OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS

1. Cathode rays are produced when the pressure in the discharge tube is of the order of
a. 76 cm of Hg b. 10−6 cm of Hg
c. 1 cm of Hg d. 10−2 - 10−3 mm of Hg

2. The ratio of charge to mass of a proton to an α – particle equals

a. 2 b. ½
c. 4 d. 1/4

3. In Millikan’s oil drop experiment, an oil drop is held stationary by a potential difference of 400 V. If another drop of double
the radius, but carry the same charge is to be held stationary, the potential difference required is
a. 800 V b. 1600 V
c. 3200 V d. 400 V

4. Strong arguments for particle nature of cathode rays is

a. produces fluorescence b. travel through vacuum
c. gets deflected by electric and magnetic field d. to cast shadow

5. An oil drop carrying a charge q has a mass m kg. It is falling freely in air with terminal velocity v. The electric field required
to make the drop move upwards with the same speed is
2𝑚𝑔 𝑚𝑔 𝑚𝑔𝑣 2𝑚𝑔𝑣
a. b. c. d.
𝑞 𝑞 𝑞2 𝑞
 Numerical Problems

1. An electron is accelerated through a p.d. of 2000 V and then it enters a uniform magnetic field of 0.02 Tesla in a direction
perpendicular to it. Find the radius of the path of an electron in the magnetic field. Given mass of an electron (m) = 9.1×10-31 kg,
charge of an electron (e) = 1.6×10-19 C [HSEB 2061,2071] (Ans: 7.53 ×10-3 m)
2. An electron having 500 eV of energy moves at right angle to a uniform magnetic field of flux density of 20 ×10-3 T. Find the
𝑒
radius of its circular orbit. Given, = 1.76×1011 Ckg-1 [T.U. 2041] (Ans: 3.89×10-3 m)
𝑚

3. A beam of electron is injected into an electric field of 103 V/m and a magnetic field of 10 gauss at right angle to each
other and also perpendicular to the direction of the motion of the electron. The beam remains undeviated. What is the
velocity of electron- beam? (Ans: 106 m/s)

4. In a Millikan’s oil drop experiment a charged oil drop of density 880 kg/m3 is held stationary between two parallel plates 6
mm apart held at a potential difference of 103 Volts when the electric field is switched off the drop is observed to fall a
distance of 2 mm in 35.7 sec.
(i) What is the radius of the drop?
(ii) Estimate the charge of the drop. How many excess electron does it carry? Given, upper plate is at a higher potential, g =
9.81 m/s2 ,Viscocity of air = 1.8 × 10-5 Ns /m2 , density of air = 1.29 kg /m3
(Ans: 7.255 × 10-7m , 8.03 × 10-19 C and 5)
5. In a Millikan – type apparatus, the horizontal plates are 1.5 cm apart. With the electric field switched off an oil drop is
observed to fall with the steady velocity 2.5 × 10-2 cms-1 . When the plate is switched on the upper plate being positive, the drop
just remains stationary when the p.d. between the two plates is 1500 V. (a) Calculate the radius of the drop. (b) How many
electronic charges does it carry? (c) If the p.d. between the two plates remains unchanged , with what velocity will the drop
move when it has collected two more electrons as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation? (oil density = 900 kg/ m3 , viscocity
of air = 1.8 × 10-5 Ns /m2 [HSEB 2067] ( Ans: a. 1.5 × 10-6 m b. 8 c. 6.28 m/s )

6. A beam of electron moving with a velocity of 1.0× 107 m /s enters midway between two horizontal parallel plates in a
direction parallel to the plates. The plates are 5 cm long and 2 cm apart. When a p.d. of 89 Volt is applied between the plates,
the beam is deflected so that it just passes the edge of one of the plates. Calculate the specific charge of an electron.
(Ans: 1.8 × 1011 Ckg-1 )

7. Two plane metal plates 4 cm long are held horizontally 3 cm apart in a vacuum, one being vertically above the other. The
upper plate is at a potential of 300 V and the lower is earthed. Electrons having a velocity of 1.0 × 107 ms-1 are injected
horizontally mid way between the plates and in a direction parallel to the 4 cm edge. Calculate the vertical deflection of the
𝑒
electron beam as it emerges from the plates. ( = 1.8×1011 Ckg-1 ) [HSEB 2060, 2068] (Ans: 1.44 ×10-2 m)
𝑚
8. A beam of electron moving with a velocity of 107 m/s, enters midway between two horizontal parallel plates in a direction
parallel to the plates. Each plate is 5 cm. These plates are kept 2 cm apart and a potential difference of 90 V is applied between
them. Calculate the velocity of the electron beam with which it just grazes the edge of the positive and the angle the emergent
𝑒
beam makes with the original directions. ( = 1.8×1011 Ckg-1 ) [HSEB 2070] (Ans: 1.18 ×107 m/s and 21.80 with horizontal)
𝑚
9. An oil drop of mass 3.25× 10-15 kg falls vertically with uniform velocity through air between vertical parallel plates which are
2 cm apart. When a p.d. of 1000 V is applied to the plates, the drop moves towards the negatively charged plate being inclined
at 450 to the vertical. Why the vertical component of its velocity remains unchanged? Calculate the charge on the drop and
no. of electrons attached to it. (Ans: 6.37 × 10-19 C, 4)

10. An electron beam after being accelerated from rest through a p.d. of 5000 V in vacuum is allowed to impinge normally on a
fixed surface. If the incident current is 50 µA. Determine the force exerted on the surface assuming that it brings the electrons
to rest. (e = 1.6× 10-19 C, m = 9.1×10-31 kg) [HSEB 2070] (Ans: 1.2× 10-8 N)

11. An electron with a velocity of 107 ms-1 enters a region of uniform magnetic flux density of 0.10 T, the angle between the
direction of the field and the initial path of the electron being 250 . By resolving the velocity of the electron, find the
(i) radius of the path
(ii) the axial distance travelled between two consecutive turns
𝑒
(iii) the no. of revolutions made per second ( = 1.8×1011 Ckg-1 ) (Ans: 2.35×10-4 m, 3.16×10-3 m and 2.86×109 )
𝑚
 Short Questions

1. Why is a metal piece heated up when cathode rays strike it?

2. What property of cathode rays indicate that they consists of electrons? [HSEB 2068]
3. Why is the sun light not deflected when passes through either electric field or magnetic field?
4. Can we perform Millikan’s experiment with drops of any size? Explain
5. In T.V. usually a magnetic field is used to deflect the electron beam and not an electric field. Why?
6. Why a glowing gas, such as that in a neon tube, gives only certain wavelengths of light? [HSEB 2056]
7. Cathode rays can not be regarded as electromagnetic waves. Why? [HSEB 2060]
8. Why lightning discharge takes place at high altitude but not at low altitude?
9. What is the use of X – rays in Millikan’s oil drop experiment ?
10. Why is clock oil used in Millikan’s experiment? Can we use water in place of clock oil?
11. The electric discharge stops at very low pressure. Why?
12. What is Specific charge? What are the values of specific charge for electron and proton?
13. Why specific charge for positive rays much smaller than that of cathode rays?
14. Why does electric discharge take place at low pressure and high potential difference? [HSEB 2067]
15. Gases are insulators at ordinary pressure and start conducting at low pressure. Why?
𝑒
16. The value of 𝑚 is constant for cathode rays but not for positive rays. Why?
17. Write down expressions of acceleration of a moving charge q in parallel and perpendicular to magnetic field.
18. What are cathode rays? Write their properties.
19. Is the discharge between earth and moon ever possible?