VIVA-VOCE QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICAL EXAMINATION
EXPERIMENT 01: OHM’S LAW
01.State Ohm’s law.
Ohm’s law states that the electric current flowing through a conductor is
directly proportional to the potential difference across its ends provided that
the physical conditions-temperature, pressure and dimensions of the
conductor remain same.
02.What is resistance of a conductor?
It is the opposition offered by the conductor for the flow of current through
it.
03.What is the SI unit of resistance?
ohm
04.How the resistance of the conductor varies with area of cross section of the
conductor?
Resistance of the conductor is inversely proportional to its area of cross
section.
05.How the resistance of the conductor varies with length of the conductor?
Resistance of the conductor is directly proportional to its length.
06.What is the function of rheostat?
It is a variable resistance device and is commonly used for adjusting the
strength of electric current in an electric circuit.
07.Is the rheostat a resistor?
Yes. It is a variable resistance device.
08.Which physical quantity does the slope of I V graph gives?
Conductance.
09.Which physical quantity does the slope of V I graph gives?
Resistance.
10.How the resistance of the conductor does vary with the potential difference
across it?
It is independent of potential difference across it.
11.How the resistance of the conductor does vary with the current through it?
It is independent of current through it.
12.What is the resistance of an open key?
Infinite.
EXPERIMENT 02: RESISTIVITY OF THE MATERIAL OF THE WIRE
01.What is a Metre bridge?
It is the modified form of Wheatstone’s network.
02.What is the principle of the Metre bridge?
Balanced Wheatstone’s network.
03.What is balance point (null point)?
It is a point on the bridge wire for which the galvanometer shows null
deflection.
04.What is balancing length?
It is the length of the bridge wire for which the galvanometer shows null
deflection.
05.What is the potential difference across the galvanometer at null point?
Zero.
06.What is resistivity of the material of the conductor?
It is the resistance of the conductor of unit length and unit area of cross
section.
07.How the resistivity of the conductor does vary with area of cross section of the
conductor?
It is independent of area of cross section of the conductor.
08.How the resistivity of the conductor does vary with length of the conductor?
It is independent of length of the conductor.
09.What is the change in the balancing length, if the resistance of the
galvanometer is doubled, under balance condition?
No change in the balancing length.
10.How do you verify the proper connection in Metre bridge experiment?
If the galvanometer shows deflections in opposite directions when the jockey
is placed at the extreme ends of the Metre bridge, then the connection is
proper.
11.What is the balancing length when the length of the bridge wire is doubled?
Balancing length is also doubled.
12.If Galvanometer and Battery in a Metre bridge circuit are interchanged, does
the balancing length change?
No.
13.When is Metre bridge most sensitive?
When all the four resistances are of same magnitude.
EXPERIMENT 03: COMPARISION OF EMF OF CELLS
01.What is a potentiometer?
It is an instrument used to measure potential difference or emf of a cell.
02.What is the principle of a potentiometer?
It works on the principle that for a constant current, fall of potential along
uniform resistance wire is directly proportional to its length.
03.Why is it called a potentiometer?
Because it measures potential difference between any two points of electric
circuits.
04.What is electromotive force (emf) of a cell?
Emf of a cell is the potential difference across the terminals of the cell when
the cell is in an open circuit i.e., when no current is drawn from the cell.
05.What do you mean by sensitivity of a potentiometer?
Sensitivity of a potentiometer is the smallest potential difference that it can
measure.
06.What is potential gradient?
It is the fall of potential per unit length of the potentiometer wire.
07.How does the potential gradient vary along the length of the potentiometer
wire?
Potential gradient is same throughout the potentiometer wire.
08.Why should we use a sensitive galvanometer?
A sensitive galvanometer will respond to even a small departure from the
exact balance point and will hence enable us to locate the balance point with
greater precision.
09.What kind of source of emf should be used as auxiliary battery?
The emf of the source must be steady. A freshly charged accumulator should
be used for this purpose.
10.What should be the order of magnitude of the emf of the auxiliary battery?
The emf of the auxiliary battery should be slightly greater than the emf of
the individual cells. (with battery of lesser emf, null point will not be
obtained on the potentiometer wire)
11.Why do we use a rheostat in the battery circuit?
To vary the potential gradient.
12.What purpose is served by varying the potential gradient?
A lower potential gradient gives more length of wire up to null point.
Accuracy becomes more.
13.On what factors does the potential gradient depend?
Potential gradient depends directly on the strength of the current and
resistance per unit length of the wire.
14.Under what conditions deflection in the galvanometer is shaky?
The reason may be (i) the emf of the battery or the cells may be fluctuating
or (ii) the circuit has a loose contact somewhere.
15.Potentiometer is used to determine the internal resistance of which cell-
primary cell or secondary cell or secondary cell or both?
The potentiometer is used to determine the internal resistance of primary
cell only.
16.How will you know that the apparatus can give a null point?
The jockey is put at the two ends of the potentiometer wire. The deflection
in the galvanometer must be in opposite directions.
17.Why is a potentiometer preferred over a voltmeter for measuring the emf of
cell?
A potentiometer draws no current from the cell whose emf is to be
measured. On the other hand, the voltmeter always draws some current.
18.Why is a ten-wire potentiometer more sensitive than a single-wire one?
The potential gradient, under same conditions, decreases with an increase in
the length of the potentiometer wire. Hence, a ten-wire potentiometer is
more sensitive than a single-wire one.
EXPERIMENT 04: INTERNAL RESISTANCE OF A CELL
01.What is meant by internal resistance of a cell?
It is the resistance offered by the electrolyte to the flow of ions to their
respective electrodes.
02.Does the internal resistance depend on the current drawn from the cell?
Yes, the internal resistance usually increases as more current is drawn from
the cell.
03.Is there any change in the internal resistance of cell in open and closed circuit?
It remains the same but it increases with the use of cell in closed circuit.
04.Can we consider the potentiometer as an ideal voltmeter?
Yes. It can be considered as an ideal voltmeter.
05.Can you measure emf by a voltmeter?
No. The voltmeter measures the terminal potential difference of a cell
because it draws some current.
06.Is the terminal potential difference and emf of a cell different?
Yes.
07.Potentiometer is used to determine the internal resistance of which cell-
primary cell or secondary cell or secondary cell or both?
The potentiometer is used to determine the internal resistance of primary
cell only.
08.Why is a potentiometer preferred over a voltmeter for measuring the emf of
cell?
A potentiometer draws no current from the cell whose emf is to be
measured. On the other hand, the voltmeter always draws some current.
09.On what factors does the internal resistance of a cell depend?
nature of electrodes
distance between electrodes
nature of electrolyte
concentration of electrolyte
10.Why a cell should not be disturbed during experiment?
Disturbing of the cell may change the factors on which the internal resistance of
the cell depends.
11.What other measurements can be made by a potentiometer?
A potentiometer can be used for measuring small thermo emf. It can also be
used for calibrating voltmeter and ammeter.
12.Does at the position of balance point (null point) mean no current through the
potentiometer?
No. the current always flows in potentiometer wire. There is no current in
galvanometer because there is no current drawn from the cell whose emf is
to be measured or compared.
13.What are the factors on which the emf of a cell depends?
Nature of electrodes
nature of electrolyte
concentration of electrolyte
temperature of electrolyte.
EXPERIMENT 05: FIGURE OF MERIT OF GALVANOMETER
01.What is a galvanometer?
It is a device used for detecting very small electric current in circuits.
02.Why the galvanometer has zero centered scale?
The pointer can deflect on either side of zero in the middle.
03.Do you have positive and negative terminal in the galvanometer?
No.
04.Which part of the galvanometer offers resistance?
The coil of the galvanometer offers resistance.
05.What do you mean by figure of merit of a galvanometer?
It is the current required to produce a deflection of one division on the
galvanometer scale.
06.Define current sensitivity of a galvanometer.
It is the number of division deflection produced per unit current.
07.What is the SI unit of figure of merit?
A div 1 (ampere per division).
08.What is the SI unit of current sensitivity?
div A1 ( division per ampere).
09.How the current sensitivity and figure of merit of galvanometer related to each
other?
They are reciprocal to each other.
10.Why the divisions of galvanometer scale are equally spaced?
Because, the deflection of the needle is directly proportional to the current.
11.Why the method of finding the resistance of galvanometer is called half
deflection method?
It is because the deflection is made half by using a shunt resistance.
EXPERIMENT 06: GALVANOMETER INTO VOLTMETER
01.What is a voltmeter?
A voltmeter is a device used for measuring potential difference between two
points in a circuit.
02.How is a voltmeter to be connected in a circuit?
It is to be connected in parallel with circuit element across which the
potential difference is to be measured.
03.Why is a voltmeter used in parallel in a circuit?
The potential difference to be measured is maintained at the terminals of
the voltmeter.
04.What should be the resistance of the voltmeter?
A voltmeter should have a very large resistance (infinite, if possible).
05.Why should a voltmeter have a very large resistance?
It should not draw much current from the circuit when connected.
06.How do you convert the given galvanometer into a voltmeter?
A galvanometer can be converted into a voltmeter by connecting a high
resistance in series with the galvanometer.
07.On what factors the value of high resistance connected in series depends?
It depends on the range of the required voltmeter and resistance of the
galvanometer.
08.What is the resistance of an ideal voltmeter?
Ideal voltmeter has Infinite resistance.
EXPERIMENT 07: FOCAL LENGTH OF CONVEX LENS
01.What is a convex lens?
It is a lens which converge parallel beam of light passing through it is called
convex lens.
02.When is the image virtual and enlarged in a convex lens?
It is when an object is placed between the principle focus and pole of a
concave mirror. u f
03.What is the nature of virtual image produced by a convex lens?
It is magnified and erect.
04.When is the image real and enlarged in a convex lens?
When the object is between F and 2 F . f u 2 f
05.When is the image real and diminished in a convex lens?
When the object is beyond 2 F . u 2 f
06.Does a convex lens produce virtual and diminished image?
No.
07.What is focal length of convex lens?
It is the distance between the principle focus and optic centre of a convex
lens.
08.What are the factors on which the focal length of a convex lens depends?
Refractive index of lens
Refractive index of surrounding medium
Radii of curvature of lens
Colour / wavelength of light
09.Does focal length of a convex lens depends on its thickness?
Yes. A thick lens has small focal length and a thin lens has large focal length.
10.Is convex lens a diverging or a converging lens?
It is a converging lens.
11.Define principle focus of a convex lens?
It is a point of convergence of parallel beam of light parallel to the principal
axis on the principal axis.
12.Can a convex lens be used as a magnifier?
Yes. For u f , the image is virtual and enlarged. Hence it can be used as a
magnifier.
13.How does the focal length of the convex lens vary with object / image distance?
It is independent of object / image distance.
14.How does the focal length of the convex lens vary with wavelength of light?
It decreases with the decrease in wavelength of wavelength of light.
15.How does the focal length of the convex lens vary with colour of light?
It is in the increasing order of VIBGYOR.
16.How does the focal length of the convex lens vary with surrounding medium?
It increases with the increase is refractive index of surrounding medium.
EXPERIMENT 08: FOCAL LENGTH OF A CONCAVE LENS
01.What is concave lens?
Lens which diverge the parallel beam of light incident on it is called concave
lens.
02.What is the nature of image produced by the concave lens?
It always produces a virtual and diminished image.
03.Which type of lens is required to find the focal length of concave lens by
parallax method?
Convex lens.
04.Why image position changes when concave lens is introduced between convex
lens and image?
Since concave lens is diverging image position changes.
05.What is the value of magnification in case of concave lens?
It is always less than one and negative. m 1
06.Can we find the focal length of a concave lens by distant object method? If not,
why?
No. It is so because the concave lens always produces virtual image distant
object which cannot be obtained on a screen.
07.Does focal length of a concave lens depends on its thickness?
Yes. A thick lens has small focal length and a thin lens has large focal length.
08.What are the factors on which the focal length of a concave lens depends?
Refractive index of lens
Refractive index of surrounding medium
Radii of curvature of lens
Colour / wavelength of light
09.Is concave lens a diverging or a converging lens?
It is a diverging lens.
10.Can a concave lens be used as a magnifier?
No. It always produces virtual and diminished image.
11.How does the focal length of the concave lens vary with object / image
distance?
It is independent of object / image distance.
12.How does the focal length of the concave lens vary with wavelength of light?
It decreases with the decrease in wavelength of wavelength of light.
13.How does the focal length of the concave lens vary with colour of light?
It is in the increasing order of VIBGYOR.
14.How does the focal length of the concave lens vary with surrounding medium?
It increases with the increase is refractive index of surrounding medium.
EXPERIMENT 09: ANGLE OF MINIMUM DEVIATION
01.What is a prism?
It is an optical medium bounded two non-parallel surfaces.
02.When is the angle of deviation minimum?
When the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of emergence.
03.Define angle of the prism.
The angle between the two refracting faces of a prism is called angle of the
prism.
04.What is angle of deviation?
The angle between the incident ray and the emergent ray is called angle of
deviation.
05.On what factors do the angle of deviation depends?
angle of incidence
angle of the prism
refractive index of the prism
refractive index of surrounding medium
wavelength / colour of the light
06.What does i graph indicates?
It indicates that for only one unique value of angle of incidence for which the
deviation is minimum.
07.What is the specialty about minimum deviation?
Under minimum deviation condition, light ray travels symmetrically through
prism.
08.Does the angle of minimum deviation depend upon the colour / wavelength of
light?
Yes. It is different for different colour / wavelength.
09.How does the angle of minimum deviation vary with refractive index of prism?
It increases with the increase in the refractive index of prism.
10.How does the angle of minimum deviation vary with refractive index of
surrounding medium?
It decreases with the increase in the refractive index of surrounding medium.
11.How does the angle of minimum deviation vary with wavelength of light?
It decreases with the increase in the wavelength of light.
12.How does the angle of minimum deviation vary with angle of prism?
It increases with the increase in the angle of prism.
13.How does the angle of minimum deviation vary with angle of incidence?
It is independent of angle of incidence.
EXPERIMENT 10: SEMICONDUCTOR DIODE
01.What is a Diode?
It is a junction between p type and n type semiconductor.
02.What is biasing of a junction?
Applying an external potential difference more than potential barrier on the
faces of the junction, is called biasing of the junction.
03.Name the two types of the biasing.
Forward biasing and reverse biasing.
04.Why is forward bias so called?
Because it makes free charge carriers to move forward towards junction.
05.Why is reverse bias so called?
Because it makes free charge carriers to move reverse away from junction.
06.Define a hole.
A place vacated by an electron, is called a hole. It is associated with a
positive charge.
07.Define an intrinsic semiconductor.
It is a pure semiconductor in which number of electrons is equal to number
of holes.
08.Which materials are commonly used as semiconductors?
Silicon and germanium are commonly used as semiconductors.
09.Define an extrinsic semiconductor.
It is an impure semiconductor in which number of electrons is not equal to
number of holes.
10.Why is n type semiconductor so called?
In n type semiconductor, electrons are the majority charge carriers which
are negative.
11.Why is p type semiconductor so called?
In p type semiconductor, holes are the majority charge carriers which are
positive.
12.What is junction potential barrier?
It is the potential difference across the junction.
13.Why is junction potential barrier so called?
Because it prevents free charge carriers from entering the depletion layer by
themselves.
14.How does the bias affect the thickness of the depletion layer?
Forward bias decreases the thickness of depletion layer.
Reverse bias increases the thickness of depletion layer.
15.How does the bias affect the junction resistance?
The forward bias makes junction resistance less.
The reverse bias makes junction resistance more.
16.Define characteristic of a junction diode.
A graph of current versus bias voltage is called characteristics of the diode.
It reveals the character (way of behavior) of the junction diode.
17.What is the order of resistance of diode in forward bias condition?
It is of the order of 5 10 .
18.What is the order of resistance of diode in reverse bias condition?
It is of the order of 10000 .
QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICAL EXAMINATION
Determine the resistance per unit length of a given wire by plotting
a graph of potential difference versus current.
Determine the resistance of a given wire using a metre bridge and
hence determine the resistivity of the material of the wire.
Compare the emf of two given primary cells using a potentiometer.
Determine the internal resistance of a given primary cell using a
potentiometer.
Determine the resistance of a galvanometer by half deflection
method and find its figure of merit.
Convert the given galvanometer into a voltmeter of range 0 3 V
and verify the same.
Find the focal length of a given convex lens by plotting the graph
between u and v .
Find the focal length of given concave lens with the help of a convex
lens.
Determine the angle of minimum deviation for a given glass prism
by plotting a graph between the angle of deviation and the angle of
incidence.
Draw the I V characteristic curve of a p n junction in forward
bias and hence find the cut in voltage.
