Physics miscellaneous


  1. The best conductor of heat among the following is









  1. View Hint View Answer Discuss in Forum

    Since mercury is 13+ times as dense as water, a given volume of mercury would carry about 4.4 times as much heat, so mercury is best conductor of heat among the given options. It is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure. Mercury has one of the narrowest ranges of its liquid state of any metal. Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches, It is used in lighting: electricity passed through mercury vapor in a fluorescent lamp produces shortwave ultraviolet light which then causes the phosphor in the tube to fluoresce, making visible light.

    Correct Option: B

    Since mercury is 13+ times as dense as water, a given volume of mercury would carry about 4.4 times as much heat, so mercury is best conductor of heat among the given options. It is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure. Mercury has one of the narrowest ranges of its liquid state of any metal. Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches, It is used in lighting: electricity passed through mercury vapor in a fluorescent lamp produces shortwave ultraviolet light which then causes the phosphor in the tube to fluoresce, making visible light.


  1. What principle/law explains the working of the hydraulic brakes in automobiles ?









  1. View Hint View Answer Discuss in Forum

    Hydraulic brakes work on the principle of Pascal’s law which states that “pressure at a point in a fluid is equal in all directions in space”. According to this law when pressure is applied on a fluid it travels equally in all directions so that uniform braking action is applied on all four wheels. The hydraulic brake is an arrangement of braking mechanism which uses brake fluid, typically containing ethylene glycol, to transfer pressure from the controlling unit, which is usually near the operator of the vehicle, to the actual brake mechanism, which is usually at or near the wheel of the vehicle.

    Correct Option: C

    Hydraulic brakes work on the principle of Pascal’s law which states that “pressure at a point in a fluid is equal in all directions in space”. According to this law when pressure is applied on a fluid it travels equally in all directions so that uniform braking action is applied on all four wheels. The hydraulic brake is an arrangement of braking mechanism which uses brake fluid, typically containing ethylene glycol, to transfer pressure from the controlling unit, which is usually near the operator of the vehicle, to the actual brake mechanism, which is usually at or near the wheel of the vehicle.



  1. What is colour of light related to ?









  1. View Hint View Answer Discuss in Forum

    Colour or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue, and others. Colour derives from the spectrum of light (distribution of light power versus wavelength) interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors. Colour categories and physical specifications of colour are also associated with objects, materials, light sources, etc., based on their physical properties such as light absorption, reflection, or emission spectra. By defining a colour space, colours can be identified numerically by their coordinates.

    Correct Option: A

    Colour or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue, and others. Colour derives from the spectrum of light (distribution of light power versus wavelength) interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors. Colour categories and physical specifications of colour are also associated with objects, materials, light sources, etc., based on their physical properties such as light absorption, reflection, or emission spectra. By defining a colour space, colours can be identified numerically by their coordinates.


  1. Which set of conditions represents the easiest way to liquify a gas ?









  1. View Hint View Answer Discuss in Forum

    Low temperature and high pressure set of conditions represents the easiest way to liquefy a gas. Liquefaction of gases is physical conversion of a gas into a liquid state (condensation). The processes are used for scientific, industrial and commercial purposes. Many gases can be put into a liquid state at normal atmospheric pressure by simple cooling; a few, such as carbon dioxide, require pressurization as well. Liquefaction is used for analyzing the fundamental properties of gas molecules (intermolecular forces), for storage of gases. The liquefaction of gases is a complicated process that uses various compressions and expansions to achieve high pressures and very low temperatures, using, for example, turbo-expanders.

    Correct Option: A

    Low temperature and high pressure set of conditions represents the easiest way to liquefy a gas. Liquefaction of gases is physical conversion of a gas into a liquid state (condensation). The processes are used for scientific, industrial and commercial purposes. Many gases can be put into a liquid state at normal atmospheric pressure by simple cooling; a few, such as carbon dioxide, require pressurization as well. Liquefaction is used for analyzing the fundamental properties of gas molecules (intermolecular forces), for storage of gases. The liquefaction of gases is a complicated process that uses various compressions and expansions to achieve high pressures and very low temperatures, using, for example, turbo-expanders.



  1. The substance which conducts current in the solid state is









  1. View Hint View Answer Discuss in Forum

    The structure of graphite is unlike most other network substances. It is formed in ‘sheets’ of carbon atoms, each of which is bonded to only three others. The fourth valence electron of the carbon atom is delocalized and can move between the different layers, therefore carrying an electrical charge through the network of carbon atoms, a conductor is a material which contains movable electric charges. Unlike diamond (another carbon allotrope), graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal. It is, consequently, useful in such applications as arc lamp electrodes. Graphite is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Therefore, it is used in thermochemistry as the standard state for defining the heat of formation of carbon compounds.

    Correct Option: B

    The structure of graphite is unlike most other network substances. It is formed in ‘sheets’ of carbon atoms, each of which is bonded to only three others. The fourth valence electron of the carbon atom is delocalized and can move between the different layers, therefore carrying an electrical charge through the network of carbon atoms, a conductor is a material which contains movable electric charges. Unlike diamond (another carbon allotrope), graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal. It is, consequently, useful in such applications as arc lamp electrodes. Graphite is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Therefore, it is used in thermochemistry as the standard state for defining the heat of formation of carbon compounds.