Final answer:
To determine the forward current for voltage drops of 0.50 V and 0.65 V across a silicon junction diode, we need to use the diode equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question refers to the forward current through a silicon junction diode at various voltage drops. We know that for the given diode, at a voltage drop of V_D=0.55 V, the forward current is 2 mA. To determine the forward current at other voltage drops, we would typically use the diode equation, which relates the current running through a diode to the voltage across it. However, without specific parameters like the ideality factor or the saturation current, we can only estimate the change in forward current qualitatively based on the provided information.
As the voltage drop increases beyond the threshold (usually around 0.7 V for silicon diodes), the forward current increases exponentially. Hence, for V_D=0.65 V, which is higher than 0.55 V, we expect the forward current to be greater than 2 mA. Conversely, at a lower voltage drop of 0.50 V, the forward current should be less than 2 mA. Without further information or an explicit formula, we cannot give exact current values. Note, the threshold voltage for a silicon diode is generally considered to be approximately 0.7 V, but this may vary slightly in practice.