Chapter 4 Electricity: Magnetic and Heating effects

B. Fill in the blanks.

1. When electric current flows through a conductor (like a wire), it produces ……….. around it.
Ans : magnetic field

2. A current-carrying coil behaves like a ……….

Ans : magnet.

3. The flow of electric current in a wire faces some opposition, which is called
………..
Ans : resistance.

4. The metal plates dipped in an electrolyte are called ………..

Ans : electrodes.

5. The wire used in electric heaters and irons is usually made of ………
Ans : nichrome.

6. The solution used in a Voltaic cell is called an …………..

Ans: electrolyte

6. The solution used in a Voltaic cell is called an electrolyte (specifically, dilute sulfuric acid).

C. Match the columns.

The correct matches are:

(i) Voltaic Cell → (d) Generates electricity by chemical reactions

(ii) Electric iron → (c) Works on heating effect of electric current

(iii) Nichrome wire → (a) Best suited for electric heater

(iv) Electromagnet → (b) Works on magnetic effect of electric current

D. State whether the following statements are true or false. Also, correct the false statements.

1. Dry cells are less portable compared to Voltaic cells.

False
Correction: Dry cells are more portable compared to Voltaic cells because they do not contain
liquid electrolytes that can spill.
2. A coil becomes an electromagnet only when electric current flows through it.
True

3. The magnetic field around a current-carrying wire disappears as soon as the current is
switched off.
True

4. An electromagnet, using a single cell, attracts more iron paper clips than the same
electromagnet with a battery of 2 cells.
False
Correction:An electromagnet with a battery of 2 cells will attract more paper clips because a
higher voltage increases the current, making the magnetic field stronger.

5. A rechargeable battery cannot be used more than once .

False
Correction: A rechargeable battery can be used more than once .

E] Assertion and reason

1.
Ans C) A is true but R is false .

2.
Ans : A) Both A and R is correct and R is the correct explanation of A.

3.
Ans : A) Both A and R is correct and R is the correct explanation of A .

4.
Ans B) Both A and R are true but R is the correct explanation of A.

F. Very short answer questions.

1. What is the magnetic effect of electric current?

Answer: When an electric current flows through a conducting wire, it generates a magnetic field
around it, causing the wire to behave like a magnet.

2. Name a device which uses a rechargeable battery.

Answer: Smartphone (or Laptop /Electric Vehicle).

3. What type of energy conversion takes place in an electric heater?

Answer: In an electric heater Electrical energy is converted into heat (thermal) energy.
4. What is the function of the electrolyte in a Voltaic cell?
Answer: The electrolyte undergoes a chemical reaction with the electrodes to create a potential
difference, allowing ions to flow between them and conduct electricity.

5. What kind of electrolyte is used in a dry cell?

Answer: A moist paste made primarily of ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) and zinc chloride (ZnCl₂).

6. Electric heating devices ( like an electric heater or a stove) are often considered more
convenient than traditional heating methods like burning firewood or charcoal) .Give reason to
support this statement considering societal impact.

Ans : Health Benefits: Electric devices do not produce smoke or harmful indoor air pollutants
(like carbon monoxide), significantly reducing respiratory illnesses .
Environmental Preservation: They eliminate the need for gathering firewood, which helps
reduce deforestation, habitat destruction .
Time Efficiency: Traditional methods require morel time and effort to collect fuel and tend to the
fire. Electric heating works instantly at the flip of a switch .

G . Short answer questions.

1. Why does a compass needle get deflected when placed near a current-carrying wire?
Ans: A current-carrying wire produces a magnetic field around it. Since a compass needle is a
small magnet itself, it interacts with this magnetic field, causing it to deflect from its original
north-south position.

2. Suppose Sumana forgets to move the switch of her lifting electromagnet model to OFF
position . After sometime, the iron nail no longer picks up the iron paper clips, but the wire
wrapped around the iron nail is still warm . Why did the lifting electromagnet stop lifting the clips
? Give possible reasons:
Answer: The electromagnet stopped lifting the clips primarily because the battery got drained or
used up . * Reasoning: Since the switch was left ON, current flowed continuously. The warmth in
the wire indicates that a small residual current or heat remains, but the power is too weak to
create a magnetic field strong enough to lift the clips.

3. How can the strength of an electromagnet be increased ?

Ans : The strength of an electromagnet can be increased by :
•Increasing the number of turns in the coil or wire.
•Amount of current flowing in the coil.
•Presence of iron core .
4.
Answer : The LED will glow in case (a).
Reason: Lemon juice contains citric acid, which breaks down into ions and allows the solution to
conduct electricity (acting as an electrolyte). Pure water, on the other hand, does not have free
ions and is a poor conductor of electricity, so the circuit remains incomplete in case (b).

5. Neha keeps the coil exactly the same as in Activity 4 but slides the iron nail out, leaving only
the coiled wire. Will the coil still deflect the compass? If yes, will the deflection be more or less
than before?
Answer: Yes, the coil will still deflect the compass, but the deflection will be less than before.
Reason: The electric current flowing through the coiled wire produces its own magnetic field,
which is enough to deflect the compass needle.

6. We have four coils, of similar shape and size, made up from iron, copper, aluminium, and
nichrome as shown in figure. Give reasons.

When current is passed through the coils, compass needles placed near the coils will show
deflection.

(i) Only in circuit (a)

(ii) Only in circuits (a) and (b)

(iii) Only in circuits (a), (b), and (c)

(iv) In all four circuits .

Ans : iv) All the four circuits .

When the switches are closed, an electric current flows through each of the four coils. According
to the magnetic effect of electric current, any conductor carrying an electric current produces a
magnetic field around it, regardless of the material (iron, copper, aluminium, or nichrome) it is
made of.
Since all four materials are conductors and will carry current, a magnetic field will be generated
around every coil, causing a compass needle placed near any of them to deflect.

H. Long-answer questions

1. Explain the construction and working of an electromagnet with the help of an activity.
Ans : An electromagnet is a temporary magnet consisting of a coil of insulated wire wrapped
around a soft iron core, which becomes magnetized only when an electric current passes
through it.
Construction: Wrap an insulated copper wire tightly around a large iron nail (the core). Connect
the free ends of the wire to a battery through a switch.
Working: Place some steel paper clips near the iron nail. When you turn the switch ON, electric
current flows through the coil, creating a magnetic field that magnetizes the iron nail. As a result,
the nail attracts the paper clips. When you turn the switch OFF, the current stops flowing, the
nail loses its magnetism, and the paper clips fall off.

2. Explain the working of a Voltaic cell with the help of a labelled diagram.

Ans : Voltaic cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy using two different metal plates
dipped in an electrolyte.
Components: It consists of a copper plate (positive electrode) and a zinc plate (negative
electrode) immersed in dilute sulfuric acid contained in a glass vessel.
Working: When the electrodes are connected externally by a wire, chemical reactions occur
inside the cell. Zinc reacts with the acid and releases electrons, becoming negatively charged,
while hydrogen ions take electrons from the copper plate, leaving it positively charged. This
chemical action establishes a potential difference, causing electrons to flow from zinc to copper
through the external circuit, creating an electric current.
For diagram: Refer to page number 52 .

3. Explain why a current-carrying wire gets hot. Describe the factors affecting the heating effect
of electric current and its applications.
Ans : A current-carrying wire gets hot because it faces some opposition or resistance by the
wire which convert electrical energy into heat energy.

Factors Affecting the Heating Effect:

Resistance of the wire : Higher resistance generates more heat
Magnitude of current : The heat produced increases rapidly as the amount of current increases
Time : The longer the current flows through the wire, the more heat is produced.
Applications:
Household Appliances: Used in electric irons, heaters, toasters, and geysers which contain
high-resistance heating elements.
Safety Fuse: A safety device containing a wire with a low melting point that melts and breaks
the circuit if the current exceeds a safe limit.

4. Explain how the polarity of an electromagnet can be changed.

Ans : The polarity of an electromagnet can be changed simply by reversing the direction of the
electric current flowing through the coil.
By swapping the connections of the wires at the battery terminals, the current starts flowing in
the opposite direction.
The end where the current flows in a clockwise direction becomes the South Pole.
The end where the current flows in an anticlockwise direction becomes the North Pole.
5. Look at the Figure. If the compass placed near the coil deflects: (i) Draw an arrow on the
diagram to show the path of the electric current. (ii) Explain why the compass needle moves
when current flows. (iii) Predict what would happen to the deflection if you reverse the battery
terminals.

Ans : i) The path of the electric current is B to A

(ii) The needle moves because the electric current flowing through the coil generates a
magnetic field around it (the magnetic effect of current). This field exerts a magnetic force on the
compass needle, causing it to deflect.
(iii) Reversing the Battery Terminals: If the battery terminals are reversed, the direction of the
electric current reverses. This changes the magnetic poles of the coil, causing the compass
needle to deflect in the opposite direction.