TEN YEARS BOARD PROBLEMS

CBSE 2018

1. Two electric bulbs P and Q have their resistances in the ratio of 1:2. They are connected
in series across a battery. Find the ratio of the power dissipation in these bulbs ? (2)
2. A 10 V cell of negligible internal resistance is connected in parallel across a battery of emf 200 V
and internal resistance 38 as shown in the figure. Find the value of current in the circuit. (2)

OR
In a potentiometer arrangement for determining the emf of a cell, the balance point of
the cell in open circuit is 350 cm. When a resistance of 9 is used in the external circuit of
the cell, the balance point shifts to 300 cm. Determine the internal resistance of the cell. (2)
3. (a) Define the term ‘conductivity’ of a metallic wire. Write its SI unit.
(b) Using the concept of free electrons in a conductor, derive the expression for the conductivity of a
wire in terms of number density and relaxation time. Hence obtain the relation between current
density and the applied electric field E. (3)

CBSE 2017

1. (a) The potential applied across a given resistor is altered so that the heat produced per second
increases by a factor of 9 .By what factor does the applied potential difference changes?
(b) In the figure shown , an ammeter A and a resistor of 4 ohm are connected to the terminals of the
source. The emf of the source is 12 V having an internal resistance of 2 ohm . calculate the ammeter
and voltmeter readings?

2. (i) State the principle of working of a meter bridge.

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 (ii) In a meter bridge balance point is found at a distance with resistances R and S as shown in the
figure. When an unknown resistance X is connected in parallel with the resistance S, the balance point
shifts to a distance l2 . Find the expression for X in terms of l1 , l2 and S.

3. 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.

CBSE 2016
1. Define mobility of a charge carrier. What is its relation with relaxation time?
2. When 5V potential difference is applied across a wire of length 0.1 m , the drift speed of electrons is 2.5
X 10-4 m/s. If the electron density in the wire is 8 X 1028 m-3. Calculate the resistivity of the material of
wire
3. Two identical cells of emf 1.5 V each joined in parallel supply energy to an external circuit consisting of
two resistances of each joined in parallel. Avery high resistance voltmeter reads the terminal voltage
of cell to be 1.4 V. Calculate the internal resistance of each cell.

CBSE 2015
1. V – I graph for a metallic wire at two different temperatures and is as show in the figure. Which of
the two temperatures is higher and why? (Ans: )

2. A variable resistor R is connected across a cell of emf and internal resistance r as shown in the figure.
Draw a plot showing the variation of (i) terminal voltage V and (ii) the current I, as a function of R.

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3. A potential difference V is applied across a conductor of length L and diameter D. How is the drift
velocity, vd, of charge carriers in the conductor affected when (i) V is halved, (ii) L is doubled and (iii) D is
halved ? Justify your answer in each case.

CBSE 2014
1. Estimate the average drift speed of conduction electrons in a copper wire of cross-sectional area
2.5 carrying a current of 1.8 A. Assume the density of conduction electrons to be
9x . (Ans:5 X 10-4 m/s)
2. A cell of emf 'E' and internal resistance 'r' 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.
3. Answer the following :
(a) Why are the connections between the resistors in a meter bridge made of thick copper strips?
(b) Why is it generally preferred to obtain the balance point in the middle of the meter bridge wire?
(c) Which material is used for the meter bridge wire and why?
4. A resistance of R Ω draws current from a potentiometer. The potentiometer has a total resistance R0 Ω
Fig. A voltage V is supplied to the potentiometer. Derive an expression for the voltage across R when the
sliding contact is in the middle of the potentiometer.

CBSE 2013
1. Two identical cells, each of emf E, having negligible internal resistance, are connected in parallel with
each other across an external resistance R. What is the current through this resistances?
2. The graph shown in the figure represents a plot of current versus voltage for a given semiconductor.
Identify the region, if any, over which the semiconductor has a negative resistance.

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3. Explain the term 'drift velocity' of electrons in a conductor. Hence obtain the expression for the current
through a, conductor in terms of 'drift velocity'.

OR
Describe briefly, with the help of a circuit diagram, how a potentiometer is used to determine the
internal resistance of a cell.
4. Define the current sensitivity of a galvanometer. Write its S.I. unit. Figure shows two circuits each
having a galvanometer and a battery of 3 V. When the galvanometers in each arrangement do not
show any deflection, obtain the ratio . (Ans: 3:2)

CBSE 2012
1. Two wires of equal length, one of copper and the other of manganin have the same resistance. Which
of the two is thicker?
2. Calculate the value of the resistance R in the circuit shown in the figure so that the current in the circuit
is 0.2 A. What would be the potential difference between points B and E?

3. Define relaxation time of the free electrons drifting in a conductor. How is it related to the drift velocity
of free electrons? Use this relation to deduce the expression for the electrical resistivity of the material.

CBSE 2011
1. In the meter bridge experiment, balance point was observed at J with AJ = .
(i) The values of R and X were doubled and then interchanged. What would be the new position of
balance point?

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 (ii) If the galvanometer and battery are interchanged at the balance position, how will the balance
point get affected ?

2. In the given circuit, assuming point A to be at zero potential. use Kirchhoff's rules to determine the
potential at point B.

3. Two heating elements of resistance R1 and R2 when operated at a constant supply of voltage, V,
consume powers P1 and P2 respectively. Deduce the expressions for the power of their combination
when they are, in turn, connected in (i) series and (ii) parallel across the same voltage supply.

CBSE 2010
1. Two conducting wire X and Y of same diameter but different materials are joined in series across a
battery. If the number density of electrons in X is twice that in Y, find the ratio of drift velocity of
electrons in the two wires.
2. Write any two factors on which internal resistance of a cell depends. The reading on a high resistance
voltmeter, when a cell is connected across it, is 2.2 V. When the terminals of the cell are also connected
to a resistance of 5 as shown in the circuit, the voltmeter reading drops to 1.8 V. Find the internal
resistance of the cell.

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3. State Kirchhoff's rules. Use these rules to write the expressions for the currents and in the circuit
diagram shown.

CBSE 2009
1. Calculate the current drawn from the battery in the given network.

2. A wire of 15Ω 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.
1. (i) State the principle of working of a meter bridge.
(ii) In a meter bridge balance point is found at a distance with resistances R and S as shown in the
figure.
When an unknown resistance X is connected in parallel with the resistance S, the balance point shifts to
a distance l2 . Find the expression for X in terms of l1 , l2 and S.

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