Exemplar Problems–Physics

Chapter Three

CURRENT
ELECTRICITY

MCQ I
3.1 Consider a current carrying wire (current I ) in the shape of a circle.
Note that as the current progresses along the wire, the direction of
j (current density) changes in an exact manner, while the current I
remain unaffected. The agent that is essentially responsible for is
(a) source of emf.
(b) electric field produced by charges accumulated on the surface
of wire.
(c) the charges just behind a given segment of wire which push
them just the right way by repulsion.
(d) the charges ahead.
3.2 Two batteries of emf ε1 and ε2 (ε2 > ε1) and internal
resistances r 1 and r 2 respectively are connected in parallel
as shown in Fig 3.1.
(a) The equivalent emf εeq of the two cells is between ε1
and ε2, i.e. ε1< εeq < ε2.
Fig 3.1

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(b) The equivalent emf εeq is smaller than ε1 .

(c) The εeq is given by εeq = ε1 + ε2 always.
(d) εeq is independent of internal resistances r 1 and r 2.

3.3 A resistance R is to be measured using a meter bridge. Student

chooses the standard resistance S to be 100Ω. He finds the null
point at l1 = 2.9 cm. He is told to attempt to improve the accuracy.
Which of the following is a useful way?
(a) He should measure l1 more accurately.
(b) He should change S to 1000Ω and repeat the experiment.
(c) He should change S to 3Ω and repeat the experiment.
(d) He should give up hope of a more accurate measurement with
a meter bridge.
3.4 Two cells of emf’s approximately 5V and 10V are to be accurately
compared using a potentiometer of length 400cm.
(a) The battery that runs the potentiometer should have voltage of 8V.
(b) The battery of potentiometer can have a voltage of 15V and R
adjusted so that the potential drop across the wire slightly
exceeds 10V.
(c) The first portion of 50 cm of wire itself should have a potential
drop of 10V.
(d) Potentiometer is usually used for comparing resistances and
not voltages.

3.5 A metal rod of length 10 cm and a rectangular cross-section of

1
1cm × cm is connected to a battery across opposite faces. The
2
resistance will be
1
(a) maximum when the battery is connected across 1 cm × cm
2
faces.
(b) maximum when the battery is connected across 10 cm × 1 cm
faces.
1
(c) maximum when the battery is connected across 10 cm ×
2
cm faces.
(d) same irrespective of the three faces.
3.6 Which of the following characteristics of electrons determines the
current in a conductor?
(a) Drift velocity alone.
(b) Thermal velocity alone.
(c) Both drift velocity and thermal velocity.
(d) Neither drift nor thermal velocity.

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 Exemplar Problems–Physics

MCQ II
3.7 Kirchhoff ’s junction rule is a reflection of
(a) conservation of current density vector.
(b) conservation of charge.
(c) the fact that the momentum with which a charged particle
approaches a junction is unchanged (as a vector) as the
charged particle leaves the junction.
(d) the fact that there is no accumulation of charges at a junction.

3.8 Consider a simple circuit shown in Fig 3.2. stands for a

R
variable resistance R ′. R ′ can vary from R0 to infinity. r is internal
resistance of the battery (r<<R<<R 0).
A B
R (a) Potential drop across AB is nearly constant as R ′ is varied.
I
(b) Current through R′ is nearly a constant as R ′ is varied.
r (c) Current I depends sensitively on R ′.
V
Fig 3.2 V
(d) I ≥ always.
r +R

3.9 Temperature dependence of resistivity ρ(T) of semiconductors,

insulators and metals is significantly based on the following
factors:
(a) number of charge carriers can change with temperature T.
(b) time interval between two successive collisions can depend
on T.
(c) length of material can be a function of T.
(d) mass of carriers is a function of T.
3.10 The measurement of an unknown resistance R is to be carried
out using Wheatstones bridge (see Fig. 3.25 of NCERT Book).
Two students perform an experiment in two ways. The first
students takes R2 = 10Ω and R1 = 5Ω. The other student takes R2
= 1000Ω and R1 = 500Ω. In the standard arm, both take R 3 = 5Ω.
R2
Both find R = R 3 = 10Ω within errors.
R1
(a) The errors of measurement of the two students are the same.
(b) Errors of measurement do depend on the accuracy with which
R2 and R 1 can be measured.
(c) If the student uses large values of R2 and R 1, the currents
through the arms will be feeble. This will make determination
of null point accurately more difficult.
(d) Wheatstone bridge is a very accurate instrument and has no
errors of measurement.

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3.11 In a meter bridge the point D is a neutral point (Fig R S

3.3). B

(a) The meter bridge can have no other neutral point A C

l1 G 100 l1
for this set of resistances. D
(b) When the jockey contacts a point on meter wire
left of D, current flows to B from the wire.
(c) When the jockey contacts a point on the meter
wire to the right of D, current flows from B to
the wire through galvanometer.
(d) When R is increased, the neutral point shifts to ( )
left.
Fig 3.3

VSA
3.12 Is the momentum conserved when charge crosses a junction in
an electric circuit? Why or why not?

3.13 The relaxation time τ is nearly independent of applied E field

whereas it changes significantly with temperature T. First fact is
(in part) responsible for Ohm’s law whereas the second fact leads
to variation of ρ with temperature. Elaborate why?

3.14 What are the advantages of the null-point method in a Wheatstone

bridge? What additional measurements would be required to
calculate R unknown by any other method?

3.15 What is the advantage of using thick metallic strips to join wires
in a potentiometer?

3.16 For wiring in the home, one uses Cu wires or Al wires. What
considerations are involved in this?

3.17 Why are alloys used for making standard resistance coils?

3.18 Power P is to be delivered to a device via transmission

cables having resistance RC. If V is the voltage across R E R
and I the current through it, find the power wasted ( )
and how can it be reduced.
J
3.19 AB is a potentiometer wire (Fig 3.4). If the value of R is A B
increased, in which direction will the balance point J
shift? G

Fig 3.4

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 Exemplar Problems–Physics

3.20 While doing an experiment with potentiometer (Fig 3.5) it was

found that the deflection is one sided and (i) the deflection
decreased while moving from one end A of the wire to the end B;
E (ii) the deflection increased. while the jockey was moved towards
( ) the end B.
(i) Which terminal +or –ve of the cell E1, is connected at
A B X in case (i) and how is E1 related to E ?
E1
X y G (ii) Which terminal of the cell E1 is connected at X in case (ii)?
Fig 3.5
3.21 A cell of emf E and internal resistance r is connected across an
external resistance R. Plot a graph showing the variation of P.D.
across R, verses R.

SA
3.22 First a set of n equal resistors of R each are connected in series to
a battery of emf E and internal resistance R. A current I is observed
to flow. Then the n resistors are connected in parallel to the same
battery. It is observed that the current is increased 10 times. What
is ‘n’?

3.23 Let there be n resistors R1 ............R n with R max = max (R1......... Rn)
and Rmin = min {R1 ..... Rn}. Show that when they are connected in
parallel, the resultant resistance RP< R min and when they are
connected in series, the resultant resistance RS > R max. Interpret
the result physically.

3.24 The circuit in Fig 3.6 shows two A B

cells connected in opposition to
each other. Cell E1 is of emf 6V
E1 E2
and internal resistance 2Ω; the
cell E2 is of emf 4V and internal
resistance 8Ω. Find the
potential difference between the
points A and B. Fig 3.6

3.25 Two cells of same emf E but E E

B
internal resistance r 1 and r2 are
connected in series to an
external resistor R (Fig 3.7).
What should be the value of R
so that the potential difference
across the terminals of the first R
cell becomes zero.
Fig. 3.7

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3.26 Two conductors are made of the same material and have the same
length. Conductor A is a solid wire of diameter 1mm. Conductor B
is a hollow tube of outer diameter 2mm and inner diameter 1mm.
Find the ratio of resistance RA to RB.

3.27 Suppose there is a circuit consisting of only resistances and

batteries and we have to double (or increase it to n-times) all voltages
and all resistances. Show that currents are unaltered. Do this for
circuit of Example 3.7 in the NCERT Text Book for Class XII.

LA I 2V

3.28 Two cells of voltage 10V and 2V and internal resistances 10Ω and I2 
5Ω respectively, are connected in parallel with the positive end of
10V battery connected to negative pole of 2V battery
I1 10
(Fig 3.8). Find the effective voltage and effective resistance of the 10V
combination.
Fig 3.8

3.29 A room has AC run for 5 hours a day at a voltage of 220V. The
wiring of the room consists of Cu of 1 mm radius and a length of
10 m. Power consumption per day is 10 commercial units. What
fraction of it goes in the joule heating in wires? What would happen
if the wiring is made of aluminium of the same dimensions?
[ρcu = 1.7 × 10Ω–8m , ρAl = 2.7 × 10–8 Ωm] E2 E1 1 3
G
A 2
B
3.30 In an experiment with a potentiometer, VB = 10V. R is adjusted to
be 50Ω (Fig. 3.9). A student wanting to measure voltage E1 of a
battery (approx. 8V) finds no null point possible. He then N1
diminishes R to 10Ω and is able to locate the null point on the R
last (4th) segment of the potentiometer. Find the resistance of the
potentiometer wire and potential drop per unit length across the ( ) C
K1
wire in the second case.
Fig 3.9

3.31 (a) Consider circuit in Fig 3.10. How much energy is absorbed R = 6
by electrons from the initial state of no current (ignore thermal I
motion) to the state of drift velocity? I

(b) Electrons give up energy at the rate of RI2 per second to the
thermal energy. What time scale would one associate with
energy in problem (a)? n = no of electron/volume = 1029/m3,
V = 6V
length of circuit = 10 cm, cross-section = A = (1mm)2
Fig 3.10

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