ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

i wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere

thanks to Father Vivian Fernandez for his
encouragement and for all the facilities that he
provide for this project work.I sincerely
appreciate
this magnanemity by taking me into him fold for
which i shall remain indebted to him.
I extend my heartly thanks to MRS.Vaishali
Tandon ,physics teacher who guided me to this
project.I take this opportutiny to express my deep
sence of gratitude for her invalueble guidence,
constant comments, sympathetic attitude and
immense motivation which has sustained my
effort at all stages of this project work

Hargun Sandhu

Certificate
This is to certify that “Hargun Sandhu”
student of class 12”Science” “A” has successfully
completed their physics project on ”To study the
variations in current flowing in circuit containg a
LDR” under the guidence of “Ma'am Vaishali
Tandon”

Teachers sign Principal sign

External Examiner,s sign

Index
1.Abstract
2.Objective
3.Theory
4.Material Required
5.Circuit Diagram
6.Procedure
7.Observation
8.Application
10.Conclusion
11.Bibliography

Abstract:- The general purpose

photoconductive cell is also known as LDR:-
light dependent resistor.it is a type of
semiconductor and its conductivity changes with
proportional change in the intensity of light.There
are two type of material used manufature the
photoconductive cell.They are cadmium sulphide
and cadmium selenide.Extrinsic
device have impurities added,which have a
ground state energy closer to the conduction band
– since the electron don't have as far to
jump,lower energy photons (i.e. Longer
wavelengths and lower frequencies) are sufficient
to trigger the device.Two of its earliest
applications were as part of smoke and fire
detection system and camera light meters.The
structure is covered with glass sheet to protect it
from moisture and dust and allows only light to
fall on it,
OBJECTIVE:-
To study the variations, in current flowing in a
circuit containing a LDR, because of a variation:-

(a) In the power of the incandescent lamp, used to

'illuminate the LDR. (Keeping all the lamps at a
fixed distance),

(b) In the distance of a incandescent lamp, (of

fixed power), used to 'illuminate the LDR.

THEORY:-
1.) LDR and its characteristics when light is
incident on it, a photon is absorbed and thereby it
excites an electron from valence band into
conduction band. Due to such new electrons
coming up in conduction band area, the electrical
resistance of the device decreases. Thus the LDR
or photo- conductive transducer has the resistance
which is the inverse function of radiation
intensity.

λ o threshold wavelength, in meters

e= 1 on one electron, in Coulombs

Ew = work function of the metal used, in Ev

Here we must note that any radiation with
wavelength greater than the value obtained in
above equation CANNOT PRODUCE any
change in the resistance of this device. The
band gap energy of Cadmium Sulphide is
2.42eV and for Cadmium Selenide it is
1.74eV. Due to such large energy gaps, both
the materials have extremely high resistivity
at room temperature.
Characteristics of
photoconductive cells

Now when the device is kept in darkness, its

resistance is called as dark resistance. This
resistance is typically of the order of 1013
ohms. When light falls on it, its resistance
decreases up to several kilo ohms or even
hundreds of ohms, depending on the intensity
of light, falling on it. The spectral response
characteristics of two commercial cells were
compared in our laboratory. And we found
that there is almost no response to the
radiation of a wavelength which was shorter
than 300nm. It was very interesting to note
that the Cadmium Sulphide cell has a peak
response nearer or within the green color of
the spectrum within a range of 520nm. Thus
it can be used nearer to the infra-red region
up to 750nm. It was found that the maximum
response of Cadmium Sulphoselenide is in
the yellow-orange range at 615nm and also it
can be used in the infra-red region up to
about 970nm.

Sensitivity:-

The sensitivity of a photo detector is the

relationship between the light falling on the
device and the resulting output signal. In the
case of a photocell, one is dealing with the
relationship between the incident light and
the corresponding resistance of the cell.

SpectralResponse:-

Like the human eye, the relative sensitivity of

a photoconductive cell is dependent on the
wavelength (color) of the incident light. Each
photoconductor material type has its own
unique spectral response curve or plot of the
relative response of the photocell versus
wavelength of light.

MATERIALSREQUIRED:-

Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)

ConnectingWires

• Source of different power rating (bulbs)

•BulbHolder

•Metrescale

•MultiMeter

• Battery
Circuit Daigram:-
PROCEDURE:

. Choose a specific position for the source and

mount it using a holder, make sure it is stable..

Select the bulb with the lowest power rating and

connect it to the holder as shown in the figure.
Connect the LDR, battery(6V) and the multimeter
in series.

Set the multimeter to ohm section and select

suitable range and measure the resistance with a
bulb on.

Similarly switch to current section and move to

micro ampere in the multimeter. This gives the
value of the current.

Repeat these steps with different power sources at

different distances and note
downobservations

OBSERVATIONS

The experiment has been conducted by using

various sources with different power ratings.
Voltage of the battery=
APPLICATIONS:-

Lead sulfide (PbS) and indium

antimonide (InSb) LDRs are used for the
mid infrared spectral region. GeCu
photoconductors are among the best far
infrared detectors available, and are used
for infrared astronomy and infrared
spectroscopy.

1.)Analog Applications
Camera Exposure Control

AutoSlideFocus-dualcell

Photocopy Machines - density of toner

Colorimetric Test Equipment

Densitometer

Electronic Scales - dual cell

Automatic Gain Control-modulated light

source

Automated Rear View Mirror

2)DigitalApplications

AutomaticHeadlightDimmer

NightLightControl
OilBurnerFlameOut

StreetLightControl

PositionSensor

CONCLUSION:-
The LDR resistance decreases with increase
in intensity of light and hence there is an
increase in the flow of current.

There is an increase in the current as the

distance from the source decreases.

The intensity decreases as the distance from

the source increases

The error lies within the experimental limit.

 Bibliography
NCERT physics class XII

Art of Electronics by paul worowitz

www.wikipedia.com/

www.electronics2000.co.uk/links/education-
hobby/

www.ecelab.com/