COMPETANCY BASED QUESTIONS

1. Using the mathematical expression for the conductivity of a material, explain how it
varies with temperature for
(i) semiconductors,
(ii) good conductors. (All India 2008)
Answer:
Conductivity σ = ne2τm
(i) Semiconductors: With increase in temperature, conductivity of semiconductor
increases. It is due to increase in V. It dominates the effect caused by decrease in ‘x’.
(ii) Good conductors : With increase in temperature, conductivity of good conductors
decreases. It is due to decrease in the value of relaxation time. The effect of
increased value of V is negligible.
2. Two metallic wires of the same material have the same length but cross-sectional
area is in the ratio 1 : 2. They are connected
(i) in series and
(ii) in parallel. Compare the drift velocities of electrons in the two wires in both the
cases (i) and (ii). (All India 2008)
Answer:

3. he plot of the variation of potential difference A across a combination of three

identical cells in series, versus current is shown along the question. What is the emf
and internal resistance of each cell? (All India 2016)
 Answer:

4. Nichrome and copper wires of same length and same radius are connected in
series. Current I is passed through them. Which wire gets heated up more?
Justify your answer. (Outside Delhi 2017)
Answer:
Nichrome :
Nichrome wire gets heated up more because of higher resistivity of nichrome.
ResistivityNI > Resistivity
5. A wire of 15 Ω resistance is gradually stretched to double its original length. It is then
cut into two equal parts. These parts are then connected in parallel across a 3.0 volt
battery. Find the current drawn from the battery. (All India 2009)
Answer:
R = 15 Ω
On stretching to double its original length, the resistance becomes R 1 = 60 Ω, as on
stretching volume is constant and Rα l2.
The two cut parts will have a resistance of 30 Ω each as they are connected in parallel,
the

6. A cell of emf E and internal resistance r is connected to two external resistances

R1 and R2 and a perfect ammeter. The current in the circuit is measured in four
different situations:
(i) without any external resistance in the circuit
(ii) with resistance R2 only
(iii) with R1 and R2 in series combination
 (iv) with R1 and R2 in parallel combination
The currents measured in the four cases are 0.42A, 1.05A, 1.4A and 4.2A, but not
necessarily in that order. Identify the currents corresponding to the four cases
mentioned above.
Answer:

7. A battery of emf 10 V and internal resistance 3Ω is connected to a resistor. If the

current in the circuit is 0.5 A, find
(i) the resistance of the resistor;
(ii) the terminal voltage of the battery. (Comptt. Delhi 2012)
Answer:

8.  cell of emf ‘E’ and internal resistance V is connected across a variable resistor ‘R’.
Plot a graph showing variation of terminal voltage ‘V’ of the cell versus the current ‘I’.
Using the plot, show how the emf of the cell and its internal resistance can be
determined. (All India 2014)
Answer:

Intercept of Y-axis will give the value of ‘E’; while the slope of the line will give the
 value of internal resistance.

9. Using the concept of drift velocity of charge carriers in a conductor, deduce the
relationship between current density and resistivity of the conductor. (Comptt. Delhi
2015)
Answer:
The drift velocity is given by,

10. Two cells of emfs 1.5 V and 2.0 V having internal resistance 0.2 Ω and 0.3 Ω
respectively are connected in parallel. Calculate the emf and internal resistance of the
equivalent cell.(Delhi 2016)
Answer:
 Given : E1 = 1.5 V, E2 = 2.0 V,

11. (i) Define the term drift velocity.

(ii) On the basis of electron drift, derive an expression for resistivity of a conductor in
terms of number density of free electrons and relaxation time. On what factors does
resistivity of a conductor depend?
(iii) Why alloys like constantan and manganin are used for making standard resistors?
(Delhi 2017)
ELECTROSTATICS

12.Question 1.
Which orientation of an electric dipole in a uniform electric field would
correspond to stable equilibrium ? (All India 2008)
Answer:
When dipole moment vector is parallel to electric field vector
P→∥E→
13.Question 2.
If the radius of the Gaussian surface enclosing a charge is halved, how does
the electric flux through the Gaussian surface change ?
Answer:
Electic flux ϕE is given by
ϕE=∮E→⋅ds⃗ =Qε0
…. where [Q is total charge inside the closed surface
∴ On changing the radius of sphere, the electric flux through the Gaussian
surface remains same.
14.Figure shows three point charges, +2q, -q and + 3q. Two charges +2q and -q
are enclosed within a surface ‘S’. What is the electric flux due to this
 configuration through the surface ‘S’ (Delhi 2010)

 Electric flux =∮SE→⋅dS−→

15.Why should electrostatic field be zero inside a conductor? (Delhi 2012)

Answer:
Electrostatic field inside a conductor should be zero because of the absence of
charge. As in a static condition, charge remains only on the surface.
16. Write the expression for the work done on an electric dipole of dipole moment
p in turning it from its position of stable equilibrium to a position of unstable
equilibrium in a uniform electric
field E. (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Torque, acting on the dipole is, τ = pE sin θ

Why do the electrostatic field lines not form closed loops? (All India 2014)
Answer:
Electric field lines do not form closed loops because the direction of an electric field
is from positive to negative charge. So one can regard a line of force starting from a
positive charge and ending on a negative charge. This indicates that electric field .
lines do not form closed loops.
A point charge +Q is placed in the vicinity of a conducting surface. Draw the electric
field lines between the surface and the charge.
(Comptt. Outside Delhi 2017)
 Answer:

17. The given graph shows variation of charge ‘q’ versus potential difference ‘V’ for two
capacitors C1 and C2. Both the capacitors have same plate seperation but plate area of
C2 is greater than that of C1. Which line (A or B) corresponds to C1 and why? (Comptt.
All India 2014)

Answer:
Line B corresponds to C1
Reason: Since slope (qv) of ‘B’ is less than that of ‘A’
18. A charge ‘q’ is moved from a point A above a dipole of dipole movement ‘p’ to a point
B below the dipole in equitorial plane without acceleration. Find the work done in the
process. (All India 2016)

Answer:
No work is done
[W = q VAB = q × 0 = 0, since potential remains constant]

Two point charges, q1 = 10 × 10-8C, q2 = -2 × 10-8C are seperated by a distance of 60
cm in air.
(i) Find at what distance from the 1st charge, q1 would the electric potential be zero.
(ii) Also calculate the electrostatic potential energy of the system. (All India 2008)
Answer:
(i) Given : q1 = 10 × 10-8C, q2 = -2 × 10-8C
AB = 60 cm = 0.60 = 0.6m
Let AP = x

∴ Distance from first charge = 0.5 m = 50 cm.

(ii) Electrostatic energy of the system is

19. (i) Can two equipotential surfaces intersect each other? Give reasons.
(ii) Two charges -q and + q are located at points A (0, 0, – a) and B (0, 0, +a)
respectively. How much work is done in moving a test charge from point P (7, 0, 0) to
Q (-3,0,0)? (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
(i) No, if they intersect, there will be two different directions of electric field at that
point which is not correct. If they intersect, then at the same point of intersection,
there will be two values of potential. This is not possible and hence two equipotential
surfaces cannot intersect.
(ii) Since both the points P and Q are on the equatorial line of the dipole and V = 0 at
every point on it, work done will be zero. Also the force on any charge is perpendicular
to the equatorial line, so work done is zero.
20.
Two uniformly large parallel thin plates having charge densities + σ and – σ are kept
in the X-Z plane at a distance ‘d’ apart. Sketch an equipotential surface due to electric
field between the plates. If a particle of mass m and charge q’ remains stationary
between the plates, what is the magnitude and direction of this field? (Delhi 2011)
 Answer:
The equipotential surface is at a distance d/2 from either plate in X-Z plane. For a
particle of charge (- q) at rest between the plates, then

(i) weight mg acts, vertically downward

(ii) electric force qE acts vertically upward
so mg = qE
E = mgq vertically downward,
i.e., along (-) Y-axis.

21. Figure shows two identical capacitors C 1 and C2, each of 2 µF capacitance, connected
to a battery of 5 V. Initially switch ‘S’ is left open and dielectric slabs of dielectric
constant K = 5 are inserted to fill completely the space between the plates of the two
capacitors. How will the charge and

(ii) potential difference between the plates of the capacitors be affected after the
slabs are inserted? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
(i) When switch S is open and dielectric is introduced, charge on each capacitor will
be q1 = C1 V, q2 = C2V
q1 = 5CV
= 5 × 2 × 5 = 50 µC, q2 = 50 µC
Charge on each capacitor will become 5 times
22.
A test charge ‘q’ is moved without acceleration from A to C along the path from A to
B and then from B to C in electric field E as shown in the figure.

(i) Calculate the potential difference between A and C.

(ii) At which point (of the two) is the electric potential more and why? (All India)
Answer:
(i) P.D does not depend upon the path along which the test charge q moves
 (ii) At point C, electric potential will be more as potential decreases in the direction of
electric field.

23.A parallel plate capacitor of capacitance C is charged to a potential V. It is then

connected to another uncharged capacitor having the same capacitance. Find out the ratio
of the energy stored in the combined system to that stored initially in the single capacitor.
(All India 2014)
Answer:
Let us say that capacitor has an initial energy

When the first capacitor is connected across the second capacitor, let the common potential
be V’

Then charge on each capacitor q’ = CV’

By charge conservation
q’ = q2
Hence total energy stored in the capacitors,

24. Three identical capacitors C1 C2 and C3 of capacitance 6 µF each are connected to a 12 V
battery as shown.
Find
(i) charge on each capacitor
(ii) equivalent capacitance of the network
(iii) energy stored in the network of capacitors. (Delhi 2009)

Answer:
C1 and C2 in series, make C4 = 3µF
using 1C4=1C1+1C2
(i) 12V of potential is available in C4 and C3.
Charge in C3 = Q3 = C3V
= 6 × 10-6 × 12 = 72 µC
Charge in C4 = Q4 = C4V
= 3 × 10-6 × 12 = 36 µC
∴ Charge on C1 and C2 will also be 36 μC

25. A parallel plate capacitor is charged by a battery. After some time the battery is
disconnected and a dielectric slab of dielectric constant K is inserted between the plates.
How would
(i) the capacitance,
(ii) the electric field between the plates and
(iii) the energy stored in the capacitor, be affected? Justify your answer. (All India 2009)
Answer:
Let C be the capacitance and V be the potential difference.
The charge on the capacitor plates will then be Q = CV.
The electric field between the plates, E = Vd and the energy stored,

As the dielectric (K) is introduced after disconnecting the battery

We have the new values of charge, Q’ = Q Capacitance C’ = KC
Potential V’ = QKC=VK
(i) New capacitance is K times its original.
26.Two parallel plate capacitors of capacitances C 1 and C2 such that C1 = 3C2 are connected
across a battery of V volts as shown in the figure. Initially the key (k) is kept dosed to fully
charge the capacitors. The key is now thrown open and a dielectric slab of dielectric
constant ‘K’ is inserted in the two capacitors to completely fill the gap between the plates,

Find the ratio of

(i) the net capacitance and
(ii) the energies stored in the combination, before and after the introduction of the dielectric
slab. (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer:
(i) Net capadtance before filling the gap with dielectric slab

Energy stored in the combination before introduction of dielectric slab,

27. A 12 pF capacitor is connected to a 50 V battery. How much electrostatic energy is

stored in the capacitor? If another capacitor of 6 pF is connected in series with it with the
same battery connected across the combination, find the charge stored and potential
difference across each capacitor. (Delhi 2015)
Energy stored, in the capacitor of capacitance 12 pF,
∴ Charge stored across each capacitor
q = CV = (4 × 10-12) × 50 C = 2 × 10-10C
Charge on each capacitor 12 pF as well as on 6 pF is 2 × 10 -10 C
∴ Potential difference across capacitor C 1

28. Two identical capacitors of 12 pF each are connected in series across a battery of 50 V.
How much electrostatic energy is stored in the combination ? If these were connected in
parallel across the same battery, how much energy will be stored in the combination now?
Also find the charge drawn from the battery in each case. (Delhi 2015)
Answer:

29.Two identical parallel plate capacitors A and B are connected to a battery of V volts with
the switch S closed. The switch is now opened and the free space between the plates of the
capacitors is filled with a dielectric of dielectric constant K. Find the ratio of the total
electrostatic energy stored in both capacitors before and after the introduction of the
dielectric.
Answer:

29.

A capacitor of unknown connected across a battery of V volt. A charge of 360 pC is

stored in it. When the potential across the capacitor is reduced by 120 V, the charge
stored in the capacitor becomes 120 pC. Calculate V and the unknown capacitance.
What would have been the charge on the capacitor if the voltage were increased by
120 V? (Comptt. Delhi 2015)
Answer:

(a) Explain, using suitable diagrams, the difference in the behaviour of a

(i) conductor and
(ii) dielectric in the presence of external electric field. Define the terms polarization of
a dielectric and write its relation with susceptibility.
(b) A thin metallic spherical shell of radius R carries a charge Q on its surface. A
point charge Q2 is placed at its centre C and another charge +2Q is placed outside
the shell at a distance x from the centre as shown in the figure.

Find
(i) the force on the charge at the centre of shell and at the point A,
(ii) the electric flux through the shell. (Delhi 2015)
Answer:
(a) (i) Behaviour of conductor in an external electric field :

(ii) Behaviour of a dielectric in an external electrical field :

Explanation: In the presence of electric field, the free charge carriers in a conductor
move the charge distribution and the conductor readjusts itself so that the net
Electric field within the conductor becomes zero.
In a dielectric, the external electric field induces a net dipole moment, by stretching /
reorienting the molecules. The electric field, due to this induced dipole moment,
opposes, but does not exactly cancel the external electric field.

Polarisation: Induced Dipole moment, per unit volume, is called the polarisation. For
Linear isotropic dielectrics having a susceptibility xc, we have polarisation (p) as:
p = Xc E
(b) (i) Net Force on the charge y, placed at the centre of the shell, is zero.
Force on charge ‘2Q’ kept at point A,

30.