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Physics Project
Academic Year 2025-26
Name - Sagnik Biswas
Class - XII
Roll -
Topic - Variation of current flowing in
a circuit containing LDR
1
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Principal’s
Certificate
This is to certify that Sagnik Biswas of Class
12 of Amrita Vidyalayam, Durgapur has
successfully completed the project on the topic
“Variation of current flowing in a circuit
containing LDR” under the supervision and
guidance of Mr. Sujit Patra.
I certify that this project is upto the
expectation of CBSE.
Principal’s Signature :
2
:
Teacher’s Certificate
This is to certify that Sagnik Biswas of
Class 12 of Amrita Vidyalayam,
Durgapur has
successfully completed the project on the topic
“Variation of current flowing in a circuit
containing LDR” under the supervision and
guidance of Mr. Sujit Patra.
I certify that this project is upto the
expectation of CBSE.
Invigilator’s Signature: Teacher’s Signature:
3
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Acknowledgement:
It gives me great pleasure to express my
gratitude towards our Physics teacher Mr
Sujit Patra for his guidance, support and
encouragement throughout the duration of the
project of the topic “Variation of current
flowing in a circuit containing LDR”.
I would like to thank my parents and friends
who have helped me with the value of
suggestions and guidance, which have been
helpful in various phases of the completion
of the project. Without their motivation and
help, the successful completion of this project
would not have been possible. I hope you will
like this project.
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Introduction:
The general purpose photoconductive cell is also
known as LDR - light dependent resistor. It
is a type of semiconductor and its conductivity
changes with proportional change in the intensity
of light.
There are two common types of materials used to
manufacture the photoconductive cells. They are
Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) and Cadmium
Selenide (CdSe).
Extrinsic devices have impurities added, which have
a ground state energy closer to the conduction band
- since the electrons don't have as far to jump, lower
energy photons (i.e. longer wavelengths and lower
frequencies) are sufficient to trigger the device. Two
of
its earliest applications were
as part of smoke and fire
detection systems and camera
light meters.
The structure is covered with a
glass sheet to protect it from
moisture and dust and allows
only light to fall on it.
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Characteristics of
photoconductive cells:
Now when the device is kept in darkness, its
resistance is called dark resistance. This
resistance is typically of the order of 10^13
ohms. When light falls on it, its resistance
decreases up to several kilo ohms or even
hundreds of ohms, depending on the intensity of
light falling on it.
The spectral response characteristics of two
commercial cells were compared in our
laboratory. And we found that there is almost
no response to the radiation of a wavelength
shorter than 300nm. It was very interesting to
note that the Cadmium Sulphide cell has a
peak response nearer or within the green color
of the spectrum within a range of 520nm. Thus it
can be used nearer to the infra-red region up
to 750nm. It was found that the maximum
response of Cadmium Sulphoselenide is in the
yellow-orange range at 615nm and also it can be
used in the infra-red region up to about 970nm.
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AIM:
To study the variations, in current flowing in
a circuit containing a LDR, because of a
variation:
(a) In the power of the incandescent lamp,
used to illuminate the LDR. (Keeping all the
lamps at a fixed distance).
(b) In the distance of an incandescent lamp,
(of fixed power), used to illuminate the
LDR.
APPARATUS:
● Light
Dependent
Resistor (LDR)
● Connecting Wires
● Source of
different power
rating (bulbs)
● Bulb Holder
● Metre scale
● Multi Meter
● Battery
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THEORY:
1.) LDR and its characteristics:
When light is incident on it, a photon is absorbed
and thereby it excites an electron from the valence
band into conduction band. Due to such new
electrons coming up in the conduction band area,
the electrical resistance of the device decreases.
Thus the LDR or photo conductive transducer has
the resistance which is the inverse function of
radiation intensity.
A0 = threshold Frequency
E = charge on one electron, in Coulombs
Ew = work function of the metal used, in
Ev
Here we must note that any radiation with
wavelength greater than the value obtained in
above equation CANNOT PRODUCE any change
in the resistance of this device.
The band gap energy of Cadmium Sulphide is 2.24
Ev and for Cadmium Selenide it is 1.74 Ev. Due to
such large energy gaps, both the materials have
extremely high resistivity at room temperature.
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SENSITIVITY:
The sensitivity of a photo detector is the
relationship between the light falling on the
device and the resulting output signal. In
the case of a photocell, one is dealing with
the relationship between the incident light
and the corresponding resistance of the cell.
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SPECTRAL RESPONSE:
Like the human eye, the relative sensitivity
of a photoconductive cell is dependent on the
wavelength (color) of the incident light. Each
photoconductor material type has its own
unique spectral response curve or plot of the
relative response versus wavelength of
light.
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LUMINOUS FLUX VARIATION:
Consider the source to be a point radiating in
all directions; consider a steradian (or even a
simple sphere), take a small element dA on
the steradian at a distance 'r' from the
source. It comprises a small part of the
energy radiated (dER).
Now, go further to a distance 'R' (R>r) from
the source, consider the same area element
dA$, it comprises a much smaller part of
energy radiated (dER) (dER > dER).
It varies inversely as the square of the distance.
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PROCEDURE:
>Choose a specific position for the source and
mount it using a holder, make sure it is
stable.
>Select the bulb with the lowest power rating
and connect it to the holder as shown in the
figure.
>Connect the LDR,
battery (6V) and the
multimeter in series.
>Set the multimeter to the
ohm section and select a
suitable range and measure
the resistance with a bulb on.
>Similarly switch to the
current section and move
to micro ampere in the
multimeter. This gives the
value of the current.
>Repeat these steps with
different power sources at
different distances and
note down observations.
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OBSERVATIONS:
The experiment has been conducted by using
various sources with different power
ratings.
1) 15 watts (yellow) (wavelength = 570nm)
Serial Distance from Resistance Current
Number source (cm) (Kilo ohm) (micro
ampere)
1. 5 142. 40
0 5
2 4 69 80
. 0
3 30 41 150
.
4 2 21 300
. 0
2) 15 watts(incandescent) mean wavelength=610
Serial Distance from Resistance Current
Number source (cm) (Kilo ohm) (micro
ampere)
1. 50 51 120
2. 40 35 170
3. 30 22 270
4. 20 11 540
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3) 40 watts (incandescent) (mean wavelength
= 610nm)
Serial Distance from Resistance Current
Number source (cm) (Kilo ohm) (micro
ampere)
1. 5 20 300
0
2. 4 13 460
0
3. 30 8.5 700
4. 2 4.5 1330
0
4) 20 watts (CFL) (White Light)
Serial Distance Resistance Current
Number from source (Kilo ohm) (micro
(cm) ampere)
1. 50 15.5 380
2. 40 10 600
3. 30 6 1000
4. 20 3 2000
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CONCLUSION & RESULT:
● The LDR resistance decreases with
increase in intensity of light and hence
there is an increase in the flow of
current.
● There is an increase in the current as
the distance from the source
decreases.
● The intensity decreases as the distance
from the source increases.
● The error lies within the experimental limit.
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SOURCES OF ERROR:
● The LDR may not be perpendicular to
the source.
● Connections may be faulty.
● The experiment should be conducted in
a dark room.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
➔ NCERT physics class XII
➔ Art of Electronics by Paul Worowitz
➔ [Link]/
➔ [Link]/links/
education- hobby/
➔ [Link]/
➔ laboratory manual in physics
➔ Practical physics
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