MAGNETIC EFFECT OF CURRENT &

MAGNETISM
PREVIOUS YEAR BOARD EXAM QUESTIONS
(2007-2016)
1 MARK QUESTIONS
1. The vertical component of Earth’s magnetic field is
1/√3 times the horizontal component. What is the value
of angle of dip?

2. In what way is the behavior of a diamagnetic material

different from that of a paramagnetic, when kept in an
external magnetic field?

3. Why should the material used for making permanent

magnets have high coercivity?

4. In the figure given below, wire PQ is fixed while

square loop ABCD is free to move under influence of
currents flowing in them. State with reason, in which
direction will loop begin to move or rotate.
5. An electron is moving a along +ve x-axis in the
presence of uniform magnetic field along +ve y-axis.
What is the direction of the force acting on it?

6. Draw a labelled diagram showing the three magnetic

elements of earth.

7. A particle of mass ‘m’ and charge ‘q’ moving with

velocity ‘v’ enters the region of uniform magnetic field
at right angle to the direction of its motion. How does
its kinetic energy get affected?

8. A planar loop of rectangular shape is moved within

the region of a uniform magnetic field acting
perpendicular to its plane. What is the direction and
magnitude of the current induced in it?

9. Mention two properties of soft iron that makes it

preferable for making electromagnet.
10. Why should the spring / suspension wire in a
moving coil galvanometer have low torsional constant?

11. Two identical charged particles moving with same

speed enter a region of uniform magnetic field. If one of
these enters normal to the field direction and the other
enters along a direction at 300 with the field, what
would be the ratio of their angular frequencies?

12. A (hypothetical) bar magnet (AB) is cut into two

equal parts. One part is now kept over the other, so
that pole C2 is above C1. If M is the magnetic moment
of the original magnet, what would be the magnetic
moment of the combination so formed?

13. An alpha- particle and a proton are moving in the

plane of the paper in a region where there is a uniform
magnetic field B directed normal to the plane of the
paper. If the two particles have equal linear momenta,
what will be the ratio of the radii of their trajectories in
the field?

14. Write two reasons why a galvanometer cannot be

used as such to measure current in a given circuit.

15. Where on the surface of earth is angle of dip 900?

16. “Increasing current sensitivity of galvanometer does
not necessarily increase voltage sensitivity” –Justify the
statement.

17. The permeability of a magnetic material is 0.9983.

Name the type of magnetic material it represents.

18. How does a circular loop carrying current act as a

magnet?

19. A narrow beam of protons and deuterons, each

having same momentum, enters a region of uniform
magnetic field, directed perpendicular to their direction
of momentum. Find the ratio of radii of circular paths
described by them.

20. A magnetic needle free to rotate in a vertical plane,

orients itself vertically at a certain place on Earth. What
is the value of horizontal component of Earth’s
magnetic field at this place?

21. Where on the surface of Earth is vertical component

of earth’s magnetic field zero?

22. What are permanent magnets? Give one example.

23. What happens when temperature of a paramagnetic
sample is lowered?

24. Write the relation for current sensitivity and voltage

sensitivity of a moving coil galvanometer.

25. Relative permeability of a material, is 0.5. Identify

the nature of the magnetic material and write its
relation to magnetic susceptibility.

26. Relative permeability of a material is 400. Identify

the nature of the magnetic material.

27. Relative permeability (r) of a material has a value

lying 1 < r < 1 + E (where E is a small quantity). Identify
the nature of the magnetic material.

28. Write the condition under which an electron will

move undeflected in the presence of crossed electric
and magnetic fields.

29. How is an electromagnet different from a

permanent magnet?

30. An electron in an atom revolves round the nucleus

in an orbit of radius r with frequency v. Write the
expression for the magnetic moment of the electron.
31. Write the expression for the magnetic moment of a
circular coil of area A carrying a current I, in a vector
form.

32. Define one tesla using the expression for the

magnetic force acting on a particle of charge ‘q’ moving
with velocity v in a magnetic field B.

33. Why is it necessary to introduce a cylindrical soft

iron core inside the coil of a galvanometer?

2 MARKS QUESTIONS
1. Write the expression for magnetic force, F on a
charge q, moving with velocity v in a magnetic field B.
Use this expression to define the SI unit of magnetic
field.

2. In an ammeter (consisting of a galvanometer and a

shunt), 0.5% of the main current passes through the
galvanometer. Resistance of the galvanometer coil is G.
Calculate the resistance of the shunt in terms of
galvanometer resistance, G.

3. A galvanometer has a resistance of 30 ohm. It gives

full scale deflection with a current of 2 mA. Calculate
the value of the resistance needed to convert it into an
ammeter of range 0-0.3 A.

4. Draw the field lines due to an external magnetic field

near a (i) diamagnetic, (ii) paramagnetic substance.

5. A neutron, an electron and an alpha particle moving

with equal velocities, enter a uniform magnetic field
going into the plane of the paper as shown. Trace their
paths in the field and justify your answer.

6. A square shaped plane coil of area 100 cm2 of 200

turns carries a steady current of 5A. It is placed in a
uniform magnetic field of 0.2 T acting perpendicular to
the plane of the coil. Calculate the torque on the coil
when its plane makes an angle of 60° with the direction
of the field. In which orientation will the coil be in
stable equilibrium?
7. A square loop of side 20 cm carrying current of 1A is
kept near an infinite long straight wire carrying a
current of 2A in the same plane as shown in the figure.
Calculate the magnitude and direction of the net force
exerted on the loop due to the current carrying
conductor.

8. Explain how Biot – Savart law enables one to express

the Ampere’s circuital law in the integral form, viz.,

where I is the total current passing through the surface.

9. Assuming that a MRI test was performed using a

magnetic field of 0·1 T, find the maximum and minimum
values of the force that the magnetic field could exert
on a proton (charge = 1·6 x 10-19 C) that was moving
with a speed of 104 m/s.
10. In moving coil galvanometer, What is the shape of
the magnets used and why is it so designed?

11. State the Gauss’s law in magnetism. How is it

different from Gauss’s law in electrostatics? Why?

12. Define magnetic susceptibility of a material. Name

two elements, one having positive susceptibility and the
other having negative susceptibility. What does
negative susceptibility signify?

13. The following figure shows the variation of intensity

of magnetisation versus the applied magnetic field
intensity, H, for two magnetic materials A and B:

(a). Identify the materials A and B.

(b). Why does the material B, have a larger

susceptibility than A, for a given field at constant
temperature?
14. Using Ampere’s circuital law, obtain an expression
for the magnetic field along the axis of a current
carrying solenoid of length l and having N number of
turns.

15. What is the basic difference between the atom or

molecule of a diamagnetic and a paramagnetic
material? Why are elements with even atomic number
more likely to be diamagnetic?

16. A galvanometer can be converted into a voltmeter

to measure up to

(i). ‘V’ volts by connecting a resistance R1 in series

with coil.

(ii). V/2 volts by connecting a resistance R2 in series

with its coil.

Find the resistance (R), in terms of R1 and R2 required

to convert it into a voltmeter that can read up to ‘2V’
volts.

17. In the given figure this loop is placed in a horizontal

plane near a long straight conductor carrying a steady
current I1 at a distance l as shown. Give reasons to
explain that the loop will experience a net force but no
torque. Write the expression for this force acting on the
loop.

18. Deduce the expression for the magnetic dipole

moment of an electron orbiting around the central
nucleus. What is the direction of the magnetic moment
of the electron with respect to its angular momentum?

19. A magnetic needle free to rotate in a vertical plane

parallel to magnetic meridian has its north tip down at
600 with horizontal. The horizontal component of
earth’s magnetic field, at place is known to be 0.4 G.
Determine the magnitude of earth’s magnetic field at
the place.

20. (a). Why does magnetic lines of force form

continuous closed loops?
 (b). Why are the field lines repelled(expelled) when a
diamagnetic material is placed in an external
uniform magnetic field?

21. (a). Name the three elements of Earth’s magnetic

field.

(b). Where on the surface of earth is vertical

component of earth’s magnetic field zero?

22. The susceptibility of a magnetic material is -1.6 x 10-

5
. Identify the type of magnetic material and give its two
properties.

23. A coil of N turns and radius R carries a current of I. It

is unwound, and then rewound to make a square coil of
side a, having same number of turns, N. Keeping the
current same, find the ratio of magnetic moments of
square coil and circular coil.

24. “For converting a galvanometer into ammeter, a

shunt resistance of small resistance is connected in
parallel, while for converting into voltmeter, a very high
value of resistance is needed to be connected in series”.
Explain the statement.
25. An ammeter of resistance 0.8 ohm can measure
current upto 1 A.

(a). Find the value of shunt resistance to enable the

ammeter to measure upto 5 A.

(b). Find the combined resistance of ammeter and

shunt.

26. A proton and deuteron having equal momenta,

enter in a region of uniform magnetic field at right angle
to direction of field. Depict their trajectories in field.

27. How does a paramagnetic material behave in

presence of an external magnetic field? Explain with
help of a diagram.

28. To which of the two- a polar dielectric or a non polar

dielectric does a paramagnetic material correspond?
Justify your answer.

29. Find out the magnitude of force on each segment of

the wire shown below, if a magnetic field of 0.30 T is
applied parallel to AB and DE. Take the value of current
flowing in current as 1 A.
30. Two magnets of magnetic moments M and M√3 are
joined to form a cross. The combination is suspended in
a uniform magnetic field B. The magnetic moment M
now makes an angle θ with field direction. Find the
value of angle θ.

31. A circular coil of N turns and radius R carries a

current I. It is unwound and rewound to another coil of
radius R/2 with same current. Calculate the ratio of
magnetic moments of the new coil and original coils.

32. The magnetic susceptibility of a material is -2.6 x 10-

5
. Identify the type of magnetic material, and state its
two properties.

33.
34. Out of the two magnetic materials, 'A' has relative
permeability slightly greater than unity while ‘B' has
less than unity. Identify the nature of the materials 'A'
and 'B'. Will their susceptibilities be positive or
negative?

35.

3 MARKS QUESTIONS
1. (a). Use Biot Savart’s law to derive the expression for
magnetic field on axis of a current carrying loop of
radius R.

(b). Draw the magnetic field lines due to a circular

wire carrying current I.

2. How is a galvanometer converted to ammeter and

voltmeter? Draw the relevant diagrams and find
resistance of arrangement in each case.
3. Deduce an expression for the torque acting on a
rectangular current carrying loop kept in a uniform
magnetic field. Write two factors on which the current
sensitivity of a moving coil galvanometer depend.

4. (a). A point charge q moving with speed v enters a

uniform magnetic field B that is acting into the
plane of the paper as shown. What is the path
followed by the charge q and in which plane does it
move?

(b). How does the path followed by the charge get

affected if its velocity has a component parallel to
B?

(c). If an electric field E is also applied such that the

particle continues moving along the original straight
line path, what should be the magnitude and
direction of the electric field E?
5. Write the expression for the force acting on a charged
particle of charge q moving with velocity in the
presence of magnetic field. Show that in the presence of
this force,

(i). the kinetic energy of the particle does not change.

(ii). its instantaneous power is zero.

6. Two identical coils P and Q each of radius R are lying

in perpendicular planes such that they have a common
centre. Find the magnitude and direction of the
magnetic field at the common centre of the two coils, if
they carry currents equal to I and 3I respectively.

7. (i). Name the machine which uses crossed electric

and magnetic fields to accelerate the ions to high
energies. With the help of a diagram, explain the
resonance condition.
 (ii). What will happen to the motion of charged
particle if the frequency of the alternating voltage is
doubled?

8. Derive the expression for the magnetic field at the

site of a point nucleus in a Hydrogen atom due to the
circular motion of the electron. Assume that the atom is
in its ground state and give the answer in terms of
fundamental constants.

9. The current flowing in the galvanometer G when the

key k2 is kept open is I. On closing the key k2 , the
current in the galvanometer becomes I/n, where n is an
integer. Obtain an expression for resistance Rg of the
galvanometer in terms of R, S and n. To what form does
this expression reduce when the value of R is very large
as compared to S?

10. Draw graphs showing dependence of F on

(i). I1 2 when d is kept constant

(ii). d when the product 1 2 is maintained at a

constant positive value.
 (iii). d when the product 1 2 is maintained at a
constant negative value.

Where, F is the force existing between two straight long

current carrying conductors.

11. The given graphs show the variation of intensity of

magnetization I with strength of applied magnetic field
H for two magnetic materials P and Q.

(i). Identify the materials P and Q.

(ii). For material P, plot the variation of Intensity of

Magnetisation with temperature. Justify your
answer.

12. Define the following using suitable diagrams: (i)

magnetic declination and (ii) angleof dip. In what
direction will a compass needle point when kept at the
(i). poles and (ii). equator?
13. Derive the expression for the magnetic energy
stored in a solenoid in terms of magnetic field B, area A
and length l of the solenoid carrying a steady current I.
How does this magnetic energy per unit volume
compare with the electrostatic energy density stored in
a parallel plate capacitor?

14.(a).Why is the magnetic field radial in a moving coil

galvanometer? Explain how it is achieved.

(b). A galvanometer of resistance ‘G’ can be

converted into a voltmeter of range (0-V) volts by
connecting a resistance ‘R’ in series with it. How
much resistance will be required to change its
range from 0 to V/2?

15. A closely wound solenoid of 2000 turns and cross

sectional area 1.6 × 10–4 m2 carrying a current of 4.0 A
is suspended through its centre allowing it to turn in a
horizontal plane. Find (i) the magnetic moment
associated with the solenoid, (ii) magnitude and
direction of the torque on the solenoid if a horizontal
magnetic field of 7.5 × 10–2 T is set up at an angle of 30°
with the axis of the solenoid.
16. A cyclotron’s oscillator frequency is 10 MHz. What
should be the operating magnetic field for accelerating
protons ? If the radius of its ‘dees’ is 60 cm, calculate
the kinetic energy (in MeV) of the proton beam
produced by the accelerator.

17. A uniform magnetic field is set up along the positive

x-axis. A particle of charge ‘q’ and mass ‘m’ moving with
a velocity enters the field at the origin in X-Y plane such
that it has velocity components both along and
perpendicular to the magnetic field B .Trace, giving
reason, the trajectory followed by the particle. Find out
the expression for the distance moved by the particle
along the magnetic field in one rotation.

18. Draw the magnetic field lines distinguishing

between diamagnetic and paramagnetic materials. Give
a simple explanation to account for the difference in the
magnetic behaviour of these materials.

19. A galvanometer of resistance G is converted into a

voltmeter to measure upto V volts by connecting a
resistance R1 in series with the coil. If a resistance R2 is
connected in series with it, then it can measure upto
V/2 volts. Find the resistance, in terms of R1 and R2,
required to be connected to convert it into a voltmeter
that can read upto 2 V. Also find the resistance G of the
galvanometer in terms of R1 and R2.

20. State Ampere’s circuital law. Use this law to obtain

the expression for the magnetic field inside an air cored
toroid of average radius ‘r’, having ‘n’ turns per unit
length and carrying a steady current I.

21. A uniform magnetic field of 6.5 x 104 T is maintained

in a chamber. An electron enters into the field with a
speed of 4.8 x 106 m/s normal to the field. Explain why
the path of the electron is a circle. Determine its
frequency of revolution in the circular orbit. Does the
frequency depend on the speed of the electron?
Explain.

22. Derive an expression for the axial magnetic field of a

finite solenoid of length 2l, radius r and carrying a
current I. Under what condition does the field becomes
equal to that of a bar magnet?

23. Two small identical circular coils marked 1, 2 carry

equal currents and are placed with their geometric axes
perpendicular to each other as shown in the figure.
Derive an expression for the resultant magnetic field at
O.

24. A circular coil of 200 turns and radius 10 cm is

placed in a uniform magnetic field of 0.5 T, normal to
the plane of the coil. If the current in the coil is 3.0 A,
calculate the

(a). total torque on the coil.

(b). total force on the coil.

(c). average force on each electron in the coil, due to

the magnetic field.

Assume the area of cross-section of the wire to be 10-5

m2 and the free electron density is 1029 /m3.
25. In what way is a toroid different from a solenoid?
Draw and compare the pattern of magnetic field lines in
two cases. How is magnetic field inside a given solenoid
made strong?

26. A wire AB is carrying a current of 12 A and is lying on

a table. Another wire CD, carrying a current of 5 A is
arranged just above AB at a height of 1 mm. What
should be the weight per unit length of this wire, so
that CD remains suspended at its position? Indicate the
direction of current in CD and nature of force between
two wires.

27.
28. Consider the motion of a charged particle of mass m
and charge q moving with velocity v in a magnetic field
B.

(a). If v is perpendicular to B, show that its describes

a circular path having angular frequency = qB/m.

(b). If the velocity v has a component parallel to the

magnetic field B, trace the path described by the
particle. Justify your answer.

29. (a). How is a toroid different from a solenoid ?

(b). Use Ampere’s circuital law to obtain the

magnetic field inside a toroid.

(c). Show that in an ideal toroid, the magnetic field

(i) inside the toroid and (ii) outside the toroid at any
point in the open space is zero.
30.

31. Two long coaxial insulated solenoids, S, and S, of

equal lengths are wound one over the other as shown
in the figure. A steady current "I" flow through the
inner solenoid S, to the other end B, which is connected
to the outer solenoid S, through which the same current
"I" flows in the opposite direction so as to come out at
end A. If n, and nz are the number of turns per unit
length, find the magnitude and direction of the net
magnetic field at a point (i) inside on the axis and (ii)
outside the combined system.
32. State Ampere’s circuital law. Using this law, deduce
the expression for the magnetic field due to a thin
straight infinitely long current carrying wire at a
distance r from it.

5 MARKS QUESTIONS
1. (a). Explain the principle and working of a moving coil
galvanometer.

(b). What is the importance of radial magnetic field?

How is it produced?

(c). Define current sensitivity of a galvanometer. How

it can be increased?

2. (a). State any two points of difference between

properties of diamagnetic, paramagnetic and
ferromagnetic materials.
 (b). State the properties that you will look for in while
selecting materials for making an electromagnet and
for making a permanent magnet.

3. (a). Draw a neat labeled diagram of cyclotron. Show

that time period of ions in cyclotron is independent of
both speed of ion and radius of circular path. What is
the significance of this independency?

(b). An electron, after being accelerated through a

potential difference of 100 V, enters a uniform
magnetic field of 0.004 T, perpendicular to its
direction of motion. Calculate radius of path
described by electron.

4. Depict magnetic field lines due to two, straight long

parallel conductors carrying current I1 and I2 in same
direction. Write the expression for the magnetic field
produced by one of conductors over other. Show that
this force is attractive. Deduce an expression for force
per unit length. From the expression, define one
Ampere of current.

5. State Biot-Savart law. Use it to derive an expression

for the magnetic field at the centre of a circular loop of
radius R carrying a steady current I. Sketch the magnetic
field lines for such a current carrying loop.

6. (a). Show how Biot-Savart law can be alternatively

expressed in the form of Ampere’s circuital law.
Use this law to obtain the expression for the
magnetic field inside a solenoid of length ‘l’, cross-
sectional area ‘A’ having ‘N’ closely wound turns
and carrying a steady current ‘I’. Draw the magnetic
field lines of a finite solenoid carrying current I.

(b).A straight horizontal conducting rod of length 0.45

m and mass 60 g is suspended by two vertical wires
at its ends. A current of 5.0 A is set up in the rod
through the wires. Find the magnitude and
direction of the magnetic field which should be set
up in order that the tension in the wire is zero.

7. (a). Use Biot-Savart law to derive the expression for

the magnetic field due to a circular coil of radius R
having N turns at a point on the axis at a distance
‘x’ from its centre. Draw the magnetic field lines
due to this coil. Hence, write magnetic field at
 centre of coil and at a distance R√3 at an axial
point.

(b). A current ‘I’ enters a uniform circular loop of

radius ‘R’ at point M and flows out at N as shown in
the figure. Obtain the net magnetic field at the centre
of the loop.

8. (a). Draw the magnetic field lines due to a circular

loop of area A carrying current I. Show that it acts as a
bar magnet of magnetic moment m = NIA .

(b). Derive the expression for the magnetic field due

to a solenoid of length ‘2 l’, radius ‘a’ having ‘n’
number of turns per unit length and carrying a steady
current ‘I’ at a point on the axial line, distant ‘r’ from
the centre of the solenoid. How does this expression
compare with the axial magnetic field due to a bar
magnet of magnetic moment ‘m’?
9. (a). State Ampere’s circuital law. Show that the
magnetic field B at a distance r outside the straight
infinite wire carrying current I is tangential and is
given by B = μ0I / (2∏r).

(b). Consider a long straight cylindrical wire of circular

cross-section of radius a, as shown in the figure. The
current I is uniformly distributed across this cross-
section. Calculate the magnetic field B in the region r
< a and r > a. Plot a graph of B versus r from the
centre of the wire.

10. (a). Consider a beam of charged particles, moving

with varying speeds. Show how crossed electric and
magnetic fields could be used to select charged
particles of a particular velocity.
(b). Name another device/machine that uses
crossed electric and magnetic fields. What does this
machine do? What are the functions of crossed
electric and magnetic fields in machine? Where do
 these fields exist in machine? Write about their
natures.

11. (i). What is the relationship between the current

and the magnetic moment of a current carrying
circular loop? Use the expression to derive the
relation between the magnetic moment of an
electron moving in a circle and its related angular
momentum?

(ii). A muon is a particle that has the same charge as

an electron but is 200 times heavier than it. If we had
an atom in which the muon revolves around a proton
instead of an electron, what would be the magnetic
moment of the muon in the ground state of such an
atom?

12. (i). Describe an expression for the magnetic field at a

point on the axis of a current carrying circular loop.

(ii). Two coaxial circular loops L1 and L2 of radii 3cm

and 4cm are placed as shown. What should be the
magnitude and direction of the current in the loop L2
so that the net magnetic field at the point O be zero?
13. (a). Draw diagrams to depict the behaviour of
magnetic field lines near a ‘bar’ of:

(i). copper

(ii). Aluminium

(iii). Mercury, cooled to a very low temperature

(4.2K)

(b). The vertical component of the earth’s magnetic

field at a given place is √3 times its horizontal
component. If total intensity of earth’s magnetic
field at the place is 0.4 G find the value of (i) angle of
dip (ii). the horizontal component of earth’s
magnetic field.

14. (a). A galvanometer coil of 50 ohm resistance shows

full scale deflection for a current of 5mA. How will
you convert this galvanometer into a voltmeter of
range 0-15 V?
 (b). Find out the expression for torque, when a planar
loop carrying current I, is kept in a magnetic field B.

(c). Two long and parallel straight wires carrying

currents of 2 A and 5 A in opposite direction are
separated by a distance of 1 cm. Find the nature and
magnitude of magnetic force between them.

15. (a). A compass needle, free to turn in a vertical

plane, orients itself with its axis vertical at a certain
place on Earth. Find out the values of horizontal
component of earth’s magnetic field and angle of
dip at that place.

(b). A small compass needle of magnetic moment, m

is free to turn about an axis perpendicular to
direction of uniform magnetic field, B. The moment
of inertia of needle about its axis is I. The needle is
slightly disturbed from its stable position and is
released. Prove that it executes simple harmonic
motion and hence deduce expression for its time
period.

16. A magnetic dipole is placed in a uniform magnetic

field with its axis tilted with respect to its position of
stable equilibrium. Deduce an expression for time
period of an oscillation of this magnetic dipole around
its axis, perpendicular to its plane and passing through
its centre.

If this bar magnet is replaced by a combination of

similar to bar magnets, placed over each other, how will
time period vary?

17. (a). Using the relation for potential energy of a

current carrying planar loop, obtain the expression
for workdone in moving the planar loop from
unstable equilibrium position to equilibrium
position, in a uniform magnetic field.

(b). If the magnetic monopoles were to be exist, how

would the Gauss’s law in magnetism get modified?

(c). How will the angle of dip vary when one goes
from a place where acceleration due to gravity is
maximum to a place where it is minimum, on surface
of earth?

(d). Two circular loops of radii r and 2r, have currents

I and I/2 flowing through them in clockwise and
anticlockwise sense respectively. If their magnetic
moments respectively are m and M, find the relation
between m and M.