PHYSICS

LAB MANUAL (2021-2022)

ACTIVITIES
 ACTIVITY 1

ASSEMBLING THE COMPONENTS

AIM
To assemble the components of a given electrical circuit.

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Battery, plug key, resistor, rheostat, ammeter, voltmeter, connecting wires and sand paper

PROCEDURE
 Connect the components as shown in Figure.
 After closing the key K, check that the voltmeter and ammeter show deflections on
the right hand side.
 Check the continuity of the assembled circuit using a multimeter

RESULT
The components of the electrical circuit were assembled.

PRECAUTIONS
 Ends of the connecting wires should be cleaned with sand paper before making
connections.
 The positive terminal of the battery should be connected to the positive terminal of
the voltmeter and positive terminal of the ammeter.
 The ammeter should be connected in series with the resistor and the voltmeter
should be connected in parallel with the resistor.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
 ACTIVITY 2

CORRECTING THE WRONG CIRCUIT

AIM
To draw the diagram of given open circuit comprising at least a battery, resistor/rheostat,
key, ammeter and voltmeter. Mark the components that are not connected in proper order
and correct the circuit and also the circuit diagram.

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Battery, plug key, resistor, rheostat, ammeter, voltmeter, connecting wires and sand paper

THEORY
Ammeter: It should be connected in series, with the battery eliminator.
Voltmeter: It should be connected in parallel to the resistor.
Rheostat: It should be connected in series (in place of resistance coil) with the battery
eliminator.
Resistance coil: It should be connected in parallel (in place of rheostat).
One way key: It should be connected in series to the battery eliminator

PROCEDURE
 Consider one circuit whosevarious components arenot connected in proper order.
 Draw the correct circuit diagram.
 Connect the electrical components according to corrected circuit diagram.
 Close the key in the circuit to verify if the corrected circuit is functional

RESULT
The electrical circuit assembled as per the corrected circuit diagram is functional.

PRECAUTIONS
 Ends of the connecting wires should be cleaned with sand paper before making
connections.
 The positive terminal of the battery should be connected to the positive terminal of
the voltmeter and positive terminal of the ammeter.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

OBSERVATION

Circuit Correct Incorrect

S. No
Component Connection Connection
1 Battery/cell
2 Resistor
3 Rheostat
4 Key
5 Ammeter
6 Voltmeter
 ACTIVITY 3

VARIATION IN POTENTIAL DROP WITH LENGTH

AIM
To study the variation in potential drop with length of a wire for a steady current.

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Potentiometer, A battery eliminator, a low resistance rheostat, a voltmeter of range (0 to 3
V) an ammeter of range (0 to 3 A), one way key, a jockey, connecting wires, a Set Square,
and a piece of Sandpaper.

THEORY:
For a potentiometer with wire of uniform material density and thickness carrying a steady
current, potential drop is proportional to the length of the wire.

Where K is the potential drop per unit length. It is called the potential gradient.

PROCEDURE:
 All the connections are made as shown in diagram.
 The key is closed and the rheostat is adjusted such that the voltmeter gives full scale
deflection.
 Jockey is touched at end P at 0 cm. The voltmeter will give zero deflection.
 The Jockey is touched at marks separated by 50 cm length of the wire.
 The voltmeter reading is recorded in each case.

RESULT:
The potential gradient is found to be constant within the limits of experimental error. Its
mean value is0.00748 V cm–1 .
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
 ACTIVITY 4

IDENTIFICATION OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

AIM
To identify a diode, a LED, a transistor, an IC, a resistor and a capacitor from a mixed
collection of such items.

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Multimeter, a collection of diode, LED, transistor, IC, resistor and capacitor.
.
PROCEDURE
Check the physical appearance of the component.
 If it has four or more terminals and has the appearance of a chip (black rectangular
block), then it is an IC.
 If it has three terminals, the component may be a transistor. To confirm, set-up the
multimeter in resistance mode (highest range). Connect its black or common
terminal to one of the extreme legs of the component and the second terminal (red
or positive) to the central leg. Check the multimeter deflection. If a deflection is
observed, interchange the multimeter terminals. If no deflection is observed, the
component is a transistor.
 If the component has two terminals, it could be a resistor, a capacitor, a diode or a
LED.
 Look for colour bands, if it has a typical set of three colour bands followed by a
silver or gold band, the component is a resistor.
 Connect the multimeter terminals (in resistance modehighest range) to the
component terminals and watch for multimeter deflection.
 If the multimeter shows an equal deflection in both the directions, the component is
a resistor.
 If the deflection is accompanied with emission of light, in one direction and a much
less or zero deflection in the other direction the component is a LED.
 If the multimeter does not show any deflection in one direction and shows
deflection with no light emission in the other direction then, the component is a
diode.
 If the multimeter does not show any deflection on connecting its terminals either
way to the component, it is a capacitor. But if capacitance of capacitor is large,
multimeter may show a momentary deflection.
RESULT
A diode, a LED, a transistor, an IC, a resistor and a capacitor are identified respectively from
a mixed collection.
PRECAUTION
While obtaining resistance of any component, clean its leads properly.

DIAGRAM
 ACTIVITY 5

IMAGE FORMATION-CONVEX LENS

AIM
To study the nature and size of the image formed by a convex lens

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Source box, a convex lens of small focal length and known thickness, a screen with a stand,
metre scale.

PROCEDURE
 Mount the lens on the stand
 Obtain an approximate value of the focal length of the convex lens by focusing the
image of a distant object.
 From the rough values of ‘F’ calculate ‘2F’.
 Place the lens beyond 2F distance from the source box. Place the screen behind the
lens and move till you obtain the clear image on the screen. Note the nature ,size,
image of image from the lens in the observation table.
 Repeat the experiments by keeping the convex lens at the distance of 2F, between F
and 2F, at F, less than F from the source box. Note the nature ,size, image of image
from the lens in the observation table.

RESULT
The change in position, nature and size of the image is according to theoretical predictions.

PRECAUTIONS
 This experiment should be performed at a shaded place where no direct light
reaches (preferably in a dark room) otherwise the images may not be distinctly
visible
 Eye should be placed at a distance more than 25 cm from the image formed on the
screen.
DIAGRAM

OBSERVATION TABLE
 ACTIVITY 6

REFRACTION OF GLASS SLAB

AIM
To observe refraction and lateral deviation of a beam of light incident obliquely on a glass
slab.

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Drawing board, rectangular glass slab, white sheet of paper, drawing pins, a metre scale,
pins, protractor, sharp pencil and eraser.

PRINCIPLE
When a ray of light is incident on a rectangular glass slab, it is refracted through it. It
emerges out of the slab parallel to the direction of the incident ray. The emergent ray
suffers only a lateral displacement. For a given angle of incidence and a pair of media, the
lateral deviation is proportional to the thickness of the glass slab.

PROCEDURE
 Fix a white paper sheet by drawing pins on a drawing board.
 Take a glass slab and put it symmetrically in the middle of the paper and mark its
boundary ABCD.
 Draw a normal at point Q on face AB and draw a line PQ making an angle i with the
normal. PQ will represent an incident ray.
 Fix two pins at points 1 and 2 on the line PQ at distances 1 cm or more between
themselves.
 See images of these pins through face DC and fix two more pins at points 3 and 4 (1
cm or more apart) such that these two pins cover the images of first two pins, all
being along a straight line.
 Remove the glass slab. Draw straight line RS through points 3 and 4 to represent
emergent ray. Join QR to represent refracted ray.
 Draw normal at point R on face DC and measure angle e. It comes to be equal to
angle i. Produce PQ forward to cut DC at T. Draw TU perpendicular to RS. TU
measures lateral displacement d.
 Now take another set for different angle of incident and measure the lateral
displacement.

RESULT
The ray of light emerging from a glass slab is parallel to the incident ray direction, but is
laterally deviated.
DIAGRAM

OBSERVATION TABLE

Angle of Angle of Angle of

s.no incidence Refraction emergence
i r e
1 30 20 31
2 40 25 40
3 50 31 50
 ACTIVITY 7

TO OBSERVE POLARISATION OF LIGHT USING TWO POLAROIDS

AIM
To observe polarisation of light using two polaroids.

APPARATUS REQUIRED
Thin glass sheet, a source giving monochromatic light beam with parallel rays, a polaroid.

THEORY
When an unpolarised light is made incident on the interface of two transparent media at
polarising angle, the refracted and reflected rays depart from each other at an angle of 90°.
The reflected ray is completely plane polarised. It can be tested by a polaroid.

DIAGRAM

PROCEDURE
Keep the than glass sheet in a horizontal plane surface with a hole under the sheet. Take a
beam of monochromatic light having parallel rays and make it incident on the upper face of
the glass sheet.
Adjust the angle of incidence to 57.5°.
Observe the reflected rays and the refracted rays. They must make an angle of 90° with
each other.
Testing of Polarisation

 Take a polaroid (P) and keep it in between incident light and your eyes. Rotate it
about an axis along incident ray. No change of intensity of light will be detected. It is
so because the incident light is unpolarised.
 Take the second polaroid (A) and place it at a proper distance between polaroid (P)
and eye and parallel to it. Light is visible through them.
  Now rotate the polaroid (A) ranging from 0° to 360°. Keeping the polaroid (P) fix and
note the intensity of transmitted light.
 When polaroid (A) and polaroid (P) at 90° than transmitted light through polaroid (A)
will be zero.

RESULT
When the two polaroids are parallel to each other light transmitted through it. But when
they are perpendicular, there is no transmitted light. The light obtained through polaroid
(P) is plane polarised. The light has transverse nature.

PRECAUTIONS

1. Two polaroids and source of light should be in a straight line.

2. Rotate only second polarised from 0° to 360°. It is so, because the reflected light is
completely plane polarised.
Figure shows the arrangement for testing the polarisation of light by tourmaline
crystals which act as polaroids.