QUESTION BANK-IA1

Electrical Engineering Materials -15EE552

Marks No of times
Sl
Question Allotte appeared in CO’s
No
d Exam
Discuss the importance of materials in development of electrical
1 8 3 CO1
machines; electronic devices, components and instruments
Classify the engineering materials from various viewpoints. Give a
2 8 3 CO1
brief account of their especialities and applications
Classify the electrical engineering materials on the basis of Their
3 energy gaps and briefly explain each of them. How do the conductors, 10 4 CO1
semiconductors, and superconductors differ from each other?
Discuss the scope of electrical materials. Where do these find use in
4 6 3 CO1
consumer items, robotics, information sector and biotechnology?
What are spintronic devices? State the principle of their Operation.
5 7 4 CO1
Discuss the various fields of spintronic research
Enumerate the characteristics of a good conductor. Discuss the effects
6 6 2 CO1
of different factors on resistivity of a conductor.
Classify solids on the basis of energy gaps. Name various conducting
7 7 2 CO1
materials and compare
Discuss the following.
8 8 3 CO1
a. Nordheim equation and Matthilssen rule of electrical resistivity.
Enumerate the requirement of materials suitable for various electronic
9 items. Make special mention of electrical, magnetic and electronic 8 2 CO1
devices
10 8 1 CO1
 QUESTION BANK-IA2

Electrical Engineering Materials -15EE552

1. Classify different types of conducting materials from various aspects. How do the low resistivity
materials differ from the high resistivity materials?
2. Compare the characteristics of low resistivity and high resistivity materials. Name some metals
and alloys falling under each category, and describe briefly their properties.
3. Compare different properties of copper and aluminium as conductive materials of electricity in
transmission and distribution systems. Mention those applications where aluminium can
completely replace the copper, and also where some reinforcement of aluminium is considered
essential.
4. Compare the properties and applications of annealed and hard drawn copper as a conductive
material.
5. Compare the merits and demerits of hot rolled, cold rolled and hard drawn aluminium as a
conductive material, and discuss their suitabilities of applications.
6. Discuss the utilities and applications of brass and bronze as a low resistivity materials.
7. Discuss the advantageous features of Ni and tantalum as conductive materials. What are their
limitations?
8. Enlist some high resistivity alloys suitable as conductive materials. Compare the nichrome,
constantan and manganin from different viewpoints.
9. Discuss the requirements of a good contact material. Name different types of contact materials
and quote their examples. How do the lightly loaded contacts differ from heavily loaded contacts?
10. What is the need of fuse (fusible) material? What are their requirements? Discuss different fusible
materials. In what ways the fusible materials are helpful in providing safety against fire and
explosion?
11. What are the requirements of a good filament material? Describe tungsten as a filamentary
material for use in lamps and compare its properties with carbon filament.
12. Describe different types of carbon which are suitable as filamentary and brush materials. Explain
the characteristics and properties of electrical carbon which is most useful for the purpose of
alternator brush.
13. Describe various types of conductors and cables. Explain the stranded cables, core cable, and
reinforced conductor with the help of suitable diagrams.
14. Differentiate between the following stating their purpose, types and examples.
a. Soft and hard solder materials.
b. Sheathing and sealing materials.
c. Annealed copper and tinned copper.
d. Nichrome and platinum.

15. Suggest with reasons, the materials generally used for the following applications.
a. Brushes on commutator for a D.C. generator.
b. Filament of an incandescent lamp.
c. Electric contact in an iron-clad switch.
d. Busbar in a sub-station.
 e. Precision shunts and resistors.

16. Discuss the advantages and limitations of the following uses.

a. Use of aluminium conductor for 132 kV overhead transmission lines.
b. Use of tungsten as push button contacts in telephones.
c. Use of copper graphite as carbon-pile resistors.
d. Use of 19/2.50 stranded conductor for domestic wiring.
e. Use of lead as soldering, sheathing and sealing material.

17. What are the advantages and drawbacks of fusible cutouts? Explain ‘fusing current’ and the
factors on which it depends. Derive a relation between fusing current and the wire diameter
stating clearly the assumptions made therein.

18. Comment on the difficulties in joining an aluminium conductor with a copper conductor, and
state as to how this is accomplished.
19. Enlist different types of magnetic materials and briefly elaborate them stating their salient
features and applications.
20. Explain the properties of soft and hard magnetic material along with initial and maximum
permeability.
21. Compare hard and soft magnetic materials. Why is a soft magnetic material preferred over a hard
magnetic material for use in the transformer core ?
22. Name different commercial grade soft magnetic materials and describe them stating their salient
applications.
23. Name different commercial grade hard magnetic materials and describe them stating their salient
applications
24. What are the high energy hard magnetic materials? Describe their different types.

25. Compare the properties and applications of Samarium based and Neodymium based high energy
hard magnetic materials

26. What is superconductivity? How is it different from conductivity and semiconductivity?

27. What are the salient features and properties of superconductors? Why don’t they obey Ohm’s law
below their critical temperatures? Hence, explain the mechanism of superconduction.

28. Explain the effect of critical magnetic field, critical current and the isotopic mass on critical
temperature of a superconducting material.

29. Classify the superconductors from different viewpoints. Differentiate between the ideal
superconductors and hard superconductors. Write the applications of superconductors stating
their limitations
30. Bring-out differences between the following LTS and HTS

31. Critical temperature of Pb in superconducting state is 7.17 K under zero magnetic field. The value
of critical field for it is 0.0803 A/m at 0 K. Determine its critical field at 3 K and 10 K.