XII – PHYSICS ASSIGNMENT

Topic : Current Electricity

1. Calculate the electric field in a copper wire of cross–sectional area 2.0 mm2 carrying a current of
1 A. The resistivity of copper = 1.7 × 10– 8 Ω–m.
2. The number density of free electrons in a copper conductor is 8.5 × 1028 m– 3. How long does an
electron take to drift from one end of a wire 3.0 m long to its other end ? The area of cross–section
of the wire is 2.0 × 10– 6 m2 and it is carrying a current of 3.0 A.
3. The charge flowing in a conductor varies with time as q = 2 t − 6 t 2 + 10 t 3 ,
where q is in coulomb and t in second. Find
(i) the initial current
(ii) the time after which the value of current reaches a maximum value
(iii) the maximum or minimum value of current.
4. What is the drift velocity of electrons in a silver wire of length 1 m, having cross-sectional area
3.14 × 10– 6 m2 and carrying a current of 10 A. Given atomic weight of silver = 108, density of
silver 10.5 × 103 kg/m3, charge of electron 1.6 × 10– 19 C, Avogadro’s number = 6.023 × 1026 per
kg. atom.
5. A uniform copper wire of length 1 m and cross sectional area 5 × 10– 7 m2 carries a current of 1 A.
Assuming that there are 8 × 1028 free electrons per m3 in copper, how long will an electron take to
drift from one end of the wire to the other. Charge on an electron = 1.6 × 10– 19 C.
6. The current through a wire depends on time as,
i = (10 + 4t )
Here, i is in ampere and t in seconds. Find the charge crossed through a section in time interval
between t = 0 to t = 10 s .
7. An aluminium wire 7.5 m long is connected in parallel with a copper wire 6 m long. When a
current of 5 A is passed through the combination, it is found that the current in the aluminium wire
is 3 A. The diameter of the aluminium wire is 1 mm. Determine the diameter of the copper wire.
Resistivity of copper is 0.017 µΩ–m and that of the aluminium is 0.028 µΩ–m.
8. Two wires of equal length, one of aluminium and the other of copper have the same resistance.
Which of the two wires is lighter ? Hence explain why aluminium wires are preferred for
overhead power cables.
(ρAl = 2.63 × 10– 8 Ω m, ρCu = 1.72 × 10– 8 Ω m, Relative density of Al = 2.7, of Cu = 8.9)
9. An electron moves in a circular orbit of radius 10 cm with a constant speed of 4.0 × 106 ms– 1.
Determine the electric current at a point on the orbit.
10. A conductor of length L is connected to a d.c. source of e.m.f. ε. If this conductor is replaced by
another conductor of same material and same area of cross–section but of length 3 L, how will the
drift velocity change ?
11. If the current flowing in a copper wire be allowed to flow in another copper wire of same length
but of double the radius, then what will be the effect on the drift velocity of the electrons. If the
same current be allowed to flow in an iron wire of the same thickness, then ?

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Main Branch: 259 AX back side BCM school Model Town
1st Branch: 1813 Maharaj Nagar, Near Gate No.3, PAU
2nd Branch: 2417 HIG near drum wala chownk
12. Calculate battery current and equivalent resistance of the network shown in figure.

13. Find the value of i1 / i2 in figure if (a) R = 0.1 Ω (b) R = 1 Ω (c) R = 10 Ω. Note from your
answers that in order to get more current from a combination of two batteries they should be
joined in parallel if the external resistance is small and in series if the external resistance is large
as compared to the internal resistances.

14. Find the currents in different resistors shown in figure.

15. A wire of 15 Ω resistance is gradually stretched to double its original length. It is then cut into
two equal parts. These parts are then connected in parallel across a 3.0 volt battery. Find the
current drawn from the battery.

16. Determine the current in each branch of the network shown in figure.

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Main Branch: 259 AX back side BCM school Model Town
1st Branch: 1813 Maharaj Nagar, Near Gate No.3, PAU
2nd Branch: 2417 HIG near drum wala chownk
17. Find the current in each branches of the circuit.

18. In the circuit shown in figure, find the current through the 4 Ω resistor.

19. In the circuit shown in figure, the heat produced in 5 Ω resistor, due to the current flowing
through it is 10 calorie per second. Find the heat produced in 4 Ω resistor.

20. Two wires X , 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 in parallel to a d.c. source.
Find out the ratio of the drift speeds of the electrons in the two wires for the two cases.
21. Two cells of EMFs 1 V, 2 V and internal resistance 2 Ω and 1 Ω respectively are connected in
(i) series, (ii) parallel. What should be the external resistance in the circuit so that the current
through the resistance be same in the two cases ? In which case more heat is generated in the
cells?
22. A heater is designed to operate with a power of 1000 W in a 100 V line. It is connected in
combination with a resistance of 10 Ω and a resistance R to a 100 V mains, as shown in figure.
What should be the value of R so that the heater operates with a power of 62.5 W ?

23. In a potentiometer experiment it is found that no current passes through the galvanometer when
the terminals of the cell are connected across 0.52 m of the potentiometer wire. If the cell is
shunted by a resistance of 5 Ω, a balance is obtained when the cell is connected across 0.4 m of
the wire. Find the internal resistance of the cell.

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Main Branch: 259 AX back side BCM school Model Town
1st Branch: 1813 Maharaj Nagar, Near Gate No.3, PAU
2nd Branch: 2417 HIG near drum wala chownk
24. The resistance of a potentiometer wire 8 m long is 8 Ω. A high resistance box and a 2 V
accumulator are connected in series with it. What should be the value of the resistance in the box,
if it is desired to have a potential drop of 1 µV/mm ?

25. A potentiometer circuit is set up as shown in figure using a

uniform wire AB 1.0 m long. Which has a resistance of 2.0
Ω. The internal resistance of 40 V battery is negligible. If
variable resistor R has value 2.4 Ω. Then what would be
length AC for zero deflection in galvanometer. If R were
made 1.0 Ω and the 1.5 V battery and galvanometer were
replaced by a Voltmeter of resistance 20 Ω, then what would
be the reading of the voltmeter if contact C were placed at
mid point of AB ?

26. 4 cells of identical emf E , internal resistance r , are connected in series to a variable resistor.
The following graph shows the variation of terminal voltage of the combination with the current
output :

(a) What is the emf of each cell used ?

(b) For what current from the cells, does maximum power dissipation occurs in the circuit.
(c) Calculate the internal resistance of each cell.
27. In the potentiometer circuit shown in figure, the balance point with R = 10 Ω when switch S1 is
closed and S 2 is open is 50 cm., while that when S 2 is closed and S1 is open is 60 cm. What is
the value of x ? What will you do if you fail to find a balance point with the given cell E ′ ?

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Main Branch: 259 AX back side BCM school Model Town
1st Branch: 1813 Maharaj Nagar, Near Gate No.3, PAU
2nd Branch: 2417 HIG near drum wala chownk
28. A resistance R = 2 Ω is connected to one of the gaps in a metre bridge, which uses a wire of
length 1 m. An unknown resistance X > 2Ω is connected to the other gap as shown in the figure.
The balance point is noticed at l cm from the positive end of the battery. On interchanging R and
X , it is found that the balance point further shifts by 20 cm (away from end A ). Neglecting the
end correction, calculate the value of unknown resistance X used.

29. A 6 volt battery of negligible internal resistance is connected across

a uniform wire AB of length 100 cm. The positive terminal of
another battery of emf 4 V and internal resistance 1 Ω is joined to
the point A as shown in figure. Take the potential at B to be zero.
(a) What are the potentials at the points A and C ?
(b) At which point D of the wire AB, the potential is equal to the potential at C ?
(c) If the points C and D are connected by a wire, what will be the current through it ?
(d) If the 4 V battery is replaced by 7.5 V battery, what would be the answers of parts (a) and (b)?

30. Two primary cells of e.m.fs. E1 and E2 are connected to the potentiometer wire AB as shown in
the figure.

If the balancing length for the two combinations of the cells are 250 cm and 400 cm, find the ratio
of E1 and E2.

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Main Branch: 259 AX back side BCM school Model Town
1st Branch: 1813 Maharaj Nagar, Near Gate No.3, PAU
2nd Branch: 2417 HIG near drum wala chownk
 Topic : Current Electricity

Answer Key :
1. 8.5 mV/m 2. 2.7 × 104 s (7.5 h)
3. (i) 2 A (ii) 0.2 s (iii) 0.8 A
–4 –1
4. 3.4 × 10 ms
5. 6.4 × 103 s
6. 300 C
7. 0.569 mm
8. The mass (or weight) ratio of copper to aluminium wire is (1.72/2.63) × (8.9/2.7) ≅ 2.2. Since
aluminium is lighter, it is preferred for long suspensions of cables.
9. 1.02 × 10– 12 A
10. It will become one third of initial value.
11. (a) drift velocity will become one fourth.
(b) drift velocity will be more in comparison to that in copper wire.
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12. 15 A , Ω
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13. (a) 0.57 (b) 1 (c) 1.75
14. current in all resistors is zero.
15. 0.2 A
16. I1 = 2.5 A , I 2 = I 3 = 1.875 A
1 1
17. i1 = 2 A , i2 = − A , i3 = A
2 4
18. 0.25 A
19. 2 cal s– 1
20. (i) 3 : 2 (ii) 2 : 1.
21. 2.25 Ω ; More heat will be generated in series case due to larger resistance.
22. 5 Ω.
23. 1.5 Ω
24. 1992 Ω
25. x = 0.0825 m ; 12.9 volt
26. (a) 1.4 V (b) 1 A (c) 0.7 Ω
27. 2 Ω
28. 3 Ω
29. (a) 6 V, 2 V (b) AD = 66.7 cm (c) zero
(d) 6 V, – 1.5 V, no such point D exists.
E1 13
30. =
E2 3

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Main Branch: 259 AX back side BCM school Model Town
1st Branch: 1813 Maharaj Nagar, Near Gate No.3, PAU
2nd Branch: 2417 HIG near drum wala chownk