Past exam of the physics 2 paper of the University of Oxford / 2022 / 8 / b / Solution

Let the source's top terminal have voltage phasor $V_0$ and its bottom terminal zero. Denote the left and right junctions by $L$ and $R$. The two left resistors are equal, so at balance $V_L=V_0/2$. Zero electric current through the ammeter requires $V_R=V_L$, and therefore equal upper and lower right-arm electrical impedances:Write $x=\omega R_x{C}_x$. Separating real parts and imaginary parts givesThe second equation implies $1+x^2={\omega }^2{R}_x^{2}C{C}_x$. Subtract $x^2={\omega }^2{R}_x^2{C}_x^2$ to obtainA finite balance with positive components requires $0<C_x<C$, and then $0<R_v<R_x$. This equal-ratio RC bridge uses equality of arm electrical impedances, independent of the conjugate-matching convention in part (a).

Detector convention. The stated negligible-electrical impedance ammeter is an ideal short circuit, whose actual terminal voltage is zero at every angular frequency. The nontrivial bridge output usually intended is the open-circuit junction difference, obtained with the detector removed or replaced by a high-input impedance voltmeter. Define its polarity byFor a detector of finite electrical impedance $Z_A$, its terminal voltage is insteadHere $Z_{\mathrm{th}}$ is the Thévenin equivalent electrical impedance, found by shorting the ideal source. This exhibits why the ideal-ammeter limit $Z_A\to 0$ has zero terminal voltage even when the bridge is unbalanced.