Physics Viva Questions

Experiment 1:
1. What is the importance of the photoelectric effect?
 The photoelectric effect demonstrated that light behaves as both a wave
and a particle (photon), leading to the development of quantum
mechanics and confirming the particle nature of light.
2. What factors are affecting the photoelectric effect?
 Frequency of light: Must be above a certain threshold frequency for
electrons to be ejected.
 Intensity of light: Affects the number of electrons emitted, but not their
energy.
 Work function: The minimum energy required to eject an electron from
the metal’s surface.
3. How does Vs vary when visible light is substituted by (a) infra-red light, (b)
ultra-violet light?
 Infra-red light: The stopping potential (Vs) will be zero or very low
because infra-red light has lower energy and may not have enough
energy to emit electrons.
 Ultra-violet light: The stopping potential (Vs) will increase as ultraviolet
light has higher energy, ejecting electrons with higher kinetic energy.
4. How does the work function of a metal vary in the above case?
 The work function of a metal does not change with the type of light
(infra-red, visible, or ultraviolet). It is a property of the metal itself and
depends on its material.
5. What is the effect of intensity on the stopping potential?
 Intensity does not affect the stopping potential (Vs) because it only
changes the number of electrons emitted, not their energy. Stopping
potential depends on the frequency of light, not its intensity.
Experiment 2:
1. What is meant by diffraction and grating?
 Diffraction: The bending of light around obstacles or the spreading of
light as it passes through small openings.
 Grating: A device with many closely spaced lines that causes light to
diffract and produce a spectrum due to interference of the diffracted
waves.
2. Distinguish LASER light from ordinary light?
 Laser Light: Monochromatic, coherent, directional, and can be highly
intense.
 Ordinary Light: Polychromatic (multiple colors), incoherent, spreads out
in many directions, and is less intense.
3. Approximately how many interference maxima will you see on one side of
the pattern before their intensity is significantly reduced by diffraction due to
the finite width of the slit?
 The number of maxima you see is limited by the diffraction pattern,
which depends on the slit width. Typically, you can see about 3-4 maxima
on either side before diffraction reduces the intensity significantly.
4. What is the width of the central maximum (the distance on the screen
between the m=-1 and m=1 minima)? How does this compare to the distance
Δy between other adjacent minima?
 The central maximum width is the distance between the first minima on
both sides (m = -1 and m = 1). This width is typically larger compared to
the distance between other adjacent minima, as the central maximum is
the widest.
5. Instead of measuring the wavelength of light using a grating, you could
have instead used single slits. Would that have been more or less accurate?
Why?
 Using a grating would be more accurate because it produces sharper and
more distinct interference patterns compared to a single slit, which gives
a less defined pattern due to broader diffraction angles.
Experiment 3:
1. State the importance of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
 The uncertainty principle states that it's impossible to simultaneously
know both the exact position and exact momentum of a particle. It
introduced a fundamental limit to measurement in quantum mechanics
and showed that particles behave differently from classical objects.
2. Are we determining uncertainty in momentum or position?
 We are determining uncertainty in both momentum and position. The
principle shows that the more precisely we know one, the less precisely
we can know the other.
3. Expansion of 'LASER'
 LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation.
4. Can I use incandescent lamp to verify the Heisenberg’s uncertainty
principle?
 No, an incandescent lamp cannot be used to verify the Heisenberg
uncertainty principle. This principle applies to subatomic particles like
electrons, and the effects are not noticeable with everyday objects like a
lamp.
5. Why do we use single slit in this experiment?
 A single slit is used in the experiment to produce a diffraction pattern. It
helps in studying the wave nature of light and measuring the uncertainty
in position and momentum. The diffraction pattern allows observation of
the uncertainty principle at the microscopic level.
Experiment 4:
1. What is the difference between two probe and four probe setup?
 Two-probe setup: Uses two probes to measure resistance, but the
current passing through the material also affects the voltage
measurement, leading to errors.
 Four-probe setup: Uses two probes for current and two probes for
voltage, minimizing errors caused by contact resistance, providing more
accurate measurements of the material's true resistance.
2. How does the resistivity of a semiconductor material change with
temperature and why?
 The resistivity of a semiconductor decreases with increasing
temperature because higher temperatures provide more energy to the
electrons, allowing more charge carriers to move, thus reducing
resistance.
3. How will the slope differ if silicon crystal is used instead of Germanium?
 The slope of the resistance vs. temperature graph will be steeper for
Germanium than for Silicon. Germanium has a higher temperature
coefficient of resistivity, meaning its resistance decreases more rapidly
with increasing temperature compared to Silicon.
4. Can you distinguish between n-type and p-type semiconductors using this
experiment?
 Yes, you can distinguish between n-type and p-type semiconductors by
observing the direction of current flow and the voltage response. In n-
type, the majority charge carriers are electrons (negative charge), and in
p-type, they are holes (positive charge). The conductivity behavior and
response to an external voltage will differ accordingly.
Experiment 5:
1. What is the difference between p-type and n-type semiconductors?
 P-type semiconductor: Has an abundance of holes (positive charge
carriers) created by doping with elements that have fewer electrons
(e.g., boron).
 N-type semiconductor: Has an abundance of electrons (negative charge
carriers) created by doping with elements that have more electrons (e.g.,
phosphorus).
2. What do p-n junction diode connect in forward bias?
 In forward bias, the p-type is connected to the positive terminal and
the n-type is connected to the negative terminal. This reduces the
potential barrier, allowing current to flow through the diode.
3. Why don’t you observe emission of light in reverse bias?
 In reverse bias, the p-n junction widens the depletion region and
prevents current flow, so no recombination of charge carriers occurs.
Therefore, no energy is released as light, so you don’t observe light
emission.
Experiment 6:
1. What is the difference between solar cell and a photo diode?
 Solar Cell: A solar cell converts light energy into electrical energy by
using the photovoltaic effect.
 Photodiode: A photodiode is a diode that generates current when
exposed to light, but it's typically used in reverse bias for detecting light,
not for generating power.
2. What are the types of semiconductor materials used for solar cell?
 The most common semiconductor materials used for solar cells
are silicon (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous), gallium
arsenide, and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS).
3. What is the difference between solar photovoltaic and solar hot water
system?
 Solar Photovoltaic (PV): Converts sunlight directly into electricity using
solar panels.
 Solar Hot Water System: Uses sunlight to heat water through collectors,
typically for domestic use like bathing or heating.
4. What is the principle of solar cell?
 The principle of a solar cell is based on the photovoltaic effect, where
sunlight excites electrons in a semiconductor material, creating electron-
hole pairs that generate an electric current when captured by an electric
field.
Experiment 7:
1. How the hysteresis curve can be used to distinguish between a hard
ferromagnet and a soft ferromagnet?
 Hard ferromagnets have a wide hysteresis loop, meaning they retain
significant magnetization (high remanence) and require a high external
field to demagnetize (high coercivity).
 Soft ferromagnets have a narrow hysteresis loop, meaning they
magnetize and demagnetize easily with small changes in the magnetic
field (low coercivity and low remanence).
2. How a ferromagnetic material is different from a paramagnetic material as
far as the variation of the induced magnetization with external magnetic field
is concerned?
 Ferromagnetic materials have a strong, permanent magnetization even
after the external field is removed, and their magnetization increases
significantly with the field.
 Paramagnetic materials have a weak, temporary magnetization that
only exists while an external magnetic field is applied, and their
magnetization increases proportionally with the applied field.
3. How the saturation magnetization of a ferromagnetic material is different
from its remanent magnetization?
 Saturation magnetization is the maximum magnetization a
ferromagnetic material can achieve when exposed to a very strong
external magnetic field.
 Remanent magnetization is the magnetization that remains in the
material after the external magnetic field is removed, representing the
material's ability to retain magnetization.
4. What are the major applications of the hard ferromagnets and soft
ferromagnets?
 Hard ferromagnets: Used in permanent magnets like in motors,
magnetic storage devices, and magnetic sensors.
 Soft ferromagnets: Used in electromagnetic devices such as
transformers, inductors, and magnetic shielding because they can easily
magnetize and demagnetize.
Experiment 8:
1. How does magnetic field affect the motion of electrons?
 A magnetic field exerts a force on moving electrons, causing them to
follow a curved or circular path. This force is perpendicular to both the
velocity of the electron and the direction of the magnetic field (Lorentz
force).
2. How can you account for the error you got in the observations?
 Errors in observations can arise due to factors like instrumental
inaccuracies, measurement mistakes, external disturbances (e.g., stray
magnetic fields), or human error during readings.
3. What are the methods to avoid these errors?
 To avoid errors, you can:
 Calibrate instruments before use.
 Repeat measurements to reduce random errors.
 Minimize external influences like stray magnetic fields.
 Take proper precautions like aligning the apparatus correctly.
 Use more precise measuring devices if necessary.