Electrical Engineering questions for GATE, PSU recruitment and SSC JE draw from network theory, electrical machines, power systems, control systems, measurements and instrumentation, analog and digital electronics, and electromagnetic fields. Numerical answers include the formula used and the unit at each stage, which is where marks are commonly lost even when the approach is correct.
Routh-Hurwitz criterion is used to determine the stability of a system by examining the characteristic equation coefficients without calculating poles.
Q.302Easy
In a bode plot, the magnitude is plotted on a scale of:
Answer: B
Bode plots use dB (20log₁₀|G(jω)|) for magnitude on a logarithmic scale and phase in degrees on a semi-log plot.
Q.303Medium
The gain margin of a system can be determined from the bode plot as:
Answer: C
Gain margin = 1/|G(jω)| at phase crossover frequency where phase = -180°. It indicates how much gain can be increased before instability.
Q.304Medium
For a second-order system with natural frequency ωn = 2 rad/s and damping ratio ζ = 0.5, the system is:
Answer: B
When ζ < 1 (0.5 < 1), the system is underdamped with oscillatory transient response.
Q.305Medium
The rise time of a second-order underdamped system decreases with:
Answer: A
Rise time tr ≈ (π - cos⁻¹(ζ))/(ωn√(1-ζ²)). It decreases with higher ωn and appropriate ζ value.
Q.306Medium
Which compensation technique is used to improve steady-state accuracy?
Answer: B
Lag compensation increases the system type or gain at low frequencies, improving steady-state accuracy without affecting stability significantly.
Q.307Medium
The Nyquist plot is a mapping of:
Answer: B
Nyquist plot maps the frequency response G(jω)H(jω) in the complex plane by varying ω from 0 to ∞.
Q.308Easy
For a system G(s) = 1/(s(s+2)), the number of poles at origin is:
Answer: B
The system has one pole at s=0, making it Type 1. The denominator has s¹ factor representing one integration.
Q.309Medium
The overshoot of a second-order system is independent of:
Answer: C
Overshoot = e^(-πζ/√(1-ζ²)) depends only on damping ratio ζ, not on ωn or system gain K.
Q.310Medium
Which of the following is a state-space representation advantage over transfer function?
Answer: B
State-space representation naturally handles MIMO systems, non-linear systems, and time-varying systems better than transfer functions.
Q.311Easy
The settling time of a control system is defined as the time taken to:
Answer: C
Settling time is the time required for the transient to decay and response to remain within 2% (or 5%) of the steady-state value.
Q.312Hard
For a system with open-loop transfer function G(s)H(s) = K/[s(s+1)(s+2)], the number of asymptotes in root locus is:
Answer: B
Number of asymptotes = n - m = 3 - 1 = 2, where n=3 (poles) and m=1 (zeros).
Q.313Hard
A proportional-integral (PI) controller transfer function is Gc(s) = Kp + Ki/s. Its effect is:
Answer: B
PI controller adds a pole at origin (integral term), increasing system type by 1 and eliminating steady-state error for step and ramp inputs.
Q.314Hard
The centroid of asymptotes in root locus is located at:
Answer: A
Centroid σ = (∑poles - ∑zeros)/(n-m), where n and m are number of poles and zeros respectively.
Q.315Hard
In phase-lead compensation, the zero is placed:
Answer: A
In lead compensation, zero is placed to the left of pole (closer to origin), providing phase lead to improve transient response and stability margin.
Q.316Medium
In a closed-loop control system, the feedback path gain is reduced from 1 to 0.5. How does this affect the system's steady-state error?
Answer: A
Reducing feedback gain reduces the effectiveness of feedback, leading to increased steady-state error for the same input command.
Q.317Easy
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a proportional (P) controller?
Answer: B
A proportional controller cannot eliminate steady-state error completely for step inputs in type-0 systems. An integral term is needed for zero steady-state error.
Q.318Easy
For a unity feedback system with G(s) = K/(s(s+3)(s+5)), what is the system type?
Answer: B
The system type equals the number of poles at origin. Here, there is one pole at origin (s in denominator), making it Type 1.
Q.319Easy
A second-order system has damping ratio ζ = 0.5. What is the nature of its response?
Answer: B
For ζ < 1, the system is underdamped and exhibits oscillatory response. At ζ = 0.5, there are definitely oscillations with exponential decay.
Q.320Easy
In root locus analysis, as the gain K increases from 0 to ∞, the closed-loop poles move along specific paths. Where do these paths originate?
Answer: B
The root locus starts at open-loop poles (K=0) and ends at open-loop zeros (K=∞). This is a fundamental property of root locus construction.
