UNIT-I

OSCILLATIONS
1. Define damped harmonic motion and its mean life time.
2. Explain critical damping.
3. Why damping is required in machinery?
4. Why a loaded bus is more comfortable than an empty bus?
5. “All oscillations are periodic motions; all periodic motions are not oscillations.” Justify
the statement.
6. Does the external periodic force increase the energy of the oscillator in forced
oscillations?
7. How does the amplitude and frequency vary with time in (i) simple harmonic motion, (ii)
damped harmonic motion and (iii) forced oscillation?
8. Derive and solve the differential equation of motion for a damped harmonic motion.
Discuss the motion in case of (i) over damping (ii) critical damping and (iii) under
damping.
9. Derive the differential equation of motion for forced harmonic oscillator. Solve the
equation and discuss the motion when the forcing frequency is equal to, greater and lesser
than the natural frequency.
10. What are coupled oscillations? Construct the equation of motion of a coupled oscillator.
Solve it and determine the normal modes and normal frequencies.
11. If v1 and v2 are the velocities of a particle at x1 and x2, respectively, then show that

T =2 π
√ x22 −x 21
v 21 −v 22
A=
√ v 21 x 22 −v 22 x21
v 21 −v 22

12. A particle makes SHM along a straight line and its velocity when passing through points
3 and 4 cm from the centre of its path is 16 and 12 cm/s, respectively. Find (a) the
amplitude; (b) the time period of motion.
13. A particle performs SHM with a period of 16 s. At time t = 2 s, the particle passes
through the origin while at t = 4 s, its velocity is 4m/s. Show that the amplitude of the
motion is 32√2/π.
14. A particle which executes SHM along a straight line has its motion represented by x = 4
sin(πt/3 + π/6). Find (a) the amplitude; (b) time period; (c) frequency; (d) phase constant;
(e) velocity; (f) acceleration, at t = 1 s, x being in cm.
15. (i) At what distance from the equilibrium position is the kinetic energy equal to the
potential energy for a SHM?
(ii) In SHM if the displacement is one-half of the amplitude then show that the kinetic
energy and potential energy are in the ratio 3:1.
16. A mass M attached to a spring oscillates with a period 2 s. If the mass is increased by 2
kg, the period increases by 1 s. Assuming that Hooke’s law is obeyed, find the initial
mass M.
17. A particle vibrates with SHM along a straight line, its greatest acceleration is 5 π2 cm/s2,
and when its distance from the equilibrium is 4 cm the velocity of the particle is 3π cm/s.
Find the amplitude and the period of oscillation of the particle.
18. If the maximum acceleration of a SHM is α and the maximum velocity is β, show that the
amplitude of vibration is given by β2/α and the period of oscillation by 2πβ/α.
19. A particle executes SHM and is located at x = a, b and c at time t0, 2t0 and 3t0,
1
2 πt 0 ( )
cos−1
a+c
2b
respectively. Show that the frequency of oscillation is .
20. A 2 kg weight placed on a vertical spring stretches it 5 cm. The weight is pulled down a
distance of 10 cm and released. Find (a) the spring constant; (b) the amplitude; (c) the
frequency of oscillations.
21. A gas of mass m is enclosed in a cylinder of cross-section A by means of a frictionless
piston. The gas occupies a length l in the equilibrium position and is at pressure P. (a) If
the piston is slightly depressed, show that it will execute SHM. (b) Find the period of
oscillations (assume isothermal conditions).
22. A 3.94 kg block extends a spring 15.7 cm from its outstretched position. The block is
removed and 0.520 kg object is hung from the same spring. Find the period of its
oscillation.
23. An oscillator consists of a block of mass 512g connected to a spring. When set into
oscillation with amplitude 34.7 cm, it is observed to repeat its motion every 0.484 s. Find
(a) the frequency (b) the angular frequency, (c) the force constant, (d) the maximum
speed and (e) the maximum force exerted on the block.
24. A 5.22 kg block is attached to the bottom of a vertical spring and set vibrating. The
maximum speed of the object is 15.3 cm/s and the period is 645 ms. Find (a) the force
constant of the spring (b) the amplitude of the motion and (c) the frequency of oscillation.
25. A body oscillates with SHM according to the equation
x=( 6 . 12 m) cos [ ( 8 . 38 rad /s ) t+1 . 92rad ]
Find the (a) the displacement (b) the velocity, and (c) the acceleration at the time t = 1.90
s. Find also (d) the frequency and (e) the period of motion.
26. A 2.14 kg object hangs from a spring. A 325 g body hung below the object stretches the
spring 1.80 cm farther. The 325 g object is removed and the object is set into oscillation.
Find the period of the motion.
27. An oscillating block-spring system has a mechanical energy of 1.18 J, amplitude of 9.84
cm, and a maximum speed of 1.22 m/s. Find (a) the force constant of the spring (b) the
mass of the block and (c) the frequency of oscillation.
28. In a damped harmonic oscillator m= 1.52 kg and force constant k = 8.13 N/m. The
frictional force is given by –bv where b=227g/s. Suppose that the block is pulled a
distance 12.5 cm and released. (a) Calculate the time interval required for the amplitude
to fall to one-third of its initial value. (b) How many oscillations are made by this block
in this time?
29. A damped harmonic oscillator involves a block of mass 1.91 kg and a spring of spring
constant 12.6 N/m and a damping force F = -bvx. Initially it oscillates with an amplitude
of 26.2 cm; because of the damping the amplitude falls to three-fourths of the initial value
after four complete cycles. (a) What is the value of the damping constant b?
30. A damped oscillator consists of a mass 200 g attached to a spring of constant 100N/m and
damping constant 5 kg/s. It is driven by a force of amplitude 6 N and frequency 30 rad/s.
x= A cos ( ω' ' t−φ ) φ
If the displacement in the steady state is , find the values of A and .
 WAVES
1. In wave propagation energy transfer takes place without the transfer of mass. Explain.
2. How can you show that energy transfer takes place in case of wave motion?
3. State the principle of superposition. Does it hold for all cases?
4. Define forced oscillation. When does resonance occur?
5. Mention the characteristics of a standing wave.
6. Define longitudinal and tranverse waves. Give examples of both.
7. What do you mean by dispersive medium? Give some examples of dispersive and non-
dispersive medium.
8. Distinguish between standing and traveling waves.
9. Buildings of different height sustain different amounts of damage in an earthquake.
Explain why?
∂2 y 1 ∂2 y
=
∂ x 2 v 2 ∂ t2 y= y m sin (kx−ωt )
10. Show that , where and v is the velocity of the wave.
11. Determine the resultant displacement and phase when two waves given by
y 1 = y m sin(kx−wt−φ1 ) y 2 = y m sin(kx−wt−φ2 )
and are superposed. Derive the
conditions for constructive and destructive interference.
y 1 = y m sin(kx−wt ) y 2 = y m sin(kx +wt )
12. Two waves and are superposed. Derive the
expression for the resultant and determine the positions of maximum (antinodes) and
minimum (nodes) displacement.
13. Derive the expression for the phase speed and group speed of a wave. Find the relation
between them.
14. Determine the resultant displacement and phase when two waves given by
y 1 = y 1m sin(kx−wt −φ1 ) y 2 = y 2 m sin( kx−wt −φ 2 )
and are superposed. Also find the
conditions of maximum and minimum amplitude.
15. Draw the resultant displacement curve when two waves of same/different amplitude
superpose (i) in phase (ii) out of phase.
16. A wave has a wave speed of 243 m/s and a wavelength of 3.27 cm. Calculate the
frequency and the period of the wave.
17. A sinusoidal wave travels along a string. The time for a particle to move from maximum
displacement to zero displacement is 178 ms. The wavelength of the wave is 1.38 m.
Find (a) the period, (b) the frequency and (c) the speed of the wave.
18. Write an expression describing a transverse wave traveling in the +x direction with
wavelength 11.4 cm, frequency 385 Hz, and amplitude 2.13 cm.
19. A wave of frequency 493 Hz has a speed of 353 m/s. (a) How far apart are two points
differing in phase by 55.0o? (b) Find the difference in phase between two displacements
at the same point but at times 1.22 ms.
20. The equation of a transverse wave traveling along a string is given by

Calculate (a) the amplitude, (b) the

wavelength, (c) the frequency, (d) the speed, (e) the direction of propagation of the wave
and (f) the maximum transverse speed of a particle in the string.
21. When a simple harmonic (SH) wave is propagated through a medium, the displacement
2π
y ( x , t )=10 sin ( 20 x−36000 t )
100
of a particle (in cm) at any instant of time is given by
22. Calculate the amplitude of the vibrating particle, wave velocity, wavelength, frequency
and time period.
23. The velocity of a SH wave is 30 cm/s. At time t = 0, the displacement is given by
y ( x , t )=10 sin 2 π ( 100x ). Find the equation for the displacement at time t = 2 s.
24. If the wavelength be 4 m, what is the phase difference between two points which are at a
separation of 2 m?
25. Two waves travel in the same direction along a string and interfere. The waves have the
same wavelength and travel with the same speed. The amplitude of each wave is 9.7 mm
and there is phase difference of 110obetween them. (a) What is the maximum of the
combined wave resulting from the interference of the two waves? (b) To what value
should the phase difference be changed so that the combined wave will have amplitude
equal to that of one of the waves?
26. What phase difference between two otherwise identical waves, moving in the same
direction along a stretched string, will result in the combined wave having amplitude 1.65
times that of the common amplitude of the two combining waves? Express your answer
in both degrees and radians.
27. Determine the amplitude of the resultant wave when two sinusoidal waves having the
same frequency and traveling in the same direction are combined, if their amplitudes are
3.20 cm and 4.19 cm and they differ in phase by π/2 radian.
28. Two pulses are traveling along a string in
opposite directions as shown in Fig 1. (a) If the
wave speed is 2.0m/s and the pulses are 6.0 m
apart, sketch the patterns after 5, 10,15,20 and 25
ms. (b) What happens to the energy at t=15 ms?
Fig 1.
29. The equation of a transverse wave traveling in a string is given by

30. What is the displacement at x = 2.3 m and t = 0.16 s?

31. Write down the equation of a wave that, when added to the given one, would produce
standing waves on the string.
32. What is the displacement of the resultant standing wave at x = 2.3 m and t = 0.16 s?
33. A string vibrates according to the equation

34. What are the amplitude and speed of the component waves whose superposition gives
rise to this vibration?
35. Find the distance between consecutive nodes.
36. What is the velocity of a particle of the string at the position x =1.47 cm at time t = 1.36
s?
37. A train of SH wave travels in a gas along the negative x- direction with an amplitude 2
cm, velocity 45 m/s and frequency 75 Hz. Calculate the displacement, particle velocity
and acceleration at x = 135 cm and t = 3 s.
38. A transverse wave is observed to be moving along a lengthy rope. Adjacent crests are
positioned 2.4 m apart. Exactly six crests are observed to move past a given point along
 the medium in 9.1 seconds. Determine the wavelength, frequency and speed of these
waves.

OPTICS: INTERFERENCE
1. Define coherent and incoherent sources.
2. Why two independent sources of light cannot show interference?
3. Is there a violation of law of conservation of energy in interference?
4. Why does a drop of oil spread over the surface of water or a soap film shows brilliant
colours in sunlight?
5. A double slit is illuminated by violet light and then by red light? What are the changes in
the interference pattern and why?
6. How coherent sources are produced in (i) Young’s double slit experiment (ii) Newton’s
ring experiment?
7. What will happen if white light is used instead of monochromatic light in (i) Young’s
double slit experiment (ii) Newton’s ring experiment?
8. Why is the center of Newton’s ring dark?
9. What is the shape of the interference pattern in Newton’s ring experiment and why?
10. Using a suitable and neat diagram derive the expression for the fringe width of the
interference pattern due to Young’s double slit experiment(YDSE).
11. Derive the expression for the intensity of the interference pattern in YDSE and hence
determine the conditions of constructive (maxima/bright fringe) and destructive
(minima/dark fringe) interference. Also draw the intensity distribution/profile curve.
12. Derive the conditions of constructive (maxima/bright fringe) and destructive
(minima/dark fringe) interference in a thin film of uniform thickness.
13. Derive the expression for the diameter of bright and dark rings in Newton’s Ring
experiment.
14. Describe Newton’s ring experiment to determine the wavelength of monochromatic light.
15. Describe how you can determine the refractive index of liquid using Newton’s ring
experiment.
16. What is interference of light? Give examples.
17. How interference proves the wave character of light?
18. What are the conditions for sustained interference?
19. What are meant by constructive and destructive interference?
20. How can we identify constructive and destructive interference in YDSE?
21. How do the slit separation, wavelength and distance of the screen from the sources affect
the fringe width in YDSE?
22. Are the bright and the dark fringe width in YDSE equal or not? Justify.
23. What is meant by order of interference fringes?
24. What are the conditions for bright and dark fringes in terms of path difference?
25. List four examples for thin film interference.
26. Draw the diagram for interference in a uniform thin film of glass in air. Mention which
rays will have phase difference of π.
27. Why is the centre in Newton’s ring with thin air film due to reflected light dark?
28. How will the fringe pattern be affected if a liquid medium is inserted between the lens
and the glass plate in Newton’s ring experiment?
29. Why the fringe width for higher order rings is smaller than the lower order rings in
Newton’s ring experiment?
30. Does the fringe width in case of YDSE vary with orders of the fringe?
31. Why broad source is necessary for observing colours in thin films?
32. Can we find the refractive index of an unknown liquid with Newton’s ring experiment?
Justify.
33. A glass window pane appears dark when a thin film of water forms on it. Why?
34. What are antireflection coatings?
35. Monochromatic green light, wavelength =554 nm, illuminates two parallel, narrow slits
7.7µm apart. Calculate the angular position of the third order (m=3) bright fringe (a) in
radians (b) in degrees.
36. Monochromatic light illuminates two parallel slits a distance d apart. The first maximum
is observed at an angular position of 15°. By what percentage should d be increased or
decreased so that the second maximum will instead be observed at 15°?
37. Find the slit separation of a double slit arrangement that will produce bright interference
fringes 1.00° apart in angular separation. Assume a wavelength of 592 nm.
38. A double slit arrangement produces interference fringes for sodium light (λ=589nm) that
are 0.20° apart. What is the angular fringe separation if the entire arrangement is
immersed in water (n=1.33).
39. In an interference experiment in a large ripple tank as
shown in the figure below, the coherent vibrating sources
are placed 120 mm apart. The distance between maxima
2.0 m away is 180 mm. If the speed of ripples is 25 cm/s,
calculate the frequency of the vibrating sources.

40. Sodium light (λ=589nm) falls on a double slit of

separation d = 2.0 mm. The slit-screen distance D is 40 mm, what fractional error is made
to locate the tenth bright fringe on the screen?
41. The coherence length of a wave train is the distance over which the phase constant is the
same. (a) If an individual atom emits coherent light for 1×10 -8 s, what is the coherence
length of the wave train? (b) Suppose a partially reflecting mirror separates this wave
train into two parts that are later reunited after one beam travels 5 m and the other 10 m.
Do the waves produce interference fringes observable by a human eye?
42. Find the phase difference between the waves from the two slits arriving at the mth dark
fringe in a double-slit experiment.
43. Find the sum of the following quantities (a) graphically, using
phasors; and (b) using trigonometry: y1 = 10sin ωt and y2 = 8.0
sin (ωt - 30°) .
44. 10. If the wavelength of the incident light is λ=572 nm, rays A
and B in the figure 1 are out of phase by 1.5 λ. Find the
thickness d of the film.
45. In a Newton’s ring experiment, the radius of curvature R of the Figure 1
lens is 5.0 m and its diameter is 20 mm. (a) How many rings are
produced? (b) How many rings would be seen if the arrangement were immersed in water
(n = 1.33)? Assume that λ=589 nm.
46. A Newton’s ring apparatus is used to determine the radius of curvature of a lens. The
radii of the nth and (n + 20)th bright rings are measured and found to be 0.162 cm and
0.368 cm, respectively, in light of wavelength 546 nm. Calculate the radius of curvature
of the lower surface of the lens.
47. Light reflected from a thin film of oil (n = 1.40) floating on water (n = 1.33)
constructively interferes at a wavelength 550 nm. (a) Sketch the situation and indicate
 which of the reflected rays undergo a phase shift. (b) Find the minimum thickness of the
film that could produce this constructive interference.
48. Light with a wavelength of 646 nm passes through two slits and forms an interference
pattern on a screen 8.75 m away. The distance between the central bright fringe and the
first-order (m = 1) bright fringe is 5.16 cm. (a) What is the separation between the slits?
(b) What will be the distance between the central bright fringe and the second-order (m =
2) minimum?
OPTICS: DIFFRACTION
1. Using a suitable and neat diagram derive the expression for the intensity of the
Fraunhofer diffraction pattern due to a single slit. Hence show that the maximum light is
concentrated in the direction of the incident light.
2. Determine the conditions of maxima/bright fringe and minima/dark fringe in Fraunhofer
diffraction pattern due to a single slit. Hence draw the intensity profile curve for the
diffraction pattern.
3. Define diffraction.
4. Why diffraction of light is difficult to observe but that of sound is readily observed?
5. What are the different types of diffraction of light? Differentiate them.
6. Enumerate the difference between interference and diffraction.
7. What is the difference between single slit and double slit diffraction pattern?
8. Is Young’s double slit experiment an interference or diffraction experiment?
9. In a single slit diffraction what is the effect of increasing (i) the slit-width, (ii) the
wavelength of the light used?
10. Obtain the expression for the angular as well as linear width of the central maximum for a
single slit diffraction pattern.
11. What happens to the Fraunhofer diffraction of light, when it is placed in water?
12. Colored spectrum is seen when we see through muslin cloth. Why?
13. Find the position of the first minimum for a single slit of width 0.04 millimeters on a
screen 2 meters distant, when light from a He-Ne laser λ = 632.8 nm is shone on the slit.
14. If we have a single slit 0.2 centimeters wide, a screen 1 meter distant, and the second
maximum occurs at a position 1 centimeter along the screen, what must be the
wavelength of light incident on the screen?
15. Determine the angular position of the maxima of a grating in terms of λ and d , the
distance between centers of adjacent slits. If light of 500 nm is incident of a slit
containing 18920 slits and of width 5 centimeters, calculate the angular position of the
second maximum.
16. A screen is placed 3.0 m from a two-slit setup with the slits separated by 15 mm. If the
wavelength of the light is 4000 nm, how far apart are the principal and m = 1 fringes?
17. If 700-nm light falls on a slit 2.5 × 10 -5 m wide, what is the full angular width of the
central diffraction peak?
18. How wide is the central diffraction peak on a screen 3.00 m behind a 0.045 mm slit
illuminated by 600 nm light?
19. For a given wavelength λ, what is the maximum slit width for which there will be no
diffraction?
OPTICS: POLARISATION
1. Why natural light is unpolarised?
2. Define polarization, plane of polarization, plane of vibration.
3. Why sound waves cannot be polarized?
4. Explain which phenomenon gives more information about the wave nature of light:
interference, diffraction or polarization.
5. If two polaroids are arranged such that no light is transmitted through them, explain
whether light can be transmitted if a third Polaroid is introduced between them.
6. Using a Polaroid explain how you can identify plane polarized light and unpolarished
light.
7. Define double refraction, optic axis of a crystal, negative and positive crystals.
8. Differentiate between o-waves and e-waves.
9. Can the e-waves always move at the speed of c/ne?
10. Prove that the maximum transmission through a Polaroid is half the maximum incident
intensity.
11. Derive (i) Malus’ law, (ii) Brewster’s law.
12. Explain double refraction using Huygen’s theory of wave propagation.
13. Give properties of o-waves and e-waves with respect to (i) negative crystal (ii) positive
crystal.
14. Describe the action of quarter and half wave plates.
15. Derive the mathematical condition for producing (i) linearly polarized light (ii)
elliptically polarized light and (iii) circularly polarized light.
16. Unpolarised light falls on two polarizing sheets placed one top of the other. What must be
the angle between the characteristic directions of the sheets if the intensity of the
transmitted light is 1/3rd the intensity of the incident beam? Ans: 35.3⁰
17. Three polarizing plates are stacked. The first and third are crossed, the one between has
its axis at 45⁰ to the axes of the other two. What fraction of intensity of an incident
unpolarised beam is transmitted by the stack? Ans: 1/8
18. A beam of linearly polarized light strikes two polarizing sheets. The characteristic
direction of the second is 90⁰ with respect to the incident light. The characteristic
direction of the first is at angle θ with respect to the incident light. Find the angle θ for a
transmitted beam intensity that is 0.10 times the incident beam intensity? Ans: 19.6⁰
19. A beam of unpolarised light is incident on a stack of four polarising sheets that are lined
up so that the characteristic direction of each is rotated by 30⁰ clockwise with respect to
the preceding sheet. What fraction of incident intensity is transmitted? Ans: 0.21
20. Light travelling in water (n=1.33) is incident on a plate of glass (n=1.53). At what angle
of incidence is the reflected light completely linearly polarized? Ans: 49⁰
21. When red light (λ=700 nm) in vacuum is incident at the polarising angle on a glass slab,
the angle of refraction is 31.8⁰. What are (i) the refractive index of the glass? (ii) the
polarizing angle? Ans: 1.61 and 58.2⁰

UNIT-II
QUANTUM MECHANICS
1. Define blackbody and state the characteristics of its spectrum.
2. What is the physical significance of probability density?
3. Define matter waves.
4. State de Broglie hypothesis, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
5. Why quantum mechanics is used in case of moving electrons and Newtonian mechanics
for moving cars?
6. Discuss why we cannot observe the wave nature of macroscopic bodies.
7. What do you mean by a wave packet? What is group velocity?
8. Differentiate between Ψ and |Ψ|2.
9. What do you mean by normalized wave functions?
10. Why a wave packet is considered to be associated with a moving particle instead of a
single sinusoidal wave?
11. What is the role of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle in the macroscopic world?
Ψ =Ae αx
12. Consider a function where A and α are real positive constants. Show whether it
can represent the wave nature of a particle?
13. Discuss the drawbacks of classical physics.
14. State Max’s Postulates. Derive the expression for the average energy of Planck’s
oscillators. Hence derive Planck’s radiation formula.
15. What is a wave packet? What do you understand by wave and group velocities of matter
waves? Obtain the expression for the wave and group velocities.
16. Derive a relation between the wave and group velocities of matter waves.
17. Using Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle show that electrons cannot exist inside the
nucleus.
18. Apply Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle to determine the minimum or ground state of a
harmonic oscillator.
19. State Heisenberg’s time-energy uncertainty principle and obtain it from the position-
momentum uncertainty relation.
20. A particle of rest mass m0 has a kinetic energy EK. Calculate the value of its de Broglie
wavelength. What will be its value if EK<<m0c2?
21. Derive Schrodinger’s time dependent and time independent wave equation.
22. Obtain the expression for the energy levels and normalized wave functions for a particle
enclosed in a one dimensional rigid box. Also plot the probability distribution curves.
23. How many photons of yellow light of wavelength 550 nm constitute 1.5 J of energy?
24. Find the energy of a neutron in eV , whose De Broglie wavelength is 1Å.
25. Calculate the work function, stopping potential and maximum velocity of photoelectrons for a
light of wavelength 435 nm illuminating sodium surface. Consider the threshold wavelength of
the photoelectrons is 542 nm.
26. Is it possible to liberate an electron from a metal surface having work function 4.8 eV with an
incident radiation of wavelength (i) 500 nm (ii) 200 nm.
27. Find the maximum energy of the photoelectron, the work function and threshold frequency, if the
potassium surface is illuminated by a light of wavelength 5893 Å. The stopping potential for the
emitted electron is 0.36 V.
28. A particle of charge q and mass m is accelerated through a potential difference V. Find its De
Broglie wavelength. Calculate the wavelength if the particle is an electron and V = 50 V.
29. Calculate the De Broglie wavelength of thermal neutrons at 27 o C.
30. Calculate the ratio of De Broglie wavelength associated with a proton and an electron each
having the kinetic energy 20 MeV.
31. A proton and a deuteron have the same kinetic energy. Which has a longer wavelength?
32. Find the phase and group velocities of an electron whose De Broglie wavelength is 1.2 Å.
33. A particle of mass m0 has a kinetic energy K. Calculate its De Broglie wavelength. What will be
its value if K<< m0c2?
34. An electron has a De Broglie wavelength of 1.0 pm. Calculate its kinetic energy and the phase
and group velocities of its De Broglie waves.
35. Calculate the uncertainty in momentum of an electron confined in a one dimensional box of
length 1 Å.
36. The position and momentum of 0.5 keV electron are simultaneously determined. If its position is
located within 0.2 nm, what is the percentage uncertainty in its momentum?
37. Calculate the uncertainty in position of an electron if the uncertainty in velocity is (i) 0.001% (ii)
zero.
38. Life time of an excited nucleus is 10 -12 s. Calculate the uncertainty in energy and frequency of a γ-
ray photon emitted by it.
39. Calculate the probability of finding a particle confined in a one dimensional box of length L
between x= 0 to x = L/2.
 Ψ =A exp(−β|x|)
40. For the normalized wave function , determine the value of A. The constants A
and β are real and positive.
41. A particle is confined in x- direction and has a wavefunction Ψ=ax2 between x= 0 to x = 1. The
wavefunction is zero elsewhere. Calculate the probability of finding the particle between x= 0.5
to x = 0.75.
42. The lowest energy of an electron trapped in a potential well is 38 eV. Calculate the width of the
well.
43. Is it possible to observe the energy states of a ball of mass 10 gm moving in a box of length 10
cm?
44. An electron is trapped in a rigid box of width 2 Å. Find its lowest energy level and momentum.
Find the energy of the third level.
45. Calculate the probability of finding a particle trapped in a rigid box of width L in the region 0.45
L to 0.55 L for the ground state and the first excited state.
BAND THEORY
1. Write the expression for Fermi distribution function. Discuss the effect of temperature on
the function.
2. Define intrinsic/extrinsic semiconductors. Give examples.
3. When does an intrinsic semiconductor behave as an insulator? Why?
4. What will happen to the position of the Fermi level (for both P and N type) if the doping
concentration increases?
5. What is the charge of an intrinsic/extrinsic semiconductor? Explain.
6. Does the Fermi level of an intrinsic semiconductor depend on temperature? Explain.
7. The temperature of a semiconductor is raised. How will its conductivity be affected and
why?
8. Why the depletion region of a p-n junction is called so?
9. What are the assumptions made by Drude and Lorentz in explaining the behavior of free
electron in metals?
10. Define drift velocity, relaxation time and mean free path for free electrons.
11. How is drift velocity different from thermal velocity of an electron?
12. Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Lorentz-Drude free electron theory
of metals.
13. Derive the expression for electrical conductivity of a metal using classical free electron
theory.
14. Outline Sommerfield’s quantum free electron theory of metals.
15. Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of quantum free electron theory of
metals. (Sommerfield).
16. Based on Fermi-Dirac statistics, what is the nature of Fermi-Dirac distribution function?
How does it vary with temperature?
17. Define Fermi level, Fermi energy.
18. Distinguish solids into conductors, insulators and semiconductors on the basis of energy
band theory.
19. What are semiconductors? Classify and differentiate the different types of
semiconductors.
20. What are intrinsic semiconductors? How does conduction take place in intrinsic
semiconductor? (use energy band concept)
21. What is p-n junction diode? Draw the energy band diagram of a p-n junction when it is (i)
forward biased (ii) reverse biased.
22. Explain the effect on a semiconductor of adding (i) a donor impurity (ii) an acceptor
impurity. Hence explain the phenomenon of conduction of current in such
semiconductors in (i) forward bias (ii) reverse bias.
23. Draw the position of the Fermi level of intrinsic and extrinsic (both P and N type)
semiconductor. Explain it.
24. Explain how the Fermi level of an extrinsic semiconductor varies with temperature.
25. Discuss the mechanism of current flow in a p-n junction semiconductor for
i) Forward bias and ii) Reverse bias.
26. Explain the formation of depletion region in a p-n junction diode. Why is it called so?
27. Draw the energy band diagram for a p-n junction diode. Explain why the Fermi level is
constant throughout the structure?
28. At what temperature can we expect a 0.1 probability that an electron in silver has an
energy which is 1% above the Fermi energy? The Fermi energy of silver is 5.5 eV.
29. A system of particles obeys Fermi-Dirac distribution function. Show that the probability
of vacancy of an energy level ΔE below the Fermi level EF is the same as the probability
of occupancy of an energy level ΔE above EF.
30. Use the Fermi-Dirac distribution function to obtain the value of f (E) for E - EF = 0.01 eV
at 200K.
31. Calculate the relaxation time of conduction electrons in a metal of conductivity 6.49×10 7
Ω-1m-1, if the metal has 5.8×1028 conduction electrons per cubic meter.
32. For copper of Fermi energy of 7.06 eV at 1000 K, find the probability of occupancy for a
state of energy 6.87 eV.
33. Conductivity of a metal is 8×107(Ωm)-1. If the number density of free electrons is
20×1028m-3, calculate the relaxation time of electrons.
34. Find the temperature at which the probability to find an electron in an energy level, E is
0.25? Assume (E - EF ) = 0.04 eV.
35. Calculate the value of (E-EF), if the Fermi Dirac distribution function has magnitude of
0.3 at 200 K.