Physics Class-11

Chapter
11 Electricity
SHORT QUESTION AND ANSWERS
1. What is electricity?
Ans: Electricity is a form of energy caused by the movement of electrons.
2. What is an electric current?
Ans: An electric current is the flow of electric charge through a conductor.
3. What is voltage?
Ans: Voltage is the difference in electric potential between two points. It is the
"push" that causes electrons to flow.
4. What is resistance?
Ans: Resistance is the opposition to the flow of electric current in a conductor.
5. What is Ohm's Law?
Ans: Ohm's Law states that the current through a conductor between two points is
directly proportional to the voltage across the two points, and inversely
proportional to the resistance between them.
6. What is electrical power?
Ans: Electrical power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred or
consumed in a circuit.
7. What are the two main types of electric current?
Ans: The two main types of electric current are direct current (DC) and alternating
current (AC).
8. What is the difference between DC and AC?
Ans: In DC, electrons flow in one direction. In AC, electrons periodically reverse
direction.
9. What is a circuit?
Ans: A circuit is a closed path through which electric current can flow.

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10. What are some common sources of electricity?

Ans: Some common sources of electricity include batteries, generators, and solar
cells.
11. What are some common uses of electricity?
Ans: Electricity is used to power homes, businesses, and transportation. It is also
used in electronics, communication, and manufacturing.
12. What are some safety precautions to take when working with electricity?
Ans: Some safety precautions to take when working with electricity include wearing
insulated gloves and shoes, avoiding contact with water, and not overloading
circuits.
13. What is drift velocity?
Ans: Drift velocity is the average velocity that charged particles, like electrons, attain
in a material due to an electric field.
14. Why do electrons have a drift velocity?
Ans: In a conductor, electrons move randomly. When an electric field is applied, they
are nudged in a specific direction, resulting in a net drift velocity.
15. Is drift velocity high or low?
Ans: Drift velocity is surprisingly low, on the order of millimeters per second.
16. What is the relationship between drift velocity and current?
Ans: The electric current in a conductor is directly proportional to the drift velocity
of the charge carriers.
17. What factors affect drift velocity?
Ans: Drift velocity is affected by the strength of the electric field, the material's
properties (like temperature and conductivity), and the charge of the particles.
18. What is electric potential?
Ans: Electric potential is the amount of work needed to move a unit positive charge
from a reference point (often infinity) to a specific point in an electric field.
19. What is the unit of electric potential?
Ans: The unit of electric potential is the volt (V).

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20. What is the difference between electric potential and potential difference?
Ans: Electric potential refers to the potential at a specific point. Potential difference
refers to the difference in potential between two points.
21. How is electric potential related to electric field?
Ans: The electric field is the negative gradient of the electric potential. This means
that the electric field points in the direction of decreasing potential.
22. What is the electric potential due to a point charge?
Ans: The electric potential due to a point charge is given by the equation:
V = kQ/r
where:
 V is the electric potential
 k is Coulomb's constant
 Q is the charge
 r is the distance from the charge
23. What is the principle of superposition for electric potentials?
Ans: The electric potential due to multiple charges is the algebraic sum of the
potentials due to each individual charge.
24. What is an equipotential surface?
Ans: An equipotential surface is a surface on which the electric potential is constant.
No work is required to move a charge along an equipotential surface.
25. What is EMF?
Ans: EMF is the potential difference across a source (like a battery or generator)
when no current is flowing. It's the "driving force" that pushes charges in a
circuit.
26. Is EMF a force?
Ans: No, despite the name, it's not a force. It's measured in volts, the same unit as
electric potential.
27. What's the difference between EMF and voltage?
Ans: EMF is the maximum potential difference a source can provide. Voltage is the
potential difference across any two points in a circuit, which can vary.

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28. Where does EMF come from?

Ans: It comes from the source's ability to do work on charges, often through
chemical reactions (batteries) or changing magnetic fields (generators).
29. When is power output maximized?
Ans: A source delivers maximum power to a load when the load resistance equals
the source's internal resistance.
30. Why is this the case?
Ans: It's a balance. If the load resistance is too low, current is high, but voltage across
the load is low. If it's too high, voltage is high, but current is low. The maximum
power point is in between.
31. What's the formula for maximum power output?
Ans: P_max = E^2 / (4r), where E is the EMF and r is the internal resistance.
32. Why is internal resistance important?
Ans: Every source has some internal resistance. It affects how much current can be
drawn and how much power can be delivered.
33. What happens to the resistance of most metals as temperature increases?
Ans: The resistance increases.
34. Why does this happen?
Ans: Higher temperatures mean more vibrations of the atoms in the metal. These
vibrations make it harder for electrons to flow, increasing resistance.
35. What is the temperature coefficient of resistance?
Ans: It's a measure of how much a material's resistance changes for each degree
Celsius change in temperature.
36. Is the change in resistance always linear with temperature?
Ans: For many materials, over a reasonable temperature range, it's approximately
linear.
37. What about semiconductors? How does their resistance change with
temperature?
Ans: Their resistance generally decreases as temperature increases, because higher
temperatures liberate more charge carriers.

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38. Are there materials with almost no change in resistance with temperature?
Ans: Yes, certain alloys like constantan are designed to have very low temperature
coefficients of resistance.
39. What is an LDR?
Ans: An LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) is a component whose resistance changes
depending on how much light shines on it.
40. How does an LDR work?
Ans: When light shines on an LDR, its resistance decreases. The more light, the lower
the resistance. In the dark, its resistance is very high.
41. What are LDRs made of?
Ans: They are typically made of semiconductor materials like cadmium sulfide.
42. What are some uses for LDRs?
Ans:  Automatic streetlights: Turning on when it gets dark.
 Camera light meters: Measuring light intensity.
 Security systems: Detecting changes in light levels.
 Alarm circuits: Triggering an alarm when light changes.
43. What are some advantages of LDRs?
Ans:  Simple and inexpensive
 Easy to use in circuits
44. What are some disadvantages of LDRs?
Ans:  Slow response time to changes in light
 Not very accurate
 Can be affected by temperature changes
45. What is electric power?
Ans: It's the rate at which electrical energy is transferred or used. Think of it as how
quickly energy is being consumed or delivered.
46. What's the unit of power?
Ans: The watt (W). One watt means one joule of energy is used per second.

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47. How is power calculated?

Ans: Power (P) = Voltage (V) x Current (I). It can also be calculated as P = I²R (using
Ohm's Law).
48. What are some examples of power in action?
Ans: A light bulb's wattage rating tells you how much power it uses. A 100W bulb
uses more energy per second than a 60W bulb.
49. What is electric energy?
Ans: It's the capacity to do work, transferred by electric charges.
What's the unit of energy? The joule (J).
50. How is energy related to power?
Ans: Energy (E) = Power (P) x Time (t). If you know the power and how long it's used,
you can calculate the total energy consumed.
51. What's a common way to measure electric energy at home?
Ans: Kilowatt-hours (kWh). This is what your electricity bill is based on. 1 kWh means
you've used 1000 watts of power for 1 hour.
52. What is the null method of measurement?
Ans: It's a technique where you measure a quantity by balancing it against a known
quantity of the same type, until the difference between them is zero. You're
essentially looking for a "null" or zero reading on a measuring instrument.
53. Why is it called a "null" method?
Ans: Because the measurement is based on finding a point where the indicating
device (like a galvanometer) shows no deflection or a zero reading, indicating a
balance.
54. What are some examples of null methods?
Ans: Wheatstone bridge: Used to precisely measure an unknown resistance by
balancing it against known resistances.
Potentiometer: Used to accurately measure an unknown voltage by balancing
it against a known voltage.

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55. Why are null methods more accurate?

Ans: Because you're not directly reading a value off a scale, which can have
limitations. Instead, you're comparing two quantities and finding a point of
balance, which can be done with higher precision.
56. How does a Wheatstone bridge work?
Ans: It has four resistors in a bridge configuration. One is the unknown resistance.
You adjust the other known resistances until a galvanometer connected
between two points in the bridge shows no current. At that point, the ratio of
the resistances allows you to calculate the unknown.
57. What's the advantage of a potentiometer?
Ans: It can measure a voltage without drawing any current from the source you're
measuring, making it more accurate for sensitive circuits.
58. Are there any limitations to null methods?
Ans: Yes, they can be more time-consuming than direct measurements. Also, factors
like resistance in wires and connections can still introduce some errors.
59. What is a thermistor?
Ans: A thermistor is a type of resistor whose resistance changes significantly with
temperature.
60. How does a thermistor work?
Ans: Thermistors are made of semiconductor materials. As the temperature
changes, the number of charge carriers (electrons or holes) in the
semiconductor changes, which drastically affects its resistance.
61. What are the two main types of thermistors?
Ans: NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient): Resistance decreases as
temperature increases. These are the most common type.
PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient): Resistance increases as temperature
increases.

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62. What are some uses for thermistors?

Ans: Temperature sensing: In thermostats, digital thermometers, and industrial
control systems.
Temperature compensation: In circuits to counteract the effects of
temperature changes on other components.
Overcurrent protection: PTC thermistors can be used as fuses – their resistance
increases sharply when current exceeds a certain level, limiting the current
flow.
63. What are some advantages of thermistors?
Ans:  High sensitivity to temperature changes.
 Relatively low cost.
64. What are some disadvantages of thermistors?
Ans:  Non-linear resistance-temperature relationship (although this can be
compensated for in circuits).
 Limited temperature range compared to some other temperature sensors.
 Can be self-heating if too much current flows through them.
65. What is the relationship between resistance and temperature for an NTC
thermistor?
Ans: The relationship is not linear, but often approximated by an exponential
function. As temperature goes up, resistance goes down following a curve.
66. What is the relationship between resistance and temperature for a PTC
thermistor?
Ans: For a PTC thermistor, resistance increases with temperature. The change is
often small until a certain threshold temperature is reached, after which the
resistance increases rapidly.
67. What are carbon fibers?
Ans:  Carbon fibers are strong, lightweight materials made of very thin fibers of
carbon.
 They are known for their high tensile strength (resistance to being pulled
apart) and stiffness.

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68. Why are carbon fibers used in concrete bridges?

Ans: They're used to reinforce concrete, improving its strength and durability.
This allows for longer spans, heavier loads, and a longer lifespan for the bridge.
69. How are carbon fibers incorporated into concrete?
Ans:  As fibers: They can be mixed directly into the concrete mix, creating a more
homogenous reinforced material.
 As pre-formed sheets or grids: These can be placed within the concrete
structure during construction or bonded to the surface of existing concrete.
70. What are the benefits of using carbon fibers in bridges?
Ans: Increased strength and stiffness: Allows for longer spans and heavier loads.
Improved durability: Resistant to corrosion, unlike steel reinforcement,
leading to a longer lifespan, especially in harsh environments.
Reduced weight: Carbon fiber reinforcement can be lighter than steel, which
can be beneficial in certain bridge designs.
Reduced maintenance: Due to increased durability, bridges with carbon fiber
reinforcement require less maintenance over time.
71. What are the challenges of using carbon fibers in bridges?
Ans: Cost: Carbon fibers are generally more expensive than traditional steel
reinforcement.
Bonding: Ensuring a good bond between the carbon fiber reinforcement and
the concrete can be crucial.
Long-term behavior: While generally durable, the long-term behavior of
carbon fiber reinforced concrete in various environmental conditions is still
being studied.
72. Are carbon fibers replacing steel reinforcement entirely?
Ans: Not yet. While carbon fibers offer advantages, their higher cost often makes
them a choice for specific applications where the benefits outweigh the cost.
Steel reinforcement is still widely used.
73. What are some examples of where carbon fibers are particularly useful in
bridges?
Ans:  Strengthening existing bridges: They can be used to repair or upgrade
older bridges to handle increased traffic loads.

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 Construction of long-span bridges: Their high strength-to-weight ratio

makes them suitable for long spans.
 Bridges in harsh environments: Their corrosion resistance is valuable in
coastal areas or where de-icing salts are used.

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