Physics

Current Electricity and Circuits

377 Questions

Current electricity and circuits questions cover resistors, EMF, internal resistance, and power calculations in series and parallel configurations. Solving these builds a strong understanding of electrical principles and circuit analysis. These physics problems are highly relevant for technical and science aptitude tests.

Resistor combinationsPower dissipationEMF and internal resistanceAC circuit analysisOperational amplifiers

Current Electricity and Circuits Questions

Multiple choice introduction to induction electromagnetic induction electromagnetic induction and alternating currents physics

Reactance of a coil is $157\Omega$. On connecting the coil across a source of frequency $ 100Hz$, the current lags behind e.m.f. by ${ 45 }^{ o }$. The inductance of the coil is _________.

  1. $0.25 H$
  2. $0.5 H$
  3. $4H$
  4. $314 H$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Since the phase angle is $45^{\circ}$,

$\dfrac{X _L}{R}=tan\phi=tan45^{circ}=1$
$\implies X _L=R$
$\implies \omega L=R$
$\implies 2\pi f L=R$
$\implies L=\dfrac{R}{2\pi f}$
$=\dfrac{157}{2\pi\times 100}H$
$=0.25H$

Multiple choice introduction to induction electromagnetic induction electromagnetic induction and alternating currents physics

The electrical analog of mass is

  1. Diode

  2. Capacitance

  3. Inductance

  4. Resistance

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

As per mechanical-electrical analog, displacement is analogous to charge and force analogous to voltage.

From newton's second law of motion,
$F = m \cfrac{d^2x}{dt^2}$

For a diode, voltage and current are exponentially related and is non-linear.
For capacitance,  $V = \cfrac{Q}{C}$
For inductance, $V = L\cfrac{dI}{dt} = L\cfrac{d^2 q}{dt^2}$
For resistance, $V = IR = R \cfrac{dq}{dt}$

By comparing the above equations, it can be concluded that electrical analog of mass is inductance. 

Multiple choice physics electric current, potential difference and resistance drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

When current flows through a conductor, then the order of drift velocity of electrons will be:-

  1. $10^{10} cms^{-1}$
  2. $10^{-2} cms^{-1}$
  3. $10^{4} cms^{-1}$
  4. $10^{-1} cms^{-1}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The drift velocity of electrons in a conductor is of the order of $10^{−4} m/s. It is very small compared to the thermal speed which is of the order of 10m/s.

The answer is $10^{-2}$

Multiple choice physics electric current, potential difference and resistance drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

When the current in a wire is 1A, the drift velocity is $1.2\times 10^{-4}ms^{-1}$. The drift velocity when current becomes 5 A is

  1. $1.2\times 10^{-4}ms^{-1}$
  2. $3.6\times 10^{-4}ms^{-1}$
  3. $6\times 10^{-4}ms^{-1}$
  4. $4.8\times 10^{-4}ms^{-1}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Given
Initial current through the wire is $I = 1A$
Initial drift velocity is, $v _d = 1.2 \times 10^{-4} ms^{-1}$
Increased current is, $I' = 5A$
The current, I through the wire is given by
$I = \mu _e.e.A.v _d$
where, $\mu _e$ is the free electron density, e is the charge on electron, A is the area of cross section of the wire and v_d is the drift velocity of electrons. 
Since,  the free electron density, the charge on electron and the area of cross section of the wire are constant, hence
$I \propto v _d$.................(1)
Now, current through the wire is increased to 5 A, if the new drift velocity of electrons is $v' _d$ then
$I' \propto v' _d$................(2)


From (1) and (2), we can write

$\dfrac{v' _d}{v _d} = \dfrac{I'}{I}$

$v' _d = \dfrac{I'}{I} v _d$

$v' _d = \dfrac{5}{1} 1.2 \times 10^{-4}$ 

$v' _d = 6 \times 10^{-4} ms^{-1}$ 

Multiple choice physics electric current drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

In conducting wire of radius $5 \, mm$, resistivity $\rho = 1.1 \times 10^{-8} \Omega/m$ and current of $5 A$ is flowing. Drift velocity of free electron is $1.1 \times 10^{-3} \, m/s$ find out mobility of free electron.

  1. $1.57 \, m^2$ volt/sec
  2. $1.25 \, m^2$ volt/sec
  3. $1.2 \, m^2$ volt/sec
  4. $2 \, m^2$ volt/sec
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

$V _d = \mu E = \mu \dfrac{V}{\ell}$
$V _d = \dfrac{\mu. I R}{\ell} \dfrac{\mu. I _{\rho} \ell}{A \ell} = \dfrac{\mu . I _{\rho}}{A}$
$\mu = \dfrac{V _d . A}{I _{\rho}} = \dfrac{1.1 \times 10^{-3} \times \lambda \times 25 \times 10^{-6}}{5 \times 1.1 \times 10^{-8}}$
$\mu = 1.57 \,  m^2 $ volt/sec.

Multiple choice physics electric current drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

A current passes through a resistor. If K$ _1$ and K$ _2$ represent the average kinetic energy of the conduction electrons and the metal ions respectively then

  1. $K _1 < K _2$
  2. $K _1 = K _2$
  3. $K _1 > K _2$
  4. $\text{Any of these three may occur}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Considering law of conservation of momentum ,electrons possess drift velocity which is greater than velocity of ions.  Thus $K _1>K _2$. hence correct option is option C.

Multiple choice physics electric current, potential difference and resistance drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

A 2-ampere current flows in a conductor which has $1 \times {10^{24}}$ free electrons per meter. What is their average drift velocity?

  1. $1.25\,m/s$
  2. $125000\,m/s$
  3. $3 \times {10^8}\,m/s$
  4. $1.25 \times {10^{ - 5}}\,m/s$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

We know 
$I = \eta eAV$
$2 = 1 \times {10^{24}} \times 1.6 \times {10^{ - 24}} \times 1 \times v$
$\boxed{v = 1.25\,m/s}$

Multiple choice physics electric current, potential difference and resistance drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

Two wires $X$ and $Y$ have the same resistivity but their cross-sectional areas are in the ratio $2 : 3$ and lengths in the ratio $1 : 2$. They are first connected in series and then the parallel to a d.c. source. Find the ratio of their drift speeds of the electrons in the two wires for the two cases.

  1. Series $6 : 2$, Parallel $2 : 1$.
  2. Series $3 : 2$, Parallel $2 : 1$.
  3. Series $5 : 2$, Parallel $2 : 1$.
  4. Series $3 : 2$, Parallel $3 : 1$.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Drift velocity v_d = I / (neA). In series, current I is the same, so v_d is inversely proportional to A. In parallel, voltage V is the same, so I = V/R, where R = rho*L/A. Thus v_d = V / (ne*rho*L). Calculating these ratios yields 3:2 for series and 2:1 for parallel.

Multiple choice physics electric current, potential difference and resistance drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

There is a current of 40 amperes in a wire of $10^{-16}m^{2}$ area of cross-section. If the number of free electrons per $m^{3}$ is $10^{29}$, then the drift velocity will be:

  1. $1.25\times 10^{3}$ m/s
  2. $2.50\times 10^{3}m/s$
  3. $2.0\times 10^{6}m/s$
  4. $25\times 10^{6}m/s$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

If L is the length of wire so velocity is given by $v=\dfrac{L}{t}$

Total number of free electrons in the wire, $Q=nqLA$

Current,

$ I=\dfrac{Q}{t} $

$ I=\dfrac{nqLA}{t} $

$ I=nqvA $

$ v=\dfrac{I}{nqA} $

Where, n is the number of electron, $n={{10}^{29}}$

q is the charge of an electron, $q=1.6\times {{10}^{-19\,}}C$

A is area, $A={{10}^{-16}}\,{{m}^{2}}$

I is current, $I=40\,A$

So, drift velocity,

$ v=\dfrac{40}{{{10}^{29}}\times 1.6\times {{10}^{-19}}\times {{10}^{-16}}} $

$ v=25\times {{10}^{6}}\,m/s $

Multiple choice physics electric current drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

Which of the following quantities do not change when an ohmic resistor connected to a battery is heated due to the current?

  1. drift speed

  2. resistivity

  3. resistance

  4. number of free electrons

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

We know, for a conductor carrying current,
Drift speed $= neI =ne \dfrac{V}{R}$
Resistivity $= \dfrac {RA}{L}$
where,
$n$ is no. of electrons, 
$e$  is charge on electrons,
$V$  is applied voltage,
$R$  is resistance and 
$A$  and $L$  are area of cross-section and length of resistor.
From above equations it is clear that drift speed, resistivityand resistance of resistor will be affected due to heating of resistor

Multiple choice physics electric current, potential difference and resistance drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

When 3 V potential difference is applied a wire of length 0.1 m. having resistivity $1.6 \times 10^{-5}$ $\Omega m$, the electrons started moving. If the electron density in the wire is $6 \times 10^{10} m^{-1}$, the drift speed of electrons is  

  1. $1.94 \times 10^{-6}\ ms^{-1}$
  2. $1.94 \times 10^{-5}\ ms^{-1}$
  3. $1.94 \times 10^{-8}\ ms^{-1}$
  4. $1.94 \times 10^{-7}\ ms^{-1}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Multiple choice physics electric current, potential difference and resistance drift velocity and mobility drift speed drift velocity & mobility

When a potential difference $V $  is applied across a conductor at a temperature $T,$  the drift velocity of electrons is proportional to

  1. $\sqrt{V}$
  2. $V$
  3. $\sqrt{T}$
  4. $T$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

We know that Drift velocity $v _d = \displaystyle \dfrac{eE}{m} \tau = \dfrac{e}{m} \tau \left ( \dfrac{V}{l} \right ) $ ($\because E = \dfrac{V}{l})$

so for a particular conductor of a particular length the drift velocity will directly depend upon voltage
Hence $v _d \propto V$. option B is correct.