Second year Physics

8 Marks Questions
Waves
1. Explain the formation of stationary waves in stretched strings and hence deduce the laws of transverse waves in
stretched string.
2. Explain the formation of stationary waves in an air column enclosed in open pipe. Derive the equation for the
frequencies of the harmonics produced.
3. How are the stationary waves formed in a closed pipe? Explain the various modes of vibrations in a closed pipe
and establish the relation between their frequencies.
4. What is Doppler Effect? Obtain an expression for the apparent frequency of sound heard when the source is in
motion with respect to an observer at rest.
5. What is Doppler shift? Obtain an expression for the apparent frequency of sound heard when the observer is in
motion with respect to a source at rest.
Current Electricity
6. State Kirchhoff’s laws for electrical network. Using these laws deduce the condition for balancing in a
Wheatstone bridge.
7. State the working principle of potentiometer. Explain with the help of circuit diagram, how the emf of two
primary cells are compared by using potentiometer.
8. State the working principle of potentiometer. Explain with the help of circuit diagram, how the potentiometer is
used to determine the internal resistance of the given primary cell.
Nuclei
9. Explain the principle and working of a nuclear reactor with the help of a labeled diagram?
10. What is radioactivity? State the law of radioactive decay. Show that radioactive decay is exponential in nature.
11. Explain the source of stellar energy. Explain the Carbon-Nitrogen cycle, Proton-Proton cycle occurring in stars.
12. Define mass defect and binding energy. How does binding energy per nucleon vary with mass number? What is
its significance?
4 Marks Questions
Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
1. Define focal length of a concave mirror. Prove that the radius of curvature of a concave mirror is double its focal
length.
2. Explain the formation of a mirage
3. Define critical angle. Explain total internal reflection using a neat diagram.
4. Explain the formation of a rainbow.
5. Why does the setting sun appears red?
6. With a neat labeled diagram explain the formation of image in a simple microscope.
Wave Optics
7. Explain Doppler Effect in light. Distinguish between Red shift and Blue shift.
8. What is total internal reflection? Explain the phenomenon using Huygens’s principle
9. Derive the expression for the intensity at a point where interference of light occurs. Arrive at the conditions for
maximum and zero intensity.
10. Does the principle of conservation of energy hold for interference and diffraction phenomenon? Explain.
11. How do you determine the resolving power of your eye?
12. Discuss the intensity of transmitted light when a Polaroid sheet is rotated between two crossed polaroids?
Electric Charges and Fields
13. State and explain coulomb’s inverse square law in electricity.
14. Define intensity of electric field at a point. Derive an expression for the intensity due to a point charge.
15. Derive an equation for the couple acting on a electric pole in a uniform electric field.
16. Derive an expression for the intensity of electric field at a point on the axial line of a electric dipole.
17. Derive an expression for the intensity of electric field at a point on the equatorial line of an electric dipole.
18. State Gauss law in electrostatics and its importance.
19. What is the force between two small charged spheres having charges of 2X10 -7 C and 3X10-7 C placed 30 cm
apart in air?
Electric Potential and Capacitors
20. Derive an expression for the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor.
21. Explain series combination of capacitors. Derive the formula for equivalent capacitance in this combination.
22. Explain parallel combination of capacitors. Derive the formula for equivalent capacitance in this combination.
23. Derive an expression for the electric potential due to a point charge?
24. Explain the behavior of dielectrics in an external field.
25. Derive an expression for the potential energy of an electric dipole placed in a uniform electric field?
Moving Charges and Magnetism
26. State and explain Biot-Savart law.
27. State and explain Ampere’s law.
28. Find the magnetic induction due to a long current carrying conductor.
29. Derive an expression for the magnetic dipole moment of a revolving electron.
30. What are the basic components of cyclotron? Mention its uses.
31. A 100 turn closely wound circular coil of radius 10 cm carries a current of 3.2 A.
(a).what is the field at the centre of the coil?
(b).what is the magnetic moment of this coil?
32. Derive an expression for the magnetic induction at the centre of a current carrying circular coil using Biot-Savart
law?
Magnetism and Matter
33. Compare the properties of Para, Dia and Ferro magnetic substances.
Electro Magnetic Induction
34. Obtain an expression for the emf induced across a conductor which is moved in a uniform magnetic field which
is perpendicular to the plane of motion.
35. Describe the ways in which eddy currents are used to advantage?
36. Obtain an expression for the mutual inductance of two long coaxial solenoids.
37. Obtain an expression for the magnetic energy stored in a solenoid in terms of the magnetic field, area and length
of the solenoid.
Atoms
38. Derive an expression for potential energy and kinetic energy of an electron in any orbit of a hydrogen atom
according to Bohr’s atomic model. How does P.E change with increasing n?
39. What are the limitations of Bohr’s theory of hydrogen atom?
40. Explain the different types of spectral lines.
(OR)
41. Discuss Bohr’s theory of spectrum of hydrogen atom.
42. Write a short note on De Broglie’s explanation of Bohr’s second postulate of quantization.
43. State the basic postulates of Bohr’s theory of atomic spectra. Hence obtain an expression of the radius of orbit
and the energy of orbital electron in a hydrogen atom.
44. Describe Rutherford atom model. What are the drawbacks of this model?
Semi Conductor Devices
45. Describe how a semiconductor diode is used as a half wave rectifier.
46. What is rectification? Explain the working of a full wave rectifier.
47. Distinguish between half-wave and full-wave rectifier.
48. Explain the different transistor configurations with diagrams.
49. Define NAND and NOR gates. Give their truth tables.
(OR)
49. Write truth tables of Universal logic gates?
50. What is a Zener diode? Explain how it is used as a voltage regulator?
51. Explain the operation of a NOT gate and give its truth table?
52. Explain the working of LED and what are its advantages over conventional incandescent low power lamps?
53. Write the truth table of NAND gate. How does it differ from AND gate?
2 Marks Questions
Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
1. Define ‘Power’ of a convex lens. What are its units?
2. A Small angled prism of 40 deviates a ray through 2.480. Find the refractive index of the prism.
3. What is dispersion? Which colour gets relatively more dispersed?
4. What is myopia? How can it be corrected?
5. What is hypermetropia? How can it be corrected?
6. What is optical density and how is it different from mass density?
7. Define focal length and radius of curvature of a concave lens?
8. Draw a neat labeled diagram for the formation of image in a simple microscope?
Wave Optics
9. What is Malus law?
10. Explain Brewster’s law.
11. Two slits are made one millimeter apart and the screen is placed one meter away. What is the fringe separation
when blue green light of wavelength 500nm is used.
Moving Charges and Magnetism
12. What is the importance of Oersted’s experiment?
13. What is the force on a conductor of length ‘L’ carrying current ‘i’ placed in a magnetic field of induction B?
When does it become maximum?
14. What is the force on a charged particle of charge ‘q’ moving with a velocity ‘v’ in a uniform magnetic field of
induction B? When does it become maximum?
15. Distinguish between ammeter and voltmeter.
16. How do you convert a moving coil galvanometer into an ammeter?
17. How do you convert a moving coil galvanometer into voltmeter?
18. What is the principle of the moving coil galvanometer?
19. What is the smallest value of current that can be measured with a moving coil galvanometer?
Magnetism and Matter
20. A magnetic dipole placed in a magnetic field experiences a net force. What can you say about the nature of the
magnetic field?
21. What happens to compass needles at the earth’s poles?
22. What do you understand by the “magnetization” of sample?
23. What are the SI units of magnetic moment, magnetic induction and magnetic field?
24. What is the magnetic moment associated with a solenoid?
25. A circular coil of radius ‘r’ having N turns carries a current ‘i’ . what is its magnetic moment?
26. Magnetic lines form continuous closed loops. Why?
27. Define magnetic declination.
28. Define magnetic inclination (or) angle of dip.
29. Classify the following materials with regard to magnetism.
i) Manganese (ii) Cobalt (iii) Nickel iv) Bismuth (v) Oxygen (vi) Copper
30. Define magnetic susceptibility of a material. What are its units?
31. A bar magnet of length 0.1m and with a magnetic moment of 5m 2 is placed in a uniform magnetic field of
intensity 0.4T, with its axis making an angle of 600 with the field. What is the torque on the magnet?
32. What is Curie temperature?
33. What happens if a bar magnet is cut into two pieces along its length and transverse to its length?
 Electro Magnetic Induction
34. What are Eddy currents?
35. What do you understand by Self Inductance?
Alternating Current
36. A transformer converts 200v ac into 2000v ac. Calculate the number of turns in the secondary if the primary has
10 turns.
37. What type of transformer is used in a 6v bed lamp?
38. What is the phenomenon involved in the working of a transformer?
39. What is transformer ratio?
40. Write the expression for the reactance of i) an inductor and ii) a capacitor.
41. What is the phase difference between AC emf and current in the following: Pure resistor, pure inductor, pure
capacitor.
42. What is meant by wattles component of current?
Electro Magnetic Waves
43. If the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is doubled what happens to the energy of photon?
44. How are microwaves produced?
45. What are the applications of microwaves?
46. Microwaves are used in radars. Why?
47. Give two uses of infrared rays?
48. The charging current for a capacitor is 0.6A. What is the displacement current across its plates?
49. What is the average wavelength of X –rays?
Dual nature of Radiation and Matter
50. What are cathode rays?
51. What is work function?
52. What is photo electric effect?
53. Give examples of “photo sensitive substances”. Why they are called so?
54. Write down Einstein’s photo electric equation.
55. Write down De Broglie’s relation and explain the terms there in.
56. State Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
57. What is the De Broglie wavelength of a ball of mass 0.12 kg moving with a speed of 20ms -1? What can we infer
from this result?
58. What important fact did Millikan’s experiment establish?
Semi Conductor Devices
59. What are intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors?
60. What is a P-type semiconductor? What are the majority and minority charge carriers in it?
61. What is a N-type semiconductor? What are the majority and minority charge carriers in it?
62. Draw the circuit symbols for p-n-p and n-p-n transistors.
63. Which gates are called universal gates?
64. What is PN junction diode? Define depletion layer?
65. What is Zener voltage and how will a zener diode be connected in circuits generally?
66. In which bias can a Zener diode be used as voltage regulator?
67. Define amplifier and amplification factor?
68. How is a battery connected to a junction diode in forward bias and reverse bias?
Communication Systems
69. What is “World Wide Web “(WWW)?
70. What is sky wave propagation?
71. What are the basic blocks of a communication system?
72. Mention the various parts of ionosphere?
73. Define modulation. Why is it necessary?
74. Mention the basic methods of modulation?
75. Which type of communication is employed in mobile phones?
76. Mention the frequency range of speech signals?
Problems
Waves
1. A pipe 30.0cm long is open at both ends. Which harmonic mode of the pipe resonates a 1.1 KHz source? Take the
speed of sound in air as 330ms-1.
2. A rocket is moving at a speed of 200ms-1 towards a stationary target. While moving, it emits a wave of frequency
1000Hz. Some of the sound reaching the target gets reflected back to the rocket as an echo. Calculate.
a. The frequency of the sound as detected by the target and
b. The frequency of the echo as detected by the rocket.
3. A closed organ pipe 70cm long is sounded. If the velocity of sound is 331m/s, what is the fundamental frequency
of the vibration of the air column?
4. A closed organ pipe 90cm long is sounded. If the velocity of sound is 330m/s, what is the fundamental frequency
of the vibration of the air column?
5. A steel wire 0.72 m long has a mass of 5.0 X10-3 kg .if the wire is under a tension of 60N. What is the speed of
transverse waves on the wire?
6. An open organ pipe 85cm long is sounded. If the velocity of sound is 340m/s, what is the fundamental frequency
of vibration of the air column?
7. A stretched wire of length 0.6m is observed to vibrate with a frequency of 30Hz in the fundamental mode. If the
string has a linear density of 0.05kg/m. find
a) The velocity of propagation of transverse waves in the string.
b) The tension in the string.
8. A bat emits ultrasonic sound of frequency 1000KHz in air. If the sound meets a water surface, what is the
wavelength of the reflected sound and the transmitted sound? ( Speed of sound in air is 340m/s and in water
1486m/s)
Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
9. If f =0.5m for a glass lens, what is the power of the lens?
10. A concave mirror produces an image of a long vertical pin, placed 40cm from the mirror, at the position of the
object. Find the focal length of the mirror.
11. Two lenses of power -1.75D and +2.25D respectively, are placed in contact. Calculate the focal of the
combination?
12. What focal length should the reading spectacles have for a person for whom the least distance of distinct vision
is 50cm?
13. The focal length of a concave lens is 30cm. Where should an object be placed so that its image is 1/10 of its
size?
Electric potential and capacitance
14. Three capacitors each of capacitance 9 PF are connected in series
a) What is the total capacitance of the combination?
b) What is the potential difference across each capacitor if the combination is connected to a 120V supply?
15. Three capacitors of capacitances 2pF, 3pF and 4pf are connected in parallel.
a) What is the total capacitance of the combination?
b) Determine the charge on each capacitor if the combination is connected to a 100V supply.
16. A 12pF capacitor is connected to a 50V battery. How mucg electrostatic energy is stored in the capacitor?
Current Electricity
17. A battery of emf 10 V and internal resistance 3Ω is connected to a resistor ‘R’
(i) If the current in the circuit is 0.5A. Calculate the value of ‘R’. (ii) What is the terminal voltage of the battery
when the circuit is closed?
18. Three resistors each of resistance 10ohm are connected in turn to obtain
(i) Minimum resistance (ii) maximum resistance
Compute: a) The effective resistance in each case
b) The ratio of minimum to maximum resistance so obtained
𝑅
19. Three identical resistors are connected in parallel and the total resistance of the circuit is 3 . Find the value of
each resistance.
20. A wire of resistance 4R is bent in the form of a circle. What is the effective resistance between the ends of the
diameter?
21. A cylindrical metallic wire is stretched to increase its length by 5%. Calculate the percentage change in
resistance.
22. A potentiometer wire is 5m long and a potential difference of 6v maintained between its ends. Find the emf of a
cell which balances against a length of 180cm of the potentiometer wire.
23. In a potentiometer arrangement, a cell of emf 1.25v gives a balance point 35.0 cm length of the wire. If the cell
is replaced by another cell and balance point shifts to 63.0 cm, what is the emf of the second cell?
24. The four resistors 20Ώ, 40Ώ, (20+ X) Ώ and 80Ώ respectively form a Wheatstone bridge. Find the value of ‘X’.
25. Three resistors 2Ώ, 4Ώ and 5Ώ are combined in parallel. What is the total resistance of the combination?
26. The bulbs whose resistance is in the ratio 1:2 are connected in parallel to a source of constant voltage. What will
be the ratio of power dissipation in these?
27. Write the colour code of a carbon resistor of resistance 23 kilo ohms.
Moving Charges and Magnetism
28. A current of 10A passes through two very long wires held parallel to each other and separated by a distance of
1m. What is the force per unit length between them?
29. A long straight wire carries a current of 35A. What is the magnitude of the field B at a point 20cm from the
wire?
30. A coil of 20 turns has an area of 800mm2 and carries a current of 0.5A. If it is placed in a magnetic field of
intensity 0.3T with its plane parallel to the field, What is the torque that it experiences?
Magnetism and Matter
31. The magnetic needle has magnetic moment 6.7x10-2 Am2 and moment of inertia I=7.5x10-6 kgm2. It performs 10
complete oscillations in 6.70s. What is the magnetic field?
32. The horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field at a certain place is 2.6 × 10−5 T and the angle of dip is
600 . What is the magnetic field of the earth at this location?
(OR)
33. In the magnetic meridian of a certain place, the horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field is 0.26G and
the dip angle is 600 . What is the magnetic field of the earth at this location?
34. The earth’s magnetic field at the equator is approximately 0.4G. Estimate the earth’s dipole moment. (Radius of
earth,R = 6.4 × 106 m).
Electro Magnetic Induction
35. Current in a circuit falls from 5.0A to 0.0A in 0.1sec. If an average emf of 200V is induced, give an estimate of
the self inductance of the circuit
36. A pair of adjacent coils has a mutual inductance of 1.5H. If the current in one coil changes from 0A to 20A in
5.0sec. What is the change of flux linkage with the other coil?
Alternating Current
37. A light bulb is rated at 100 w for a 220v supply. Find a) the resistance of the bulb
b) The peak voltage of the source c) The rms current through the bulb.
38. A power transmission line feeds input power at 2300V to a step down transformer with its primary windings
having 4000 turns. What should be the number of turns in the secondary in order to get output power at 230V?
Dual nature of Radiation and Matter
39. The work function of Cesium in 2.14 ev. Find the threshold frequency for cesium?
40. An electron, a α-particle and a photon have the same kinetic energy which of these particles has the shortest de
Broglie wavelength?
41. What is the de Broglie wavelength associated with an electron accelerated through a potential difference of 100
volts?
42. The work function for a certain metal is 4.2 ev. Will this metal give photoelectric emission for incident radiation
of wavelength 330 nm?
Atoms
43. The wavelength of first member of Balmer series is 6563A0 . Calculate the wavelength of second member of
Lyman series.
44. Calculate the shortest wavelength of Balmer series or calculate the wavelength of the Balmer series limit.(Given
R=10970000 per meter)
.Nuclei
45. Calculate the energy equivalent of 1 gm of substance.
46. If one microgram of 23592U is completely destroyed in an atom bomb, How much energy will be released?
47. Compare the radii of the nuclei of mass numbers 27 and 64.