-- PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS --

1 MARK QUESTIONS
Q1. What is the function of a galvanometer in a circuit? [1M,2019]
Ans 1. The function of a galvanometer in a circuit is to detect the presence of electric current in a
circuit.
Q2. Out of 60 W and 40 W lamps, which one has a higher electrical resistance when in use?
[1M,2008]
Ans 2. 40 W lamp has a higher electrical resistance when in use.

Q3. Define the SI unit of potential difference. [1M,2017]

Ans 3. The SI "Unit of potential difference" is Volt. It is "the difference of potential" that would
carry "one ampere of current" against one ohm resistance.

Q4. What is meant by potential difference between two points? [1M,2011]

Ans 4. Potential difference between any two points is defined as the amount of work done in
moving a unit charge from one point to another.

Q5. Name the device that helps to maintain a potential difference across a conductor. [1 M,2016]
Ans 5. Any source of electricity like battery, cell, power supply, etc. helps to maintain a potential
difference across a conductor.

Q6. Name the physical quantity which is the same in all the resistors when they are connected in
series. [1M,2011]
Ans 6. Current is the physical quantity.

Q7. State in brief the meaning of an electric current. [1M,2011]

Ans 7. Electric current is defined as the rate of flow of negative charges of the conductor. In other
words, the continuous flow of electrons in an electric circuit is called an electric current. The
conducting material consists of a large number of free electrons which move from one atom to
the other at random.

Q8. The resistance of a resistor is kept constant and the potential difference across its two ends is
decreased to half of its former value. State the change that will occur in the current through it.
[1M,2011]
Ans 8. Current will be half of its former value.

Q9. What happens to the resistance of a conductor when its area of cross section is increased?
[1M,2011]
Ans 9. Resistance decreases.

Q10. Mention one reason why tungsten is exclusively used for making filaments of electric lamps.
[1M,2014]
Ans 10. Tungsten metal is selected for making filaments of lamp bulbs because tungsten can
sustain high temperatures and it has high melting point, combined with the fact that it also has
high resistivity.
2 MARKS QUESTIONS
Q11. Why are the coils of electric toasters made of an alloy rather than a pure metal? [2M,2008]
Ans 11. Resistivity of an alloy is higher than its constituent metal and alloys do not oxidize as easily
as constituent metal at high temperature. That is why the coils of electric toasters are made of an
alloy rather than a pure metal.

Q12. A piece of wire of resistance 200 is drawn out so that its length is increased to twice its
original length. Calculate the resistance of the wire in the new situation. [2M,2009]
Ans 12. R = L 4 If the length is increased to twice the original length, keeping the area of cross
section same, then resistance will become double of its original value. So new resistance = 2 × 20
= 40 ohm.

Q13. While studying the dependence of potential difference (V) across a resistor on the current (I)
passing through it, in order to determine the resistance of the resistor, a student took 5 readings
for different values of current and plotted a graph between V and I. He got a straight line graph a
passing through the origin. What does the straight line signify? Write the method of determining
resistance of the resistor using this graph. [2M,2019]
Ans 13. Straight line signify that the potential difference applied across the resistor is directly
proportional to the current flowing through it. To determine the resistance from the graph, read the
current value, in amperes corresponding to a given voltmeter reading and take the ratio 7. Thus the
resistance of conductor is determined in ohms.

Q14. What would you suggest to a student if while performing an experiment he finds that the
pointer/ needle of the ammeter and voltmeter do not coincide with the zero marks on the scales
when circuit is open? No extra ammeter/ voltmeter is available in the laboratory. [2M,2019]
Ans 14. If the pointer is above the zero mark, the zero error is negative. The number of division it is
above the zero mark are to be subtracted from reading. If the pointer is below zero mark, the zero
error is positive. The number of division it is below the zero mark are to be added to reading.

Q15. How are voltmeter and ammeter connected in a circuit? [2M,2017]

Ans 15. The voltmeter is connected in parallel with the circuit to be measured. We do not want the
voltmeter to load the circuit. Consequently an ideal voltmeter will have infinite resistance. An
ammeter is connected in series with the circuit to be measured.

Q16. State the factors on which at a given temperature the resistance of a cylindrical conductor
depends. State the SI unit of resistivity. [2M,2012]
Ans 16. Factors on which the resistance of a cylindrical conductor depends:
(i) Area of a cross-section of the conductor.
(ii) Nature of the material.
SI unit of resistivity is ohm • metre.

Q17. On what factors does the resistance of a conductor depend? [2M,2017]

Ans 17. The resistance of a conductor depends on the following factors:
(i) The temperature of the conductor
(ii) The cross-sectional area of the conductor
(ii) The length of the conductor
(iv) Nature of the material of the conductor
Q18. Mention the conditions under which charges can move in a conductor. Name the device
which is used to maintain this condition in an electric circuit. [2M,2012]
Ans 18. Charges can move if there is a difference of electric pressure or potential difference along
the conductor. Electric cell or a battery consisting of two or more cells.

Q19. Draw a schematic diagram of an electric circuit comprising of 3 cells and an electric bulb,
ammeter, plug key in the ON mode and another with same components but with two bulbs in
parallel and a voltmeter across the combination. [2M,2012]
Ans 19.

3 MARKS QUESTIONS
Q20. Two resistor, with resistances 52 and 102 respectively are to be connected to a battery of
emf 6 V so as to obtain:
(a) How will you connect the resistances in each case?
(i) Minimum current flowing
(ii) Maximum current flowing
(b) Calculate the strength of the total current in the circuit in the two cases. [3M,2009]
Ans 20. (a) (i) To obtain the minimum current, the resistances should be connected in series.
(ii) To obtain the maximum current, the resistances should be connected in parallel.
(b) (i) Resistances in series:

Total resistance in the circuit R = 5 + 10 = 15 ohm

Current in the circuit I=0.4 A
(ii) Resistances in parallel:
Total resistance in the circuit
R = 50/15 = 10/3 W
Current in the circuit I = 1.8A
Q21. (a) Write Joule's law of heating.
(b) Two lamps, one rated 100 W; 220 V, and the other 60 W; 220 V, are connected in parallel to
electric mains supply. Find the current drawn by two bulbs from the line, if the supply voltage is
220 V. [3M,2018]
Ans 21. (a) Joule's law of heating H = 12Rt When electric current flows through resistance element,
the flowing charges suffer resistance, the work done to overcome resistance is converted to heat
energy.
(b) P1 = 100 W, V1 = 220 V
P2 = 60 W, V2 = 220 V
P = VI
I1 = P1/V1 = 0.45A
I2 = P2/V2 = 0.27A

Q22. (a) List the factors on which the resistance of a conductor in the shape of a wire depends.
(b) Why are metals good conductors of electricity whereas glass is a bad conductor of electricity?
Give reason.
(c) Why are alloys commonly used in electrical heating devices? Give reason. [3M,2018]
Ans 22. (a) Resistance of conductor depends on following factor :
(i) Resistance of conductor is directly proportional to length (I) of the conductor.

(ii) Resistance of conductor is inversely proportional to area of cross-section of

conductor.

(iii) Resistance also depends on a material of conductor

(iv) Resistance and resistivity also depends on temperature.

(b) Metals have more free electrons than glass to carry currents. That's why glass is bad conductor
and metals are good conductors.
(c) Alloys are used rather than pure metals in electrical heating devices, since they have low
electrical conductivity and also low melting point.

Q23. Show how would you join three resistors, each of resistance 9 SO that the equivalent
resistance of the combination is
(i) 13.5
(ii) 6 [3M,2018]
Ans 23. i)

ii)
Q24. What is electrical resistivity of a material? What is its unit? Describe an experiment to study
the factors on which the resistance of a conducting wire depends. [3M,2017]
Ans 24. If I is the length of the conductor, A its area of the cross section and R its total resistance
then,

Where P is a constant of proportionality and is called the electrical resistivity of the material of the
conductor. The SI unit of resistivity is Ohm meter.
Set an electric circuit consisting of a cell, an ammeter, a nichrome wire of length I and a plug key,
as shown in the figure below.

1. Now, plug the key. Note the current in the ammeter.

2. Replace the nichrome wire by another nichrome wire of same thickness but twice the length,
i.e., 2l
Note the ammeter reading.
3. Now replace the wire by a thicker nichrome wire, of the same length l. A thicker wire has a
larger cross-sectional area. Again, note down the current through the circuit.
4. Instead of taking a nichrome wire, connect a copper wire in the circuit. Let the wire be of the
same length and same area of cross-section as that of the first nichrome wire. Note the value of
the current. Notice the difference in the current in all cases.
You can notice resistance gets doubled once length is doubled and halved when area is doubled.

Q25. What is an electric fuse? Why is it used in electric circuits? Should it be placed on a neutral
wire or a live wire? Justify your answer. [3M]
Ans 25. An electric fuse is a safety device which is used to limit the current in an
electric circuit. The use of a fuse safeguards the current and the appliance connected in the
circuit from being damaged.
The fuse wire is always connected in the live wire before the appliance so that as a current in the
circuit exceeds rating of fuse it may melt and break the socket first before the socket reaches the
appliance. Thus no current flows in the appliance.

Q26. Give reasons for the following:

(i) Why are copper and aluminium wires used as connecting wires?
(ii) Why is tungsten used for filament of electric lamps?
(iii) Why is lead-tin alloy used for fuse wires? [3M,2015]
Ans 26. (i) These are good conductors of electricity.
(ii) Very high melting point and high resistivity.
(iii) Low melting point.

Q27. Which is the better way to connect lights and other appliances in domestic
wiring and why? [3M,2017]
Ans 27. (i) Parallel connection is a better way to connect lights and other appliances in domestic
circuits.
It is because
(a) When we connect a number of devices in parallel combination, each device gets the same
potential as provided by the battery and it keeps on working even if other devices stop working.
(b) Parallel connection is helpful when each device has different resistances and requires different
current for its operation as in this case the current divides itself through different devices unlike
series connection.
(ii) Electrician has made series connection of all the lamps in electric circuit of house because of
which if one lamp gets fused, all the other lamps stop working. This is due to the fact that when
devices are connected in series then if one device fails, the circuit gets broken and all the devices
in that circuit stop working.

5 MARKS QUESTIONS
Q28. Derive the expression for the heat produced due to a current 'I' flowing in a time interval 't'
through a resistor 'R' having a potential difference 'V' across it ends. With which name is the
relation known? How much heat will an instrument of 12 W produce in one minute if it is connected
to a battery of 12 V? [5M,2010]
Ans 28. Let us take a resistor of resistance R. Let the current flowing
through this resistor is equal to I and the potential difference across it is equal to V.
Suppose in time t, Q amount of charge flows through the resistor.
Work done in moving this charge,
W = VQ ...(i)
According to the definition of electric current, I= Q/t
Q=I*t
Putting this in equation (i),
W =Vx I x t
This work done is dissipated as heat.
Hence, heat produced, H = W = Vit, H = Vlt ... (ii)
According to Ohm's law, V = IR. Putting this in equation (ii),
H = IR x It, H = I2Rt
This relation is known as Joule's law of heating
Numerical :
Power, P = 12 W
Potential difference, V = 12 volt
Time duration, t = 1 min = 60 s
P = H/t
H = P x t = 12 W × 60 s = 720 J
hle.in
The heat generated by the instrument is 720 J.

Q29. Explain with the help of a labelled circuit diagram how you will find the resistance of a
combination of three resistor, of resistance R1, R2 and R3 joined in parallel. Also mention how you
will connect the ammeter and the voltmeter in the circuit when measuring the current in the circuit
and the potential difference across one of the three resistors of the combination. [3M,2010]
Ans 29. Parallel Combination: Connect the three given resistor R1, R2 and R3 in parallel between
the point XY a with a battery, a plug key and ammeter in series as shown in figure.

Connect voltmeter in parallel with these resistors between the terminals X and Y. Close the key
and note the ammeter and voltmeter reading.
Ammeter shows the total current drawn by the parallel combination of these resistors while
voltmeter shows the voltage applied across the combination. Using
Ohm's law, find the equivalent resistance of the combination, i.e. equivalent
resistance, R = Voltmeter reading/Ammeter reading Thus, in parallel circuit,

To find the current flow through any one of the resistor, ammeter will be connected in series with
that resistor and to measure the potential difference across that resistor, voltmeter must be
connected in parallel with that resistor as shown.

Q30. (a) With the help of a suitable circuit diagram prove that the reciprocal of the equivalent
resistance of a group of resistances joined in parallel is equal to the sum of the reciprocals of the
individual resistances.
(b) In an electric circuit two resistors of 12 each are joined in parallel to a 6 V battery. Find the
current drawn from the battery. [5M,2019]
Ans 30. (a)
Q31. An electric lamp of resistance 20 and a conductor of resistance 4 are connected to a 6 V
battery as shown in the circuit. Calculate : [5M,2019]

(a) the total resistance of the circuit,

(b) the current through the circuit,
(c) the potential difference across the
(i) electric lamp and (ii) conductor, and
(d) power of the lamp.