CHAPTER 3

CURRENT ELECTRICITY-WORKSHEET QUESTIONS

1. Give an example of a material each for which temperature coefficient of resistivity is (i)
positive, (ii) negative.
2. Why alloys like constantan and manganin are used for making standard resistors?
3. Define relaxation time.
4. Find the resistivity of a conductor in which the current density is 2.5 x 106A/m2 and electric
field of 15 V/m is applied on it.
5. When a metallic conductor is subjected to a certain potential V across its ends, discuss
briefly how the phenomenon of drift occurs. Hence define the term ‘drift velocity’ of charge

relation ĵ=σE⃑ , where σ defines the conductivity of the material.

carriers and show that the current densityĵ is related to the applied electric field E⃑ by the

6. (a) Define the term ‘conductivity’ of a metallic wire. Write its S.Iunit.
(b) Using the concept of free electrons in a conductor, derive the expression for conductivity
of a wire In terms of number density and relaxation time. Hence obtain the relation between
current density and the applied electric field E.
7. Two metallic wires P1 and P2 of the same material and same length but different cross-
sectional areas A1 and A2 are joined together and connected to a source of emf. Find the
ratio of the drift velocities of free electrons in the two wires when they are connected in (i)
series and (ii) parallel.
8. Plot a graph showing variation of voltage vs the current drawn from the cell. How can one
get information from this plot about the emf of the cell and its internal resistance?
9. Define the term resistivity of a conductor. Give its S.I unit. Show that the resistance of a
conductor is given by R= ml /ne2τA, where the symbols have their usual meanings.
10. A silver wire has a resistance 2.4Ω at 27.5 0C and resistance 2.7Ω at 1000C. Determine
temperature coefficient of the resistance of silver.
11. State the two Kirchhoff’s laws. Using Kirchhoff’s rules, obtain the . balance condition in
terms of the resistances of four arms of Wheatstone bridge.
12. Derive an expression for drift velocity of electrons in a conductor. Hence deduce Ohm’s law.
13. A wire whose cross-sectional area is increasing linearly from its one end to the other, is
connected across a battery of V volts. Which of the following quantities remain constant in
the wire?
(a) drift speed
(b) current density
(c) electric current (d) electric field Justify your answer
14. (a) Why do the ‘free electrons’, in a metal wire, ‘flowing by themselves’, not cause any
current flow in the wire?
Define ‘drift velocity’ and obtain an expression for the current flowing in a wire, in terms of
 the ‘drift velocity’ of the free electrons.
(b) Use the above expression to show that the ‘resistivity’, of the material of a wire, is’
inversely proportional to the ‘relaxation time’ for the ‘free electrons’ in the metal.
15. Derive the relation between current density ‘J‘ and potential difference ‘V’ across a current
carrying conductor of length area of cross-section ‘A’ and the number density of free
electrons.
16. Estimate the average drift speed of conduction electrons in a copper wire of cross-sectional
area 1.0 × 10-7 m2 carrying a current of 1.5 A. [Assume that the number density of
conduction electrons is 9 × 1028 m-3]
17. How does drift velocity of electrons in a metallic conductor vary with increase in
temperature?
18. Define the term current sensitivity of a galvanometer. In the circuits shown in the figures,
the galvanometer shows no deflection in each case. Find the ratio of R1 and R2.

19. Derive the expression for the current density of a conductor in terms of the conductivity and
applied electric field.
Explain, with reason how the mobility of electrons in a conductor changes when the
potential difference applied is doubled, keeping the temperature of the conductor constant.
20. (a) The potential difference applied across a given resistor is altered so that the heat
produced per second increases by a factor of 9. By what factor does the applied potential
difference change?
(b) In the figure shown, an ammeter A and a resistor of 40 are connected to the terminals of
the source. The emf of the source is 12 V having an internal resistance of 2 Ohm. Calculate
the voltmeter and ammeter readings.
21. The temperature coefficient of resistivity, for two materials A and B, are 0.0031/°C and
0.0068/ °C, respectively.
Two resistors, R1 and R2 made from materials A and B, respectively, have resistances of
200Ω and 100Ω at 0°C. Show on a diagram, the ‘colour code’, of a carbon resistor, that would
have a resistance equal to the series combination of R1 and R2, at a temperature of 100°C.
(Neglect the ring corresponding to the tolerance of the carbon resistor)

22. Figure shows a plot of current ‘I’ flowing through the cross-section 5 of a wire versus the
time ‘t’. Use the plot to find the charge flowing in 10s through the wire.

23. In the circuit shown in the figure, find the current through each resistor.

24. Find the relation between drift velocity and relaxation time of charge carriers in a
conductor. A conductor of length L is connected to a d,c. source of emf ‘E’. If the length of the
conductor is tripled by stretching it, keeping ‘E’ constant, explain how its drift velocity
would be affected.
25. (a)A cell of emf ‘E’ and internal resistance V is connected across a variable load resistor R.
Draw the plots of the terminal voltage V versus
(i) R and
(ii) the current I.
 (b)It is found that when R = 4 Ω, the current is 1 A and when R is increased to 9 Ω, the
current reduces to 0.5 A. Find the values of the emf E and internal resistance r.
26. Calculate the value of the resistance R in the circuit shown in the figure so that the current in the
circuit is 0.2 A. What would be the potential difference between points B and E? (All India 2012)

27. Calculate the value of the resistance R in the circuit shown in the figure so that the current is 0.2
A. What would be the potential difference between points A and B?

28. Using Kirchoff’s rules determine the value of unknown resistance R into circuit so that no current
flows through 4ω resistance. Also find the potential difference between A and D.

29. In the circuit shown, R1 = 4Ω, R2 = R3 = 5Ω, R4 = 10Ω and E = 6V. Work out the equivalent
resistance of the circuit and the current in each resistor. (Delhi 2010)
30. In the circuit shown, R1 = 4Ω, R2 = R3 = 15 Ω, R4 = 30Ω and E = 10V. Calculate the equivalent
resistance of the circuit and the current in each resistor. (Delhi 2010)