If the resistance R1 in a Wheatstone bridge is increased, what happens to the ba
Practice Questions
Q1
If the resistance R1 in a Wheatstone bridge is increased, what happens to the balance condition?
The bridge remains balanced
The bridge becomes unbalanced
The bridge becomes balanced again
The current through the galvanometer increases
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If the resistance R1 in a Wheatstone bridge is increased, what happens to the balance condition?
Correct Answer: The bridge becomes unbalanced.
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: Identify the components of the Wheatstone bridge. It has four resistors: R1, R2, R3, and R4.
Step 3: Know the balance condition. The bridge is balanced when the ratio of R1 to R2 is equal to the ratio of R3 to R4 (R1/R2 = R3/R4).
Step 4: Consider what happens when R1 is increased. If R1 gets larger, the ratio R1/R2 changes.
Step 5: Realize that if R1 increases and R2 stays the same, the left side of the balance equation (R1/R2) becomes larger.
Step 6: Since R3 and R4 remain unchanged, the right side of the balance equation (R3/R4) does not change.
Step 7: Conclude that the two sides of the balance equation are no longer equal, which means the bridge is unbalanced.
Wheatstone Bridge Balance Condition – The balance condition in a Wheatstone bridge occurs when the ratio of resistances in one leg equals the ratio in the other leg, allowing for no current to flow through the galvanometer.
