SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL

Opp. To Osudu Lake, Agaram, Puducherry-605502.

CBSE Affiliation No: 2930024.
CLASS XII- PHYSICS - PRACTICAL

EXPERIMENT – 1
Aim: To determine resistivity of two wires by plotting a graph for potential difference versus current.
Apparatus: A metallic conductor (coil or a resistance wire), a battery, one way key, a voltmeter and an ammeter of
appropriate range, connecting wires and a piece of sand paper, a scale.

V
Formulae Used: (i) The resistance (R) of the given wire (resistance coil) is obtained by Ohm’s Law R
I

V : Potential difference between the ends of the given resistance coil. (Conductor)
I: Current flowing through it.

Observation:
(i) Range:
Range of given voltmeter = ____V
Range of given ammeter = _____ mA
(ii) Least count:
Least count of voltmeter = ___V
Least count of ammeter = ____ mA

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM Graph between potential difference & current:

Ammeter and Voltmeter Readings: Wire:1

Ammeter Reading I (A) Voltmeter Reading, V (v) V
Sr. No. R
I
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Mean R =

N. RAJA (PGT – PHYSICS)

SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL - PUDUCHERRY Page 1
 Ammeter and Voltmeter Readings: Wire:2
Ammeter Reading I (A) Voltmeter Reading, V (v) V
Sr. No. R
I
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Mean R =

CALCULATIONS:
(i) Wire:1

(ii) Wire :2

Result: The resistivity of the given wire is

(i) Wire -1 __________
(ii) Wire -2 __________
Precautions: Voltmeter and ammeter should be of proper range.
 The connections should be neat, clean & tight.
Source of Error: Rheostat may have high resistance.
The instrument screws may be loose.

EXPERIMENT – 2

Aim: To find resistance of a given wire / standard resistor using metre bridge
Apparatus: A meter bridge (slide Wire Bridge), a galvanometer, a resistance box, a battery eliminator, a jockey,
a one-way key, a resistance wire, meter scale and connecting wires
Formulae Used:
(i) The unknown resistance X is given by:
(100  l)
X= R Where,
l
R = known resistance placed in left gap.
X = Unknown resistance in right gap of meter bridge.
l=length of meter bridge wire from zero and upto balance point (in cm)

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

N. RAJA (PGT – PHYSICS)

SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL - PUDUCHERRY Page 2
 Observation Table for length (l) & unknown resistance, X:
Resistance from Unknown Resistance
Sr. Length Length (100  l) 
resistance box
No. AD = l cm DC = (100-l) cm X = R. 
R (ohm) l
1
2
3
4
5

Calculation:

Result: Value of given unknown resistance = _______ 

Precautions: All plugs in resistance box should be tight. Plug in key, K should be inserted only while taking
observations.

Sources of Error: Plugs may not be clean.

Instrument screws maybe loose.

EXPERIMENT – 3
Aim: To verify the laws of combination (series) of resistances using a metre bridge.
Apparatus: A meter bridge, battery eliminator, a galvanometer, a resistance box, a jockey, two resistances wires,
and connecting wires.

Observations: Table for length (l) & unknown resistance (r):

Resistance
Length Resistance
from Mean
Resistant Length BC = 100 – l 100  l
Obs. No. resistance r= .R Resistant
Coil AB = l (cm) (cm)
box, l (ohm)
R (ohm)
1
r1 only 2
1
r2 only 2
1
r1 & r2 in
2
series

N. RAJA (PGT – PHYSICS)

SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL - PUDUCHERRY Page 3
 Calculations:
(i) In Series: Experimental value of RS = ______
Theoretical value of RS = r1 + r2 = ______ 

Result: Within limits of experimental error, experimental & theoretical values of RS are same. Hence the law of
resistance in series i.e. RS = r1 + r2 is verified.

Precautions:
(i) The connections should be neat, clean & tight.
(ii) Move the jockey gently over the wire & don’t rub it.
(iii) All plugs in resistant box should be tight.

Sources of Error:
(i) The plugs may not be clean.
(ii) The instrument screws maybe loose.

EXPERIMENT – 4

Aim: To determine resistance of a galvanometer by half-deflection method and to find its figure of merit.
Apparatus: A Weston type galvanometer, a voltmeter, a battery, a rheostat, two resistance boxes
(10,000  and 500 ), two one-way keys, a screw gauge, a meter scale and connecting wires

Formulae Used:
(i) The resistant of the given galvanometer as found by half-deflection method:
R. S
G=
RS
Where R: resistance connected in series with the galvanometer
S: shunt resistance
E
(ii) Figure of merit: k =
(R  G) 
Where E : emf of the cell
 : deflection produced with resistance R.

S.NO Resistance Deflection in Shunt Half Galvanometer Resistance Figure of Merit

R( galvanometer resistance deflection 
( S(
(A/div)
1
2
3

Calculation:





N. RAJA (PGT – PHYSICS)

SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL - PUDUCHERRY Page 4
 Result:

(i) Resistance of Galvanometer by half – deflection method: G=_______

(ii) Figure of merit, k = ________ A/div
Precautions:
(i) All the plugs in resistance boxes should be tight.
(ii) The emf of cell or battery should be constant.
(iii) Initially a high resistance from the resistance box (R) should be introduced in the circuit. Otherwise for small
resistance, an excessive current will flow through the galvanometer or ammeter & damage them.
Sources of error:
(i) Plug of the resistant boxes may not be clean.
(ii) The screws of the instruments maybe loose.
(iii) The emf of the battery may not be constant.

EXPERIMENT – 5
Aim: To find the value of v for different values of u in case of a concave mirror and to find the focal length.
Apparatus: Concave mirror, a mirror holder, screen & a half – meter scale.

Formulae Used: The mirror formula is:

1 1 1
 
f u v
uv
We have, f =
uv
Where, f = focal length of concave mirror.
u = distance of object needle from pole of mirror.
v = distance of image needle from pole of mirror.

Observation:
Rough focal length of given concave mirror = 10.9 cm

FOCAL LENGTH
Sr. OBJECT DISTANCE IMAGE DISTANCE uv (cm)
No. u (cm) V (cm) f=
u+v
1
2
3
4
5
6

Calculation:

Result: The focal length of the given concave mirror: f = _________ cm.

Precautions:
(i) The uprights should be vertical.
(ii) Tip-to-tip parallax should be removed between the needle I and image of needle O.
(iii) To locate the position of the image the eye should be at least 30 cm away from the needle.
Sources of Error: * The uprights may not be vertical.
* Parallax removal may not be perfect

N. RAJA (PGT – PHYSICS)

SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL - PUDUCHERRY
Page 5
 EXPERIMENT – 6
Aim: To find the focal length of a convex lens by plotting graphs between u and v

Apparatus: convex lens, lens holder, lamp box, screen & a half-metre scale.

Formula Used:

The relation between u, v and f for convex lens is:

1 1 1
 
f v u

Where f: focal length of convex lens

u: distance of object needle from lens’ optical centre.

v: distance of image needle from lens’ optical centre.

Observations:

Rough focal length of the lens = _________cm

Table:
FOCAL LENGTH
Sr. OBJECT DISTANCE IMAGE DISTANCE uv (cm)
No. u (cm) V (cm) f=
u+v
1
2
3
4
5
6

Calculation of focal length by graphical method:

Result:

(i) From u-v graph is, f = ________cm

Precautions:

(i) Tips of object & image needles should be at the same height as the centre of the lens.
(ii) Parallax should be removed from tip-to-tip by keeping eye at a distance at least 30 cm. away from the needle.
(iii) The image & the object needles should not be interchanged for different sets of observations.

N. RAJA (PGT – PHYSICS)

SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL - PUDUCHERRY
Page 6
 EXPERIMENT – 7
Aim: To determine angle of minimum deviation for a given prism by plotting a graph between angle of
incidence and angle of deviation.
Apparatus: Drawing board, a white sheet of paper, prism, drawing pins, pencil, half metre scale, office pins,
graphpaper & protector.

Formulae Used:
The refractive index,  of the material of the prism is given by:






























SI. No Angle of incidence  Deviation
Angle of
 i 
   

   

   

   


  

  
Result:

(i) From i  D graph we see that as i increases, D first decreases, attains a minimum value (Dm) & then again
starts increasing for further increase in i .
(ii) Angle of minimum deviation = Dm = _______

Precautions:
(i) The angle of incidence should be between 30o – 60o.
(ii) The pins should be fixed vertical.
(iii) The distance between the two pins should not be less than 8 cm.

Sources of Error:
(i) Pin pricks may be thick.
(ii) Measurement of angles maybe wrong.

N. RAJA (PGT – PHYSICS)

SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL - PUDUCHERRY
Page 7
 EXPERIMENT – 8
Aim: To draw the I-V characteristic curve for a p-n junction diode in forward and reverse bias.

Apparatus: A p-n junction semi-conductor diode, a three volt battery, a high resistance, a rheostat, a voltmeter
(0-3v), a milli ammeter (0-.30 mA), one – way key, connecting wires.

Observations:
Least count of voltmeter = _____
Least count of milli-ammeter = _____
Least count of micro-ammeter = ____

Observation Table:

Forward Bias Voltage Forward Current Reverse bias Voltage Reverse Current
S. No.
(V) (mA) (V) (  A)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Result: The obtained curves are the characteristics curves of the semi-conductor diode.

Precautions:
(i) All connections should be neat, clean & tight.
(ii) Key should be used in circuit & opened when the circuit is notbeing used.
(iii) Forward bias voltage beyond breakdown should not be applied.

Sources of error: The junction diode supplied maybe faulty.

N. RAJA (PGT – PHYSICS)

SHREE BHARATH VIDYAASHRAM CBSE SCHOOL - PUDUCHERRY
Page 8