PH3256 - Physics for Information Science

Unit 01 - Electrical Properties of Materials

Important Questions
Mr. J. Ayyappan M.Sc.,(Ph.D).,
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
Government College of Engineering
Sengipatti, Tanjavur-613 402

I). Part A - Two mark questions

1. Define the electrical conductivity.

2. What is the electrical resistivity?

3. Define the effective mass of an electron. [AU, May-2023]
4. Define Fermi level. [AU, May-2023]
5. Define the relaxation time and mean free time.

6. What is the mean free path of an electron?

7. What is the drift velocity of the electron?
8. What are the postulates of classical free electron theory? [AU, May-2022]

9. What are the merits of the classical free electron theory?

10. Define mobility of electrons. [AU, May-2022]
11. Calculate the electrical resistivity of sodium at 0o C. It has 2.533 × 1028 electrons per unit volume and has a
mean free time of 3.1 × 10−14 s [AU, Dec-2022]

12. State Wiedemann-Franz law. [AU, Dec-2022]

13. What are the failures of classical free electron theory? [AU, Dec-2023]
14. Calculate the Fermi energy of copper at 0K. Atomic weight and density of copper are 63.54 and 8950 kg/m3
respectively. [AU, Dec-2023]

15. Define fermi energy.

16. Write the classification of material based on the band theory.
17. What do you mean by tight binding approximation?
18. Write a short note on concept of a hole.

II). Part B - 16 mark questions

1. Derive an expression for the density of states. [AU, Dec-2022,May-2023]

2. Describe the classical free electron theory to obtain an expression for electrical and thermal conductivity and
deduce Lorentz number. [AU, Dec-2022,May-2023]
3. Derive an expression for the electrical conductivity of a material in terms of mobility of electrons and hence
obtain Wiedemann-Franz law. [AU, May-2023]
4. Write short notes on the following. [AU, May-2023

1
 i). Fermi Dirac distribution. [6m]
ii). Fermi energy at T = 0K and T ⟩0K [6m]
iii). Significance of Fermi energy [4m]
5. i). Derive an expression for energy eigen value and eigen function for a particle moving in the potential
V (x) = 0 for 0 < x < a and V (x) = ∞ for 0 ≥ x ≥ a [AU, Dec-2023 (10m)]
ii). Extend the above eigenvalue and eigenfunction for a particle in a three-dimensional rectangular box and
discuss the degenerate states of the particle. [AU, Dec-2023 (6m)]
6. i). Explain in detail about tight-binding approximation. [AU, Dec-2023 (8m)]
ii). What is the effective mass of an electron? Derive an expression for the effective mass of an electron
moving in a periodic potential. [AU, Dec-2023 (8m)]

Physics for Information Science 2 Question Bank