Science (English Medium) Class 12 - CBSE Question Bank Solutions for Physics

Use Lenz’s law to determine the direction of induced current in the situation described by the figure:

A wire of irregular shape turning into a circular shape.

What physical quantity is the same for X-rays of wavelength 10⁻¹⁰ m, red light of wavelength 6800 Å and radiowaves of wavelength 500 m?

A plane electromagnetic wave travels in the vacuum along the z-direction. What can you say about the directions of its electric and magnetic field vectors? If the frequency of the wave is 30 MHz, what is its wavelength?

A radio can tune in to any station in the 7.5 MHz to 12 MHz band. What is the corresponding wavelength band?

The terminology of different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is given in the text. Use the formula E = hv (for energy of a quantum of radiation: photon) and obtain the photon energy in units of eV for different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. In what way are the different scales of photon energies that you obtain related to the sources of electromagnetic radiation?

Use the formula λ_m T= 0.29 cm K to obtain the characteristic temperature ranges for different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. What do the numbers that you obtain tell you?

Given below are some famous numbers associated with electromagnetic radiations in different contexts in physics. State the part of the electromagnetic spectrum to which each belongs.

(a) 21 cm (wavelength emitted by atomic hydrogen in interstellar space).

(b) 1057 MHz (frequency of radiation arising from two close energy levels in hydrogen; known as Lamb shift).

(c) 2.7 K [temperature associated with the isotropic radiation filling all space-thought to be a relic of the ‘big-bang’ origin of the universe].

(d) 5890 Å - 5896 Å [double lines of sodium]

(e) 14.4 keV [energy of a particular transition in ⁵⁷Fe nucleus associated with a famous high resolution spectroscopic method (Mössbauer spectroscopy)].

Give a reason for the following:

Long-distance radio broadcasts use short-wave bands. Why?

Give a reason for the following:

It is necessary to use satellites for long-distance TV transmission. Why?

Optical and radio telescopes are built on the ground but X-ray astronomy is possible only from satellites orbiting the earth. Why?

The small ozone layer on top of the stratosphere is crucial for human survival. Why?

If the earth did not have an atmosphere, would its average surface temperature be higher or lower than what it is now?

Light of wavelength 5000 Å falls on a plane reflecting surface. What are the wavelength and frequency of the reflected light? For what angle of incidence is the reflected ray normal to the incident ray?

The photoelectric cut-off voltage in a certain experiment is 1.5 V. What is the maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons emitted?

(a) Estimate the speed with which electrons emitted from a heated emitter of an evacuated tube impinge on the collector maintained at a potential difference of 500 V with respect to the emitter. Ignore the small initial speeds of the electrons. The specific charge of the electron, i.e., its e/m is given to be 1.76 × 10¹¹ C kg⁻¹.

(b) Use the same formula you employ in (a) to obtain electron speed for an collector potential of 10 MV. Do you see what is wrong? In what way is the formula to be modified?

Use the same formula you employ in (a) to obtain electron speed for an collector potential of 10 MV. Do you see what is wrong? In what way is the formula to be modified?

Ultraviolet light of wavelength 2271 Å from a 100 W mercury source irradiates a photo-cell made of molybdenum metal. If the stopping potential is −1.3 V, estimate the work function of the metal. How would the photo-cell respond to a high intensity (∼10⁵ W m⁻²) red light of wavelength 6328 Å produced by a He-Ne laser?

Monochromatic radiation of wavelength 640.2 nm (1 nm = 10⁻⁹ m) from a neon lamp irradiates photosensitive material made of caesium on tungsten. The stopping voltage is measured to be 0.54 V. The source is replaced by an iron source and its 427.2 nm line irradiates the same photo-cell. Predict the new stopping voltage.

A mercury lamp is a convenient source for studying frequency dependence of photoelectric emission, since it gives a number of spectral lines ranging from the UV to the red end of the visible spectrum. In our experiment with rubidium photo-cell, the following lines from a mercury source were used:

λ₁ = 3650 Å, λ₂ = 4047 Å, λ₃ = 4358 Å, λ₄ = 5461 Å, λ₅ = 6907 Å,

The stopping voltages, respectively, were measured to be:

V₀₁ = 1.28 V, V₀₂ = 0.95 V, V₀₃ = 0.74 V, V₀₄ = 0.16 V, V₀₅ = 0 V

Determine the value of Planck’s constant h, the threshold frequency and work function for the material.

[Note: You will notice that to get h from the data, you will need to know e (which you can take to be 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C). Experiments of this kind on Na, Li, K, etc. were performed by Millikan, who, using his own value of e (from the oil-drop experiment) confirmed Einstein’s photoelectric equation and at the same time gave an independent estimate of the value of h.]

The work function for the following metals is given: 

Na: 2.75 eV; K: 2.30 eV; Mo: 4.17 eV; Ni: 5.15 eV

Which of these metals will not give photoelectric emission for a radiation of wavelength 3300 Å from a He-Cd laser placed 1 m away from the photocell? What happens if the laser is brought nearer and placed 50 cm away?