstone bridge network used to derive the balance condition from Kirchhoff's laws.
Wheatstone bridge network used to derive the balance condition from Kirchhoff's laws.

Kirchhoff's laws.

  1. Junction (Kirchhoff's current law, KCL). The algebraic sum of currents meeting at any junction of a network is zero — currents entering are taken positive, leaving negative: ∑I=0\sum I = 0 It expresses conservation of charge.
  2. Loop (Kirchhoff's voltage law, KVL). Around any closed loop of a network, the algebraic sum of the EMFs equals the algebraic sum of the products of current and resistance: ∑ε=∑IR\sum \varepsilon = \sum IR It expresses conservation of energy.

Balanced Wheatstone bridge. Four resistances P,Q,R,SP, Q, R, S form a quadrilateral ABCDABCD; a galvanometer GG connects BB and DD, and a cell connects AA and CC. Let currents be I1I_1 through PP (arm ABAB) and I2I_2 through RR (arm ADAD); at balance the galvanometer current Ig=0I_g=0.

Apply the junction rule at balance (Ig=0I_g=0): current through PP also flows through QQ, and current through RR also flows through SS.

Apply the loop rule to loop ABDAABDA (with Ig=0I_g=0, so no drop across GG):

I1P−I2R=0  ⇒  I1P=I2R(1)I_1 P - I_2 R = 0 \;\Rightarrow\; I_1 P = I_2 R \quad (1) …

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