Model questions for Mid-Sem examination

1. What is physical pendulum? Obtain an expression for the time period of angular SHM of a
physical pendulum.
2. Define compound pendulum. Show that a compound pendulum executives SHM. Find its
periodic time.

3. Explain the concept of length of equivalent simple pendulum.

4. Derive the condition for maximum and minimum time period of the compound pendulum.

5. Derive an expression for the time period of a compound pendulum and show that it is
minimum when the distance between the centre of gravity and suspension equals its radius of
gyration about a horizontal axis passing through the centre of gravity of the pendulum.
6. Show that there are four points collinear with the centre of gravity of the pendulum about
which its time is the same.
7. Under what condition does the time period of a compound pendulum becomes maximum?
What is the maximum value of the time period?

8. Define centre of suspension and centre of oscillation. Show that in compound pendulum
they are interchangeable.
9. What is reversible compound pendulum? Derive an expression for the acceleration due to
gravity in terms of two nearly equal time periods about the two parallel knife edges of the
pendulum.

10. What is oscillatory motion? Mention the characteristics of this type of motion
11. Explain the role of restoring force and inertia of motion in an oscillator.
12.What are undamped and damped oscillations? Give one example of each.
13. What are free and forced oscillations? Give examples.
14. Define Q- factor of an oscillator. How does it depend on damping?
15. Are the following simple harmonic oscillators or damped Explain. (a) a simple pendulum
oscillating in air, (b) a bar pendulum oscillating in air
16. What are coherent sources? Describe different methods to obtain coherent sources.
17. Two harmonic waves of same amplitude and frequency, but travelling in opposite
direction are superposed. Obtain expression for the resultant amplitude. Plot the resultant
amplitude with respect to position.
18. Differentiate between progressive and stationary wave.
19. With the help of suitable diagram describe the production of Newton’s rings.
20. In a Newton’s ring experiment with air film the diameter of the n th and n-5th dark
rings are 12.2 mm and 8.8mm respectively. Find the diameter of n+5 th dark ring.
21. In a Newton’s ring experiment the diameter of n th ring is 0.46cm, it got shrink to a
diameter of 0.40cm when a liquid is introduced between the Plano-convex lens and plane
glass plate. Find the refractive index of the liquid.
22. In a Newton’s ring experiment in laboratory sodium vapour lamp having two
wavelengths 5890Ǻ and 5896Ǻ is used. If it is found that nth dark ring due to 5890Ǻ
coincides with n+2 nd dark ring due to 5896Ǻ, then calculate the radii of nth dark rings due
to 5890Ǻ and 5896Ǻ, when the radius of curvature of the plano-convex lens used is
200cm.
23. Explain with necessary theory, how will you determine refractive index of water using
Newton’s ring apparatus
24. What is the condition for the destructive interference in terms of phase difference
between the two interfering waves?
25. Find out the expression for diameter of dark ring in Newton’s ring experiment and
explain how the wavelength of a monochromatic light can be determined by it.
26. A diffraction grating when illuminated normally gives a line 1 =6000Ǻ, in a certain
order superimposed on another line  2=5000Ǻ of the next higher order. If the angle of
diffraction is 30 degree, Find the grating element.
27. A plano-convex lens of radius of curvature 2.5 meter is placed on an optically plane
glass plate in air medium and a parallel beam of monochromatic light is incident normally
on the set up to observe the Newton’s rings.
28. The diameter of the bright ring as seen by the reflected light is 0.70cm . Calculate the
wavelength of the light used.
29. What is the maximum wavelength of the visible spectrum so that third order spectrum
can be observed by a plane diffraction grating having 5654 lines/cm.
30. In a Newton’s ring arrangement the radius of curvature of the lens is 2m.The radii of
the nth dark ring and n+4 th dark ring are 3mm and 5mm respectively. Then find the
wavelength of the light used.
31. Newton’s rings are formed by light of wavelength 5431Ǻ. Find the radius of curvature
of the lens if diameter of the 16 th bright ring is 12.2mm.
32. What is missing spectra in grating? What is the condition for their occurrence?
33. A plane diffraction grating has 6000 lines/cm. Calculate the dispersion in the 2 nd order
spectrum for normal incidence of light in the range 5893Ǻ.
34. A monochromatic light of wavelength 6000Ǻ is incident on a plane diffraction grating
with grating element 6.0x10 -5cm. What is the maximum order of spectrum that can be
observed?
35. What is the advantage of increasing the number of lines in a grating?
36. Discuss the Fresnel single slit phenomenon and show that the relative intensities of the
successive maximum are nearly 1:4/9π2: 4/25 π2… etc

37. If the width of opaque space is equal to that of transparent space in a plane
transmission grating , then which order spectra will be missing.
38. Distinguish between optical interference and optical diffraction pattern
39. What do you mean by gradient, divergence and curl. Express them in Cartesian
coordinate system.
40. (a)Evaluate ∇φ where φ=ax2 -2by+ c2 z2 and a,b, c are constants at (1,-2,3).
(b) Given A= x2 I + y2 j + j z2 k, Find Divergence of A.
41. Evaluate curl A, where A =i xy + j yz + k zx where I, j and k are unit vectors along X, Y
and Z-axes.

42, Evaluate ∇xr , where r is the position vector

43. What do you mean by (i) solenoidal and (ii) irrotational vector?
44. A scalar function φ satisfies the condition ∇2 φ=0. Show that the scalar function is
solenoidal.
45. State Gauss divergence theorem and Stoke’s theorem.
46. Evaluate ∇2(1/r) and ∇(1/r n ) when r is position vector
47. When u is a constant vector, find the value of (i) ∇u(ii) ∇. U, (iii) ∇ x u
48. Find ∇rn where r is position vector.
49. Find where r is position vector.

50. Given A= x2 I + y2 j + j z2 k, Find whether A is solenoidal or irrotational.