Engineering Physics

(Based on SASTRA UNIVERSITY syllabus)

Question Bank

(First Edition)

- CONNECT SASTRA TEAM

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 UNIT - I
LASERS AND OPTICAL DEVICES
Part – 1 (LASERS)

PART A
1. What is LASER?
2. What are the important characteristics of a Laser beam?
3. Why are Lasers monochromatic?
4. What are photons?
5. Why Lasers exhibits coherence?
6. Why the path of Laser light is not visible?
7. Why Laser action is not possible in visible region?
8. Differentiate between ordinary light and Laser light.
9. What is the basis for absorption, spontaneous and stimulated emission?
10. Define Life time of an atom?
11. What is meta-stable state in Laser?
12. What is MASER?
13. What is the principle behind lasing action?
14. Define the terms :
a. Active medium
b. Active centre
15. What is meant by Population Inversion?
16. What is the role of Optical Resonators in the construction of a Laser?
17. What is meant by pumping?
18. What are the types of pumping?
19. What are the essential conditions for “inelastic atom-atom collision”?
20. How are Lasers classified based on Active medium of Laser?
21. What are Direct and Indirect Band Gap Semiconductors?
22. Differentiate between Direct and Indirect Band Gap Semiconductors.
23. Give two examples each for semiconductor and dye lasers.
24. List out the properties of Nd-YAG/CO2 /Semiconductor laser ?
25. What is the role of Nd3+ ions and YAG material in Nd : YAG laser?
26. What is the role of the elliptically cylindrical cavity in Nd-YAG Laser?
27. What is the role of NO2 and He gases in CO2 laser?
28. What is the difference between Homo-junction and Hetero*junction Semiconductor Laser?
29. What are the different modes of vibration of CO2 molecule?
30. Why H2 , N2 and O2 do not exhibit molecular spectra.
31. Why is CO2 laser called TEA Laser (or) What is TEA Laser?
32. What are the application of Lasers in the field of Medicine.
33. What is LDV?
34. What is the advantage of using Lasers for welding and cutting?
35. Role of Laser in Computer Peripherals.
36. How pop. Inversion is achieved in GaAs Laser?
37. Why the “pit ” is not created during the reading process of compact disk?
38. What is meant by 3D-Profiling?

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39. What is meant by holography?
40. What are the conditions for obtaining a good hologram.
41. What is the essential condition for reconstruction of a hologram.
42. Difference between 2D and 3D imaging/images.
43. Why same wavelength source should be used for construction and reconstruction of
hologram?
44. A Transition between the Energy levels E2 and E1 produces a light of wavelength 632.8 nm.
Calculate the energy of the emitted photon.
45. A laser beam emits an output power of 5mW. It emits light of λ= 6328 Å. Calculate the
number of photons emitted in one hour.
46. Calculate the efficiency of a laser if it produces an O/P power of 5mW and it is operated with
a current of 10mA at 3kV.

PART – B

1. Explain the construction and working of Nd-YAG laser with a suitable diagram.
2. Explain the construction and working of CO2 laser with an neat diagram.
3. Explain the construction and working of Semiconductor laser with a neat diagram.
4. Differentiate between holography and photography.
5. Explain the construction and reconstruction of a hologram with suitable diagrams.

Part – 2 (OPTICAL DEVICES)

PART A
1. What is a lens?
2. How are lenses classified based on the curvature between the two surfaces?
3. Explain the principle of refraction.
4. Define the following
a. Principal axis
b. Vertical axis
c. Focal point
d. Focal length
5. Explain the condition for microscopic action in lens.
6. What is the difference between optical and electron microscope.
7. Explain the focal point for an electromagnetic and electrostatic lens?
8. What are the role of objective lens, condensing lens and eyepiece in a microscope?
9. What is the basic principle behind the operation of metallurgical microscopes?
10. What are the applications of metallurgical microscope?
11. What is meant by Total Visual Magnification?
12. Give a method of increasing the TVM (tot. visual mag. ) value of a microscope?
13. For the magnification greater than 1000-X ,why the objective lens is placed in cedar oil in an
optical microscope.
14. What is the basic principle behind electron microscope?
15. Derive the expression for wavelength of an electron in terms of eV- electron volts (or)
momentum.
16. What is meant by resolving power?
17. Differentiate between Electron microscope and SEM.

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18. Differentiate between SEM and TEM.
19. What is the role of Scanning coil in SEM.
20. What is the role of Everhart Thornly Detector in SEM?
21. Explain the working of ETD in SEM.
22. What is the role of scan generator in SEM.
23. What are the different types of electrons emitted from phosphorous plate when an electron
beam strikes it?
24. What are the uses of Unscattered beam, elastically and in-elastically scattered beam in TEM.
25. Differentiate between AFM and STM.
26. What are the different modes of operation of AFM.
27. Which modulation technique is most commonly used in AFMs? Why?
28. What are the different modes of operation of STM.
29. Why Scanning speed of AFMs is less compared to SEM.
30. Draw “current – distance (X)” graph for constant height and constant current mode.
31. Explain about thermionic emission of electron gun.
32. Types of imaging techniques in AFMs.
33. What is meant by Tunnel Current.
34. What is the need for Cantilever arrangement and piezo-electric crystal in AFMs and STMs.

PART B
1. Explain the principle, construction and working of Electron microscope.
2. With a neat diagram explain the working of TEM.
3.
a. Draw and explain about the construction and working of Metallurgical Microscope.
b. Higher resolving power can be obtained by using electrons as a source due to its
shorter wavelength nature, but according to Abbe’s equation resolving power
increases with increase in wavelength. Explain about the relation between resolving
power and wavelength by satisfying above mentioned conditions.
4. Compare and contrast electron and optical microscope with neat sketch.
5. Explain the construction and working of SEM.
6. Explain the construction and working of STM.

UNIT – II
Quantum Physics
PART A

1. List some reasons for breakdown of classical physics?

2. What is the difference between Classical and Quantum Physics?
3. State and explain:
a. Vian’s Displacement Law
b. Rayleigh Jeans Law
c. Stephen Boltzmann Law
4. Explain the breakdown of classical physics based on
a. Spectrum of Hydrogen
b. Structure of an atom i.e., Rutherford’s model.

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 c. Black Body radiations
5. What is a black body.
6. Draw the energy vs wavelength curve with respect to temperature for a black body.
7. List 4 postulates of Plank’s Quantum Theory.
8. Derive and explain Rayleigh Jeans law based on Plank’s Quantum Theory.
9. Derive and explain Vian’s Displacement based on Plank’s Quantum Theory.
10. List few advantages of Plank’s Quantum Theory.
11. What are matter waves?
12. Differentiate between matter waves and Electro magnetic waves.
13. Derive de Broglie equations for λ in terms of any of the above :
a. Momentum
b. Kinetic Energy (K.E)
c. Accelerating Potential (eV)
14. What is Wave number?
15. What is a Wave Pocket?
16. What is group velocity and phase velocity?
17. List the properties of matter waves.
18. Show that the wave velocity of matter waves is greater than velocity of light.
19. State Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle.
20. What is Wave function?
21. Give a brief description of Schrödinger wave equations.
22. Give Schrödinger time-independent equation for a free particle/moving particle.
23. Give the expressions for Schrödinger time-dependent and time-independent equation.
24. What is meant by Eigen functions and Eigen values?
25. List the physical significance of wave function Ψ.
26. What is meant by Quantum mechanical tunnelling.
27. What is meant by PB theory?
28. What is meant by photon? Give any two properties.
29. What is meant by degenerate state? Give example.
30. Calculate the minimum energy, an electron can possess in an infinitely deep potential well of
width 4nm.
31. Mention any two importance of de Broglie λ.
32. Calculate the lowest energy of the system consisting of three electrons in a one dimensional
potential well of length 1 nm.
33. Calculate the λ associated with thermal neutron of energy 0.045 eV.
(Mass of Neutron= 1.675 x 10-27 kg)
34. How to estimate the number of electrons that had undergone tunnelling effect.
35. Find the energy of neutron in units of eV whose de-Broglie wavelength is 1 Å. Given the
mass of neutron = 1.674 x 10-27 kg.

PART B

1. (Important) Derive Schrödinger’s time dependent and time independent wave equation.
2. Explain in detail matter waves ,its equations ( de – Broglie wave equations ) and its
properties.
3. Explain in detail :
a. Davisson and Germer Experiment.
b. G.P. Thompson Experiment.
4. Based on quantum concepts show that the energy levels of electrons are discrete.

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5. Derive an expression for a free particle enclosed in a one dimensional potential well of
length “a” with infinite potential barriers using Schrödinger’s equation and get the
normalised wave function for the free particle.

UNIT III
PART - 1 : SEMICONDUCTORS

PART A
1. What are semiconductors?
2. What is meant by electrical conductivity?
3. What is meant by Thermal Conductivity?
4. What are phonons?
5. State Ohm’s law for macroscopic and microscopic particle.
6. Define the following terminologies :
a. Current
b. Resistance
c. Resistivity
d. Conductance
e. Conductivity
f. Current density
g. Electric field
h. Drift Velocity
i. Mobility of Charge Carriers
j. Mean Free path
k. Relaxation Time
l. Collision time
7. Derive a relation between current density (J) and Drift Velocity (Vd).
8. Derive a relation between Electrical conductivity (σ) and mobility(μ).
9. State Wiedemann Franz Law.
10. How are Semiconductors classified? Give the types and examples.
11. Differentiate direct and indirect band gap semiconductors
12. Differentiate p-type and n-type semiconductors.
13. Differentiate Intrinsic and Extrinsic semiconductors.
14. What is meant by Fermi energy level?
15. What is meant by carrier concentration?
16. What is meant by density of Energy state?
17. What is meant by Fermi function?
18. State law of mass action.
19. What is hall effect?
20. What is meant by Hall Voltage?
21. Explain the significance of Hall Coefficient (Rz )?
22. What is meant by Hall angle?
23. What are the advantages of Hall Effect?
24. Derive an expression for Hall voltage.
25. What are the two laws on which Hall effect is dependent?
26. Derive a relation between mobility and Hall coefficient.

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27. List out the advantages of semiconducting materials.
28. For intrinsic germanium at 300 K, ni = 2.4 x 1019 /m3 . μe and μn are 0.39 m2 v-1 s-1 and
0.19 m2 v-1 s-1 respectively. Calculate the conductivity.
29. Differentiate conductors and semiconductors based on band theory in solids.
30. Enumerate the advantages of free electron theory.

PART B

1. Derive an expression for electrical and Thermal Conductivity of conducting materials.

2. State and prove Wiedemann Franz Law.
3. Derive an expression for carrier concentration of an intrinsic semiconductor.
4. Derive an expression for carrier concentration of a P-type semiconductor.
5. Derive an expression for carrier concentration of a N-type semiconductor.
6. Derive an expression for Fermi energy level for :
a. P type semiconductor at 0 K.
b. N type semiconductor at 0 K.
c. Intrinsic Semiconductor .
7. What is Hall effect? Describe an experimental setup for measurement of n, σ and μ of a
conductor.

Part - 2 : NANOMATERIALS

PART A
1. What are nanomaterials?
2. What are 0D, 1D , 2D and 3D nanomaterials?
3. Give examples for 0D and 1D nanomaterials.
4. Give examples for 2 D and 3D nanomaterials.
5. Give any two properties of nanomaterials.
6. Why do nanomaterials have low melting and boiling points?
7. What are the different methods of preparation of nanomaterials?
8. What is Top-down Process? Give examples.
9. What is Bottom up process? Give examples.
10. What is the range of particle size in nano-structured materials? What is the effect of grain
size on grain boundaries?
11. What is the advantage of CVD method over other methods of synthesis of nanomaterials.
12. Explain about the magnetic properties of nanomaterials.
13. What are the drawbacks of Ball Milling method?
14. List the advantages of Laser Ablation method.
15. What is the use of trap in Laser Ablation method?
16. Explain the synthesis of nanomaterials by arc discharge method.
17. Explain the process of electro-deposition .
18. What are smart materials?
19. How are smart materials classified?
20. Define the following:
a. Ferro-electric materials.
b. Pyro-electric materials.
c. Piezo-electric materials.

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 d. Optho – electric materials
21. What is “ker effect”?
22. What are shape memory alloys? Give some examples.
23. What are the two different phases of SMA. Give a neat sketch of it.
24. Differentiate Martensite and Austenite phase in SMA.
25. What are the types of SMA?
26. What is meant by hysteresis?
27. What is meant by shape memory effect?
28. What is pseudo-elasticity?
29. Mention any two applications of SMA.
30. Mention any two advantages of SMA.

PART B

1. (Important) Explain various characteristics of shape memory alloys.

2. (Important) Explain the method for nano synthesis which can produce 99% purity. (Hint :
CVD )
3. Explain the synthesis of nano particles, thin and thick films and nano slabs by the method of
Sol Gel (Sol gel Process).

UNIT IV
SPECTROSCOPY

PART A
1. What is a spectrum?
2. Define the term spectroscopy?
3. What are the different types of spectrum observed?
4. Differentiate emission and absorption spectra?
5. What is meant by resonance spectra? Give an example .
6. What is meant by line spectra and band spectra?
7. What is meant by continuous and discontinuous spectra?
8. What are the different methods of production of spectrum?
9. Draw the intensity vs frequency (or) wave number graph for emission and absorption
spectra.
10. Explain the nature of EMR.
11. Define the following based on EMR concepts :
a. Wavelength
b. Frequency
c. Velocity
d. Wave number
e. Radiant Power

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 f. Refractive Index
12. What are Meta materials?
13. What are meant by atomic energy levels?
14. What are meant by molecular energy levels?
15. What are meant by vibrational energy levels?
16. Derive a relation between Wave-number, Velocity, Wavelength and Frequency.
17. How is Infrared Region of EMR classified? Mention the wavelength of these classifications.
18. Why is the vibrational energy of a molecule related to IR spectroscopy?
19. What is the selection rule for the following?
a. Atomic energy levels
b. Vibrational Energy levels
c. Molecular energy levels
20. What is meant by Zero point energy?
21. What are the different modes of vibration of an atom/molecule ?
22. What is meant by IR active and IR inactive molecules?
23. What is meant by Vibrational coarse structure and rotational fine structure of electronic
vibration transition.
24. To which regions of EMR is the electronic spectra of a molecule is related?
25. What is meant by fluorescence?
26. What is meant by phosphorescence?
27. What is meant by FRANCK CONDON Principle?
28. What is Raman Effect?
29. What are strokes and anti-strokes lines?
30. What is meant by Rayleigh’s scattering?
31. What is meant by Raman Scattering?
32. What are Raman Active and Raman Inactive molecules?
33. List out the characteristics of Raman Lines.
34. Distinguish between Raman spectra and fluorescence spectra.
35. Why is the intensity of strokes line greater than that of strokes line?
36. Explain the concept of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
37. Explain the concept of Electron spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy
38. Differentiate between NMR and ESR spectroscopy.
39. What is meant by continuous X-Ray spectra and characteristic X-Ray spectra?
40. What is meant by Bon Open Hyper approximation?
41. What is meant by splitting factor?
42. Give any two applications of UV spectroscopy.
43. Name the sources used in IR spectroscopy.
44. Write any two regions in Electromagnetic spectra along with the energy changes caused by
the radiation.
45. Write the basic requirements of radiation source in absorption spectro-photometry.
46. Write the important characteristics of a detector.
47. Name the common laser used in Raman Spectroscopy.
48. What is the use of Chopper in Double beam IR spectroscopy?
49. What is meant by IR insulation?
50. What is the difference between a monochromater and a filter.
51. What are the basic conditions for a cell? What is it used for?
52. Why should all the instruments be made of KBr in IR spectroscopy and Quartz or Fused Silica
in UV-Visible spectroscopy?

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 PART B

1. Explain Nuclear spin behaviour and Electron spin Behaviour.

2. (Important) Explain with a neat diagram the double beam (split beam) instruments in UV
visible spectro-photometry.
3. Explain with a neat diagram the double beam(split beam) instruments used in Infrared
spectro-photometry.
4. Describe Raman Effect. Discuss how Raman Effect is used in the study of molecular
structure.

FOR ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS REFER THE EXERCISES PRESENT AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER IN
TEXTBOOK..

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