Answers

4 a 6V Q Q
e V V1 + V2 = +
b 0.06 C C1 C2
c 6V Q Q Q 1 1 1
f V= = + so = +
Ctotal C C Ctotal C1 C 2
d 6.0 × 10 −3 A (6.0 mA)
e 0.006 C; 0.054 C 4 a series b parallel c series
f 5.4 V d series e parallel
g 5.4 × 10 −3 A
Exam-style questions
h because the p.d. across R has decreased
1 a Capacitance of a capacitor: the charge stored on one plate
5 a Graph B; because the p.d. starts to decrease as soon as per unit potential difference between the plates.
charge leaves the capacitor. b 60 μA c 0.048 C d 5.76 J
b More slowly because the current will be smaller and so the
charge will leave the capacitor more slowly. e Electrical energy from the power supply is transferred
to electric potential energy of the charges on the capacitor
plates. The difference between these two values is
Exercise 24.2 Energy stored by a charged thermal energy or internal energy in the wires and the
capacitor power supply.
1 2 a
1 a gradient =
C
b 1.0 mJ

Potential
c 3.0 mJ
three times
d the work done in adding the second mC (or work done in
increasing p.d. from 2 V to 4 V)
e It is necessary to push against the repulsion of the charge that 0
is already present on the plates.
0 Charge
f 16.0 mJ; area of first four strips, or of triangle 39
b 9 × 106 V c 900 J
2 a 50 μF; 900 μJ 3 a 308 μF
Q charge on C1 = charge on C2 = 6.15 × 1−2 C = 62 mC
b C = can be rearranged to Q = CV b
V
substituting in W = QV gives:
Chapter 25:
W = ½ CV × V = ½ CV2
Electronics
c 0.576 J
d 2.78 × 10 −5 F Exercise 25.1 Sensing
r 1 a thermistor
3 a C=
k b microphone or piezo-electric transducer
b larger radius c light-dependent resistor (LDR)
c 2.2 × 10 −11 F d strain gauge
d 4.4 × 10 −7 C
2
e 4.4 × 10 −3 J plastic

Exercise 24.3 Capacitors in series and in parallel

1 a 20 pF c 5 e 260 pF metal wire
b 5 pF d 2 pF f 8 pF

2 a in parallel; 60 μF
b In series; 40 μF
c 50 μF

3 a V, because each is connected directly across the supply V. connecting leads

b Q = C1V + C2V
c Q = CtotalV = C1V + C2V, so Ctotal = C1 + C2
d Q because –Q on C1 must be equal in magnitude to +Q on C2.
 Cambridge International AS and A level Physics

As the gauge is stretched, the metal wires become longer. 3 uses data from the inputs to produce the output voltage in a
Because resistance is proportional to length, the resistance predetermined way
increases in proportion. The cross-sectional area may decrease
4 If V+ is larger than V−, the output is a large positive value (often close
slightly, which also increases resistance.
to the + supply voltage). If V+ is smaller than V−, the output is a large
3 a a few hundred ohms negative value (often close to the supply voltage).
b hundreds or thousands of kΩ 5 a +9 V and −9 V
4 a b any voltage greater than +1.5 V
c any voltage less than +1.5 V
d
Resistance of R / kΩ V+ / V Vout / V
400 +4.8 +9
200 +4.0 +9
output 100 +3.0 +9
voltage 80 +2.7 +9
50 +2.0 +9
0 0 −9
b As temperature rises, the resistance of the thermistor falls.
This decreases the fraction of the 10 V supply voltage across e In the dark R has a high resistance and the p.d. across it is
the thermistor. larger than 1.5 V. So V+ >1.5 V and Vout is +9 V.
c The resistance of the thermistor does not fall linearly with f Swap R and the 100 kΩ resistor or swap the connections to
temperature and, unless the fixed resistor has a large V+ and V−.
resistance, the potential divider formula means that Vout is not
proportional to the resistance of the thermistor. Exercise 25.3 Inverting and non-inverting
d Take the output voltage across the fixed resistor. amplifiers
e Mark the position of the pointer of the meter on the scale with
40 the temperature of the water bath. Repeat for other known 1 a A fraction of the output is added to the input, out-of-phase to
temperatures. Find an unknown temperature by interpolation the input by 180°.
between the marked points on the scale. b reduces gain; increases bandwidth; reduces distortion;
f Draw a calibration curve of the voltmeter reading against increases stability
temperature using the known temperatures and the
2 a the ratio of the output voltage to the p.d. between the
voltmeter reading. Find the unknown temperature by using
inverting and non-inverting inputs of the op-amp
the calibration graph.
b If amplifier is not saturated, difference in potential between
5 5% inverting and non-inverting inverting inputs < (Vs/gain)
which is very small. Non-inverting input is at earth potential
6 The oscillation in the sound makes the piezo-electric transducer,
therefore so is P.
crystal or sheet vibrate, and this produces an alternating e.m.f.
c 5.0 × 10 −6 A
Exercise 25.2 Properties of an op-amp and its d They are in series and the input resistance of the op-amp at P
use as a comparator is very large.
e 0.30 V
1 a P inverting input; Q non-inverting input; R output
f −3.0
b The op-amp has very large open-loop voltage gain. Any
g 20 kΩ
difference in the potentials at P and Q is amplified, usually
by hundreds of thousands of times and becomes the output h Changes from +6 V to −6 V.
R. If Q has a higher potential than P, the output is positive; i −9 V
otherwise it is negative.
3 a 1 + (R1/R2) or 1 + (R/10)
c These provide power to the op-amp to make it work.
b 140 kΩ
2 infinite input resistance: draws little current from any input device c The input resistance of the op-amp is high.
zero output resistance: output voltage does not fall when d 0.20 V
connected to an output device e 0.20 V
infinite open loop gain: small signal can be amplified a large amount f +0.20 V
infinite bandwidth: all frequencies are amplified the same amount g Stays at −9 V until Vin is −0.6 V; then it changes from −9 V to
+9 V as Vin changes to +0.6 V; then it stays constant at +9 V.
infinite slew rate: no time delay between applying a voltage and
the output changing
 Answers

Exercise 25.4 Output devices connected d i A fraction of the output is added to the input, out-of-
phase to the input by 180°.
to an op-amp
ii The open-loop voltage gain of the op-amp is very
1 to switch high voltages or high currents safely high and also depends on the frequency of the signal.
2 a, b Reducing it allows the overall gain to be the same for a
range of frequencies.

− 2 a LDR as on top left of diagram

LED as on bottom right of diagram
+ b If the potential at Q is larger than at P the output of the op-
amp is −12 V (or close). If the potential at Q is less than at P the
output is +12 V.
c 9.59 V
d i +10 V
ii +12 V (or close)
e A p.d. of 12 V across the LED is too large, the current is too
c No answer large and the LED will be damaged. The resistor reduces the
d The op-amp cannot provide high enough current for a heater current.
and also cannot operate at mains voltage.
3 a i An oscilloscope. One input of the oscilloscope is
e The output of the op-amp is +Vs; a current passes through the
connected across the signal generator and the other
diode and magnetises the relay coil. The switch is closed and
across Vout.
the heater is on.
ii They are 180º out of phase.
f The output of the op-amp is −Vs; no current passes through
the diode and the switch is open and the heater is off. iii The op-amp is saturated; it cannot give an output larger
than the supply voltage.
3 a b Any three from:
− infinite input resistance
41
infinite (open loop) gain
+
zero output resistance
infinite bandwidth
infinite slew rate
zero noise contribution

c i The op-amp has very large gain. If the amplifier is not

b 6.0 V saturated, the inverting input must be (almost) at the same
c 600 Ω potential as the non-inverting input. As the non-inverting
input is at earth potential, so is the inverting input P.
Exam-style questions ii 1.25 mA
1 a +12 V iii −0.75 V
b
+Vs
− Chapter 26:
+ Magnetic fields and electromagnetism
−Vs
R1
Vout
Exercise 26.1 Magnetic field lines
Vin
1 a circles centred on the wire
R2 b anticlockwise
c closest to the wire; lines are closer together
d field lines become clockwise
e field lines closer together
9 .6 ( )
c Gain = = 20. For the resistors, since gain = 1 2 , any
0.48 R1 2 a right hand
value with R1 = 19 R2, for example, 1 kΩ and 19 kΩ, although b direction of the current
very small values are not possible because the op-amp
cannot provide enough current. c direction of the field lines