If the galvanometer in a Wheatstone bridge shows a deflection, what does it indicate?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
If the galvanometer in a Wheatstone bridge shows a deflection, what does it indicate?
The bridge is balanced.
The bridge is unbalanced.
The resistances are equal.
The circuit is open.
A deflection in the galvanometer indicates that the bridge is unbalanced, meaning the ratios of resistances are not equal.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: If the galvanometer in a Wheatstone bridge shows a deflection, what does it indicate?
Solution: A deflection in the galvanometer indicates that the bridge is unbalanced, meaning the ratios of resistances are not equal.
Steps: 6
Step 1: Understand what a Wheatstone bridge is. It is a circuit used to measure unknown resistances by balancing two legs of a bridge circuit.
Step 2: Know that a galvanometer is an instrument that detects small electric currents. In this case, it shows whether there is a current flowing through it.
Step 3: When the Wheatstone bridge is balanced, the current through the galvanometer is zero, and it shows no deflection.
Step 4: If the galvanometer shows a deflection, it means there is a current flowing through it.
Step 5: A current flowing through the galvanometer indicates that the two sides of the bridge are not equal in resistance.
Step 6: Therefore, a deflection in the galvanometer means the Wheatstone bridge is unbalanced.