BDS Admission Test Physics Syllabus

Physics syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Physics in BDS Admission Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Measurements

   3 topics

   • Physical quantities and SI units
   • Errors and significant figures
   • Dimensional analysis
2. 2

   Scalars and Vectors

   3 topics

   • Addition of vectors
   • Resolution of vectors
   • Scalar and vector products
3. 3

   Motion and Force

   3 topics

   • Newton's laws of motion
   • Momentum and impulse
   • Projectile motion
4. 4

   Work, Energy and Power

   3 topics

   • Work and work-energy theorem
   • Kinetic and potential energy
   • Conservation of energy and power
5. 5

   Circular Motion

   3 topics

   • Angular displacement and velocity
   • Centripetal force and acceleration
   • Rotational kinetic energy
6. 6

   Waves

   3 topics

   • Types and properties of waves
   • Stationary waves
   • Sound and Doppler effect
7. 7

   Thermodynamics

   3 topics

   • Laws of thermodynamics
   • Heat engines and entropy
   • Kinetic theory of gases
8. 8

   Electrostatics

   3 topics

   • Coulomb's law
   • Electric field and potential
   • Capacitors and capacitance
9. 9

   Current Electricity

   3 topics

   • Ohm's law and resistance
   • Kirchhoff's laws
   • Electrical power and energy
10. 10

    Electromagnetism

    3 topics

    • Magnetic field due to current
    • Force on a current-carrying conductor
    • Electromagnetic induction
11. 11

    Dawn of Modern Physics

    3 topics

    • Photoelectric effect
    • Special theory of relativity
    • Wave-particle duality
12. 12

    Nuclear Physics

    3 topics

    • Radioactivity and decay
    • Nuclear fission and fusion
    • Mass defect and binding energy

Physics flashcards for BDS Admission Test

24 of 50 cards from the Physics deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a physical quantity?

   A physical quantity is any measurable property of a physical system that can be expressed as a numerical value (magnitude) multiplied by a unit.

2. What are the seven base quantities and their SI units?

   Length (metre, m), Mass (kilogram, kg), Time (second, s), Electric current (ampere, A), Temperature (kelvin, K), Amount of substance (mole, mol), and Luminous intensity (candela, cd).

3. What is the difference between base quantities and derived quantities?

   Base quantities are fundamental and independent (e.g. length, mass, time); derived quantities are obtained by combining base quantities through multiplication or division (e.g. velocity, force, density).

4. Define the SI unit 'newton' in terms of base units.

   1 newton = 1 kg·m·s⁻² (the force that gives a 1 kg mass an acceleration of 1 m/s²).

5. Define the SI unit 'joule' in terms of base units.

   1 joule = 1 kg·m²·s⁻² (the work done when a force of 1 N moves through 1 m).

6. What do the prefixes nano (n), micro (μ), milli (m), kilo (k), mega (M), and giga (G) represent?

   nano = 10⁻⁹, micro = 10⁻⁶, milli = 10⁻³, kilo = 10³, mega = 10⁶, giga = 10⁹.

7. What is the difference between a random error and a systematic error?

   A random error fluctuates unpredictably around the true value (reduced by averaging repeated readings); a systematic error is a consistent bias in one direction (e.g. zero error, faulty calibration) not reduced by averaging.

8. How do you find the absolute uncertainty in a sum or difference of measured quantities?

   Add the absolute uncertainties of the individual quantities: if z = x ± y, then Δz = Δx + Δy.

9. How do you find the uncertainty in a product or quotient of measured quantities?

   Add the fractional (or percentage) uncertainties: if z = xy or x/y, then Δz/z = Δx/x + Δy/y.

10. What are significant figures?

    Significant figures are the digits in a measurement that carry meaningful information about its precision, including all certain digits plus the first uncertain (estimated) digit.

11. How many significant figures are in 0.00450 and in 1200 (without a decimal point)?

    0.00450 has 3 significant figures (the 4, 5, and trailing 0); 1200 without a decimal is ambiguous, generally taken as 2 significant figures (trailing zeros without a decimal are uncertain).

12. What rule governs significant figures when multiplying or dividing measurements?

    The result should have the same number of significant figures as the measurement with the fewest significant figures.

13. What is precision versus accuracy in measurement?

    Accuracy is how close a measurement is to the true value; precision is how close repeated measurements are to each other (their reproducibility/consistency).

14. What is dimensional analysis used for?

    Dimensional analysis is used to check the correctness (homogeneity) of physical equations, derive relationships between quantities, and convert units.

15. What are the dimensions of force, energy, and pressure?

    Force: [M L T⁻²]; Energy: [M L² T⁻²]; Pressure: [M L⁻¹ T⁻²].

16. State the principle of homogeneity of dimensions.

    Every term on both sides of a physically correct equation must have the same dimensions; quantities of different dimensions cannot be added or subtracted.

17. What is a limitation of dimensional analysis?

    It cannot determine dimensionless constants, cannot handle equations with trigonometric, exponential or logarithmic functions, and cannot derive relations involving more than three variables or additive terms.

18. What are the dimensions of velocity, acceleration, and momentum?

    Velocity: [L T⁻¹]; Acceleration: [L T⁻²]; Momentum: [M L T⁻¹].

19. What is the difference between a scalar and a vector quantity?

    A scalar has only magnitude (e.g. mass, speed, energy); a vector has both magnitude and direction (e.g. displacement, velocity, force) and obeys vector addition rules.

20. State the head-to-tail (triangle) rule for vector addition.

    Place the tail of the second vector at the head of the first; the resultant is the vector drawn from the tail of the first to the head of the last vector.

21. What is the parallelogram law of vector addition?

    If two vectors are represented by adjacent sides of a parallelogram drawn from a common point, their resultant is represented by the diagonal of the parallelogram from that point.

22. For two vectors A and B with angle θ between them, what is the magnitude of their resultant?

    R = √(A² + B² + 2AB cos θ).

23. What is the resultant magnitude of two equal-magnitude vectors when the angle between them is 0°, 90°, and 180°?

    At 0°: R = 2A (maximum); at 90°: R = A√2; at 180°: R = 0 (minimum).

24. What does it mean to resolve a vector into components?

    It means expressing a vector as the sum of two mutually perpendicular component vectors (usually along the x and y axes).

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