Physics (PH101)

Question Bank (UNIT-1)

Sl. No. Short Questions

1 Define Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) and write down the differential equation of motion for SHM.
2 Define time period for a particle executing simple harmonic motion, damped harmonic motion.
3 Find the position at which the potential energy is equal to kinetic energy in case of SHM.
4 Plot the displacement ~ time graph for three types of motion possible for a damped
harmonic oscillator.
5 What is resonance and sharpness of resonance? How the sharpness of resonance does depends
on damping.
6 Define diffraction grating. In a diffraction grating of 2.5 cm have 12500 rulings. Find the grating
element.
7 What are the differences between the Interference and diffraction patterns?
8 Differentiate between Fresnel and Fraunhofer classes of diffraction.
9 Differentiate between the ordinary and the extra-ordinary rays.
10 Explain briefly the role of Canada balsam layer in a Nicol prism?
11 What is Brewster’s angle?
12 What is angle of polarization? How it is related with the refractive index of the material?
13 Define plane of vibration and plane of polarization.
14 What do you mean by grating element? Explain the effect of increasing the number of lines in a
grating on the diffraction pattern.
15 Define optic axis and what is an uniaxial crystal.
16 What are the different methods of production of polarising light?
Sl. No. Long Questions

1 Write the expression for displacement, velocity, acceleration and find the positions of maxima and
minima for displacement, velocity, acceleration.

2 Set equation of motion for a particle in SHM. Deduce the expressions for its displacement, velocity
and acceleration and plot all these in a graph versus time.

3 Derive the differential equation for a damped harmonic oscillator and discuss under damped,
critically damped, over damped oscillations conditions. Represent these oscillations on
displacement vs time graph.

4 Set up the differential equation of damped harmonic oscillator. Discuss the critical-damped
oscillation. Give a graphical (displacement ~ time) of this oscillation.
5 Obtain the equation of motion of a forced harmonic oscillator starting the different force acting on
it. Identify the steady state and transient parts in the general solution to this equation.

6 With a suitable labelled diagram explain the formation of Newton’s ring as interference of light.
Derive an expression for the diameter of dark and bright rings in Newton’s ring experiment.
7 State and prove Brewster law.
8 State and prove Malus’ law of polarization.
9 Obtain the condition for maxima and minima for Fraunhoffer diffraction due to single slit with a
labelled diagram.
Sl. No. Numerical

1 The differential equation of motion of a freely oscillating body is given by

𝒅𝟐 𝒙
𝟐 + 𝟏𝟖𝝅𝟐 𝒙 = 𝟎
𝒅𝟐 𝒕
Calculate the natural frequency of the body.
2 In a Newton’s arrangement a source of light having two wavelengths 6000 Å and 4500 Å is
used. It is found that nth dark ring due to 6000 Å coincides with (n+1) th dark ring due to 4500 Å.
Calculate the radii of nth dark, if radius of curvature of plano-convex lens is 100 cm.
3 Find the angle between the axis of an analyzer with incident beam so that the intensity of the
polarized light is 25% less than that of initial intensity.

4 A glass plate having refractive index 1.66 is to be used as a polarizer. Calculate polarizing angle
and angle of refraction.

5 The total energy of one dimensional simple harmonic oscillator is 0.8 erg. What is its kinetic energy
when it is midway between mean position and extreme position?
6 Two simple harmonic motions are represented by 𝒚 = 𝒂 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝝎𝒕 − 𝒌𝒙 and 𝒚 = 𝒂 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝝎𝒕 −
𝒌𝒙 respectively. Find the phase difference between them.
7 A plane diffraction grating of width 4 cm has slits each of width 0.0001 cm separated by a gap of
0.0002 cm. Find the grating element of diffraction grating.
8 𝜋
The equation of a particle executing simple harmonic motion is 𝑥 = 3 sin 2𝜋𝑡 + 3 , where 𝑥 is
in meter and 𝑡 is in seconds. Find amplitude, time period.
9 A plane diffraction grating of width 2.5 cm has 15000 ruling on it. Monochromatic light of
wavelength 5893 Å is incident normally in it. Find the angle at which second order principal
maximum occur.
10 The displacement of particle performing simple harmonic motion is given by,
y = 3sin2t + 4cos2t. Find the time period and amplitude.
11 Calculate Brewster’s angle for a glass slab (n=1.5) immersed in water (n=1.33).
12 A plane diffraction grating of width 2.5 cm has 15000 ruling on it. Monochromatic light of
wavelength 5893 Å is incident normally in it. Find the angle at which second order principal
maximum occur.
13 Monochromatic light from He-Ne laser (λ= 5893Å) is incident normally on a diffraction grating 6000
lines per cm. Find the angle at which one would observe the first order and second order
maxima.
14 In Newton’s rings with reflected light are observed between a plano convex lens of radius of
curvature of 120 cm and a plane glass plate. The diameter of the 15 th bright ring is 0.58 cm.
Calculate the diameter of the 25th bright ring and the wavelength of the light used.
15 In a Newton’s arrangement, the diameter of a bright ring is 0.5 cm. What would be the diameter of
the ring if the lens placed on the plane glass plate is replaced by another one having double the
radius of curvature?
16 A transmission grating has 8000 rulings per cm. The first order principal maximum due to a
monochromatic source of light occurs at an angle of 30o. Determine the wavelength of light.
17 The diameter of 10th dark ring for a light of wavelength 540 nm is found to be 0.54 cm. Find the
radius of curvature of the plano-convex lens used.
18 Find the angle between polarizer and analyzer so that intensity become half of its initial value.