CHAPTER 3 CURRENT ELECTRICITY

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Consider a current carrying wire current I in the shape of a circle. Note that
as the current progresses along the wire, the direction of j (current density)
changes in an exact manner, while die current/remain unaffected. The
agent that is essentially responsible for is
(a) source of emf.
(b) electric field produced by charges accumulated on the surface of wire.
(c) the charges just behind a given segment of wire which push them just
the right way by repulsion.
(d) the charges ahead.
2. Two batteries of ε1 and ε2 (ε2 > ε1) and internal resistance r 1 and
r2 respectively are connected in parallel as shown in figure.

(a ) The equivalent emf ε eq of the two cells is between ε 1 and ε2 i.e. ε1 <
εeq < ε2.
(b) The equivalent emf ε eq is smaller than ε1.
(c) The equivalent is given by εeq= ε1 + ε2 always.
(d) zero is independent of internal resistances r 1 and r2.
3. A resistance R is to be measured using a meter bridge. Student chooses the
standard resistance S to be 100 Ω He finds the null point at l1 = 2.9 cm. He is
told to attempt to improve the accuracy. Which of the following is a useful
way?
(a) He should measure l1 more accurately.
(b) He should change Sto 1000 Ω and repeat the experiment.
(c) He should change S to 3 Ω and repeat the experiment.
(d) He should give up hope of a more accurate measurement with a meter
bridge.
4. Consider a simple circuit shown in figure stands for a variable resistance R’.
R’ can vary from R0 to infinity, r is internal resistance of the battery (r << R
<< R0).

(a) Potential drop across AB is not constant as R0 is varied.

(b Current through R0 is nearly a constant as R0 is varied.
(c) Current I depends sensitively on R0.
(d) always.
5. In a meter bridge, the point D is a neutral point (figure).

(a) The meter bridge can have other neutral point for this set of resistances.
(b) When the jockey contacts a point on meter wire left of D, current flows
to B from the wire.
(c) When the jockey contacts a point on the meter wire to the right of D,
current flows from B to the wire through galvanometer.
(d) When R is increased, the neutral point shifts to left.
6. Which of the following is wrong? Resistivity of a conductor is
(a) independent of temperature.
(b) inversely proportional to temperature.
 (c) independent of dimensions of conductor.
(d) less than resistivity of a semiconductor.
7. Drift velocity vd varies with the intensity of electric field as per the relation
(a) vd ∝ E
(b) vd ∝
(c) vd = constant
(d) vd ∝ E²
8. For a cell, the graph between the potential difference (V) across the
terminals of the cell and the current (I) drawn from the cell is shown in the
figure.

The e.m.f. and the internal resistance of the cell are

(a) 2V, 0.5 Ω
(b) 2V, 0.4 Ω
(c) > 2V, 0.5 Ω
(d) > 2V, 0.4 Ω
9. A Daniel cell is balanced on 125 cm length of a potentiometer wire. Now
the cell is short-circuited by a resistance 2 ohm and the balance is obtained
at 100 cm. The internal resistance of the Daniel cell is
(a) 0.5 ohm
(b) 1.5 ohm
(c) 1.25 ohm
(d) 4/5 ohm
10.When there is an electric current through a conducting wire along its
length, then an electric field must exist
(a) outside the wire but normal to it.
(b) outside the wire but parallel to it.
(c) inside the wire but parallel to it.
(d) inside the wire but normal to it.
11.Three resistors each of 2 ohm are connected together in a triangular shape.
The resistance between any two vertices will be
 (a) 4/3 ohm
(b) 3/4 ohm
(c) 3 ohm
(d) 6 ohm
12.From the graph between current I and voltage V shown below, identify the
portion corresponding to negative resistance

(a) AB
(b) BC
(c) CD
(d) DE
13.A battery consists of a variable number V of identical cells having internal
resistances connected in series. The terminals of battery are short circuited
and the current i is measured. Which of the graph below shows the
relationship between i and n?
14.A charge is moving across a junction, then
(a) momentum will be conserved.
(b) momentum will not be conserved.
(c) at some places momenturii will be conserved and at some other places
momentum will not be conserved.
(d) none of these.
15.Which of the following I-V graph represents ohmic conductors?

16.The I-V characteristics shown in figure represents

(a) ohmic conductors

(b) non-ohmic conductors
(c) insulators
(d) superconductors
17.Which of the following is correct for V-I graph of a good conductor?

18.The resistivity of alloy manganin is

(a) Nearly independent of temperature
(b) Increases rapidly with increase in temperature
(c) Decreases with increase in temperature
(d) Increases rapidly with decrease in temperature
19.An electric heater is connected to the voltage supply. After few seconds,
current gets its steady value then its initial current will be
(a) equal to its steady current
(b) slightly higher than its steady current
(c) slightly less than its steady current
(d) zero
20.In the series combination of two or more than two resistances
(a) the current through each resistance is same.
(b) the voltage through each resistance is same.
(c) neither current nor voltage through each re-sistance is same.
(d) both current and voltage through each resis¬tance are same.
21.Combine three resistors 5 Q, 4.5 Q and 3 Q in such a way that the total
resistance of this combination is maximum
(a) 12.5 Q
(b) 13.5 Q
(c) 14.5 Q
(d) 16.5 Q
22.A cell having an emf E and internal resistance r is connected across a
variable external resistance R. As the resistance R is increased, the plot of
 potential difference V across R is given by

23.In parallel combination of n cells, we obtain

(a) more voltage
(b) more current
(c) less voltage
(d) less current
24.If n cells each of emf e and internal resistance r are connected in parallel,
then the total emf and internal resistance will be

25.In a Wheatstone bridge if the battery and galvanometer are interchanged

then the deflection in galvanometer will
(a) change in previous direction
(b) not change
(c) change in opposite direction
(d) none of these.
26.When a metal conductor connected to left gap of a meter bridge is heated,
the balancing point
(a) shifts towards right
(b) shifts towards left
(c) remains unchanged
(d) remains at zero

27.THere are n similar conductors each of resistance R. The resultant

resistance comes out to be x when connected in parallel. If they are
connected in series, the resistance comes out to be ________ .
28.In the circuit shown, potential difference between X and Y is ________ and
across 40 Ω is ________ .

29.The figure below shows currents in a part of electric circuit. The current i is
________ .

FILL IN THE BLANKS

30.A wire is stretched so as to change its length by 0.1%, the percentage
increase in its resistance will be _______ .
31.The current in the given circuit will be ________ .

32.A cell of emf E is connected with an external resistance R, then p.d. across
cell is V. The internal resistance of cell will be ________ .
33.The figure shows a network of current and the magnitude of current. The
current I will be ________ .

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

34.When electrons drift in a metal from lower to higher potential, does it

mean that all the free electrons of the metal are moving in the same
direction?
35.A steady current flows in a metallic conductor of non-uniform cross-section.
Which of these quantities is constant along the conductor: current, current
density, drift speed and electric field?
36.The electron drift arises due to the force experienced by electrons in the
electric field inside the conductor. But force should cause acceleration.
Why then do the electrons acquire a steady average drift speed?
37.The electron drift speed is estimated to be only a few mm s-1 for currents in
the range of a few amperes? How then is current established almost the
instant a circuit is closed?
38.Is there a net field inside the cell when the circuit is closed and a steady
current passes through? Explain.
39.Plot a graph showing the variation of resistance of a conducting wire as a
function of its radius, keeping the length of the wire and its temperature as
constant. [Foreign 2013]
40.V-I graph for a metallic wire at two different temperatures T1 and T2 is as
shown in the figure. Which of the two temperatures is higher and why?
41.The emf of a cell is always greater than its terminal voltage. Why? Give
reason.
42.You are given three constantan wires P, Q and R of length and area of cross-
section (L, A), (2L, ), ( 2A) respectively. Which has highest resistance?
43.Two wires of equal length, one of copper and the other of manganin have
the same resistance. Which wire is thicker?
44. Nichrome and copper wires of same length and same radius are connected
in series. Current/is passed through them. Which wire gets heated up
more? Justify your answer.
45.State the condition for maximum current to be drawn from a cell.
46.State the condition under which the terminal potential difference across a
battery and its emf are equal.
47.A car battery is of 12 V. Eight dry cells of 1.5 V connected in series also give
12 V, but such a combination is not used to start a car. Why?
48.Graph showing the variation of current versus voltage for a material GaAs is
shown in the figure. Identify the region of

(i) negative resistance,

(ii) where Ohm’s law is obeyed.
49.Define the term ‘electrical conductivity’ of a metallic wire. Write its SI unit.
50.Give an example of a material each for which temperature coefficient of
resistivity is
(i) positive and
(ii) negative.
51.Show variation of resistivity of copper as a function of temperature in a
graph.
52.Two identical cells, each of emf E, having negligible internal resistance r, are
connected in parallel with each other across an external resistance R. What
is the current through this resistance?
53.The plot of the variation of potential difference across a combination of
three identical cells in series, versus current is as shown here. What is the
 emf of each cell?

54.Why resistance becomes more in series combination?

55.Why resistance becomes less in parallel combination?
56.Two similar wires of same length and same area of cross-section but of
different material, having resistivity p1, and p2 are connected end to end
(in series). Calculate the effective resistivity of their combination.
57.Two similar wires of same length and same area of cross-section but of
different material having resistivity p1 and p2 are connected side by side
i.e. in parallel. Calculate the effective resistivity of their combination.
58.In an experiment on meter bridge, if the balancing length AC is x, what
would be its value, when the radius of the meter bridge wire AB is doubled?
Justify your answer.
59.A cell of negligible internal resistance is connected in series to the wire of a
potentiometer. If potentiometer wire is changed and in its place another
wire of different material having diameter twice of the first wire is used
keeping the length constant, then how the balance point will change?
60.How can we increase the sensitivity of a potentiometer?
61.Why is the potentiometer preferred .to a voltmeter for measuring emf of a
cell?