SAMPLE VIVA QUESTIONS

1. PN Junction Diode
1. What is a PN junction diode, and how does it work?
2. Explain the VI characteristics of a PN junction diode.
3. What is reverse breakdown in a diode?
4. What is the significance of the knee voltage?
5. What happens to the current when a diode is forward-biased?
6. Define and differentiate between forward and reverse bias.
7. What is the purpose of doping in a diode?
8. Explain the concept of depletion region in a diode.
9. What is the difference between an ideal and a practical diode?
10. Why does reverse saturation current occur in diodes?

2. Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)

11. What are the three regions of operation for a BJT?
12. Explain the working of NPN and PNP transistors.
13. What is the difference between active, saturation, and cutoff regions in a BJT?
14. What is the purpose of biasing in a BJT?
15. How does a BJT amplify signals?
16. Explain the input and output characteristics of a BJT.
17. What is thermal runaway in BJTs? How can it be prevented?
18. Define current gain in a BJT. What is the relationship between β and α?
19. What is the difference between a common base, common emitter, and common collector
configuration?
20. Why is the common-emitter configuration most widely used for amplification?

3. Resistor
21. What is the function of a resistor in an electrical circuit?
22. State and explain Ohm's law.
23. How do you calculate the equivalent resistance in a series circuit?
24. How is the power dissipated in a resistor calculated?
25. What are the different types of resistors?
26. What is the color-coding system for resistors?
27. How does temperature affect the resistance of a material?
28. What is the difference between fixed and variable resistors?
29. What is the unit of resistance, and how is it measured?
30. Why is a resistor called a passive component?

4. Capacitor
31. What is the function of a capacitor in a circuit?
32. Explain the concept of capacitance.
33. How is energy stored in a capacitor?
 34. What happens when a capacitor is connected in series versus parallel?
35. Define the time constant in an RC circuit.
36. What is the difference between a polarized and non-polarized capacitor?
37. Explain the role of a capacitor in filtering applications.
38. What are the factors that affect the capacitance of a capacitor?
39. Why are electrolytic capacitors used in power supply circuits?
40. How does a capacitor behave in DC versus AC circuits?

5. Inductor
41. What is the function of an inductor in a circuit?
42. Explain the concept of inductance.
43. How is energy stored in an inductor?
44. What is the significance of the time constant in an RL circuit?
45. Explain the relationship between voltage and current in an inductor.
46. How does an inductor behave in AC versus DC circuits?
47. What are the factors that affect the inductance of an inductor?
48. What is the difference between self-inductance and mutual inductance?
49. What is the role of an inductor in filtering applications?
50. Why are inductors rarely used in integrated circuits?

6. Half-Wave Rectifier
51. What is a half-wave rectifier? Explain its working.
52. What is the purpose of a rectifier in power supplies?
53. Why does the output of a half-wave rectifier contain ripples?
54. Explain the significance of peak inverse voltage in rectifiers.
55. How is the efficiency of a half-wave rectifier calculated?
56. What is the role of a filter in a rectifier circuit?
57. How does the load resistance affect the output of a rectifier?
58. Why is a half-wave rectifier less efficient than a full-wave rectifier?
59. What happens if the diode in a half-wave rectifier is reversed?
60. How does the frequency of the output signal relate to the input signal?

7. Full-Wave Rectifier
61. What is the main difference between a half-wave and full-wave rectifier?
62. Explain the working of a center-tapped full-wave rectifier.
63. How does a bridge rectifier differ from a center-tapped rectifier?
64. What is the ripple factor in a full-wave rectifier?
65. What is the advantage of using a full-wave rectifier over a half-wave rectifier?
66. How does the efficiency of a full-wave rectifier compare to that of a half-wave rectifier?
67. What is the role of a transformer in a full-wave rectifier?
68. Why does a full-wave rectifier produce less ripple?
69. How is the output DC voltage of a full-wave rectifier calculated?
70. What happens if one diode fails in a bridge rectifier?
8. Clippers
71. What is the function of a clipper circuit?
72. Explain the difference between series and parallel clipper circuits.
73. How does a clipper circuit modify the input waveform?
74. What is the difference between a positive and negative clipper?
75. Where are clipper circuits commonly used in electronics?
76. What happens if the clipping level is set too high or too low?
77. Explain how a biased clipper works.
78. How do you design a clipper circuit to remove both peaks of a signal?
79. What is the role of a diode in a clipper circuit?
80. How do clipper circuits differ from clamping circuits?

9. Clampers
81. What is the purpose of a clamper circuit?
82. How does a clamper differ from a clipper?
83. Explain the working of a positive clamper.
84. What is the role of the capacitor in a clamper circuit?
85. How does a biased clamper work?
86. What is the difference between a positive and negative clamper?
87. How does the time constant of the RC network affect the output of a clamper?
88. Why are clamper circuits used in television receivers?
89. What is the effect of load resistance on a clamper circuit?
90. Can a clamper circuit change the shape of the input waveform? Why or why not?

10. Zener Diode

91. What is a Zener diode, and how does it differ from a regular PN junction diode?
92. Explain the principle of operation of a Zener diode.
93. What is Zener breakdown, and how does it occur?
94. What is the significance of the Zener voltage?
95. How is a Zener diode used for voltage regulation?
96. Explain the VI characteristics of a Zener diode.
97. What is the difference between avalanche breakdown and Zener breakdown?
98. How does the doping level of a Zener diode affect its breakdown voltage?
99. Why is a series resistor used in a Zener diode voltage regulator circuit?
100. Can a Zener diode be used in both forward and reverse bias? Explain.
101. What happens if the input voltage drops below the Zener voltage in a regulator
circuit?
102. What are the typical applications of Zener diodes?
103. How do temperature changes affect the Zener breakdown voltage?
104. What are the limitations of a Zener diode when used as a voltage regulator?
105. Explain how Zener diodes are used for over-voltage protection.
106. What is the power dissipation rating of a Zener diode, and why is it
important?
107. Why is the Zener diode usually operated in reverse bias mode?
108. What is the effect of connecting two Zener diodes in series or parallel?
109. How do you calculate the current through a Zener diode in a regulator
circuit?
110. What is the dynamic resistance of a Zener diode, and how does it impact
performance?

Questions encourage critical thinking and in-depth understanding of the concepts

1. BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor)

1. Why does a BJT require both electron and hole movement for current
conduction?
2. How does the base region’s doping level affect the operation of a BJT?
3. Why is the base current in a BJT much smaller compared to the collector
current?
4. Explain why the collector region is larger than the emitter and base regions.
5. How does thermal stability impact the operation of a BJT?
6. Why is the common-emitter configuration preferred for amplification over
other configurations?
7. How does the saturation region in a BJT differ from the active region?
8. Why is β (current gain) not constant in practical applications?

2. PN Junction Diode
1. Why does the depletion region widen in reverse bias and narrow in forward
bias?
2. Explain why a PN junction diode has a threshold voltage.
3. How does doping concentration affect the behavior of a PN junction diode?
4. Why is reverse saturation current almost independent of the applied reverse
voltage?
5. How does temperature affect the forward and reverse characteristics of a
diode?

3. Resistor
1. Why are resistors considered passive components?
2. How does the resistance of a conductor vary with its dimensions?
3. Why are carbon resistors widely used in electronic circuits?
4. Why do high-power resistors have large physical sizes?
5. How can the power rating of a resistor influence its choice in a circuit?
4. Capacitor
1. Why does a capacitor block DC but allow AC signals to pass?
2. How does the dielectric constant affect the capacitance of a capacitor?
3. What happens to the stored charge in a capacitor when the voltage is
removed?
4. Why are electrolytic capacitors polarized, and how does this affect their use?
5. How is the energy stored in a capacitor distributed in an AC circuit?

5. Inductor
1. Why does an inductor oppose changes in current rather than voltage?
2. How does the core material affect the inductance of an inductor?
3. Why do inductors behave differently in AC and DC circuits?
4. What is the physical significance of self-inductance?
5. Why is an inductor not ideal for use in high-frequency circuits?

6. Half-Wave Rectifier
1. Why is the efficiency of a half-wave rectifier lower than that of a full-wave
rectifier?
2. How does the frequency of the rectified output relate to the input frequency?
3. Why is filtering necessary in a rectifier circuit?
4. How does the load resistance affect the performance of a half-wave rectifier?
5. Why is the output of a half-wave rectifier not pure DC?

7. Full-Wave Rectifier
1. Why does a full-wave rectifier have a lower ripple factor than a half-wave
rectifier?
2. How does the use of a transformer improve the performance of a full-wave
rectifier?
3. Why is the bridge rectifier more efficient than the center-tapped rectifier?
4. How does the output voltage of a full-wave rectifier change with an increase
in load resistance?
5. Why does the output of a full-wave rectifier still require a filter circuit?

8. Clipper
1. How does the positioning of the diode determine whether a clipper is positive
or negative?
2. Why are biased clippers preferred in some applications?
3. How can a clipper be used to protect sensitive circuits?
4. Why does a clipper circuit not distort the rest of the signal?
5. What would happen if a capacitor is added to a clipper circuit?
9. Clamper
1. How does a clamper circuit shift the DC level of a signal?
2. Why is a capacitor essential in a clamper circuit?
3. How does the diode orientation affect the output of a clamper?
4. How does the time constant of the RC network impact the clamper’s
performance?
5. Why are clamper circuits commonly used in TV receivers?

10. Zener Diode

1. Why does the Zener diode operate in the breakdown region without damage?
2. How does the Zener voltage remain constant despite variations in load
current?
3. What are the practical limitations of a Zener diode as a voltage regulator?
4. Why is a resistor always connected in series with a Zener diode in a regulator
circuit?
5. How does the temperature coefficient of a Zener diode affect its performance?

11. Direct and Indirect Bandgap Semiconductors

1. Why do direct bandgap semiconductors emit light more efficiently than
indirect bandgap semiconductors?
2. Explain the role of phonons in indirect bandgap semiconductors.
3. How does the band structure affect the choice of materials for LEDs and
lasers?
4. Why is silicon, an indirect bandgap semiconductor, widely used in
electronics?
5. How does the effective mass of charge carriers differ between direct and
indirect bandgap semiconductors?

Attention Students:
The aforementioned list of questions serves as a sample to help you prepare for your viva.
However, please note:
1. Recommended Textbooks & Advisor Suggestions:
o You must thoroughly study the recommended textbooks and resources as advised
in your course and scheme.
o These resources provide detailed explanations and broader coverage beyond these
sample questions.
2. Class Notes:
o Your class notes are equally important and must be reviewed thoroughly to
strengthen your understanding of the concepts.
 3. External Examiner's Questions:
o The external examiner may frame/ask questions beyond this list. This is only a
guide and should not be treated as the sole preparation material.

Be well-prepared and approach the viva with confidence!

Best regards,

DS
Course Instructor – FoE, Sec: A