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BDS Admission Test Physics Syllabus
The Physics syllabus for BDS Admission Test in full: 12 chapters and 36 topics, every one listed below, plus 50 Physics flashcards with answers.
Physics syllabus: all 12 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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Measurements
3 topics- Physical quantities and SI units
- Errors and significant figures
- Dimensional analysis
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Scalars and Vectors
3 topics- Addition of vectors
- Resolution of vectors
- Scalar and vector products
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Motion and Force
3 topics- Newton's laws of motion
- Momentum and impulse
- Projectile motion
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Work, Energy and Power
3 topics- Work and work-energy theorem
- Kinetic and potential energy
- Conservation of energy and power
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Circular Motion
3 topics- Angular displacement and velocity
- Centripetal force and acceleration
- Rotational kinetic energy
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Waves
3 topics- Types and properties of waves
- Stationary waves
- Sound and Doppler effect
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Thermodynamics
3 topics- Laws of thermodynamics
- Heat engines and entropy
- Kinetic theory of gases
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Electrostatics
3 topics- Coulomb's law
- Electric field and potential
- Capacitors and capacitance
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Current Electricity
3 topics- Ohm's law and resistance
- Kirchhoff's laws
- Electrical power and energy
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Electromagnetism
3 topics- Magnetic field due to current
- Force on a current-carrying conductor
- Electromagnetic induction
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Dawn of Modern Physics
3 topics- Photoelectric effect
- Special theory of relativity
- Wave-particle duality
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Nuclear Physics
3 topics- Radioactivity and decay
- Nuclear fission and fusion
- Mass defect and binding energy
BDS Admission Test Physics flashcards — 50 questions with answers
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.
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).
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).
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).
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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].
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.
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.
What are the dimensions of velocity, acceleration, and momentum?
Velocity: [L T⁻¹]; Acceleration: [L T⁻²]; Momentum: [M L T⁻¹].
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.
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.
Show the other 30 Physics flashcards
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.
For two vectors A and B with angle θ between them, what is the magnitude of their resultant?
R = √(A² + B² + 2AB cos θ).
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).
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).
What are the x and y components of a vector A making angle θ with the x-axis?
Aₓ = A cos θ and Aᵧ = A sin θ.
Given components Aₓ and Aᵧ, how do you find the magnitude and direction of the vector?
Magnitude: A = √(Aₓ² + Aᵧ²); Direction: θ = tan⁻¹(Aᵧ/Aₓ) measured from the x-axis.
Define the scalar (dot) product of two vectors.
A·B = AB cos θ, where θ is the angle between them; it yields a scalar and equals the product of one vector's magnitude and the component of the other along it.
Define the vector (cross) product of two vectors.
A×B = AB sin θ n̂, where θ is the angle between them and n̂ is a unit vector perpendicular to both, given by the right-hand rule; it yields a vector.
What is the dot product of two perpendicular vectors and two parallel vectors?
Perpendicular vectors: A·B = 0 (cos 90° = 0); parallel vectors: A·B = AB (cos 0° = 1).
What is the cross product of two parallel vectors and two perpendicular vectors?
Parallel vectors: A×B = 0 (sin 0° = 0); perpendicular vectors: |A×B| = AB (sin 90° = 1).
Is the dot product commutative? Is the cross product commutative?
The dot product is commutative (A·B = B·A); the cross product is anti-commutative (A×B = −B×A).
State Newton's first law of motion.
A body remains at rest or continues in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by a net external force (the law of inertia).
State Newton's second law of motion.
The rate of change of momentum of a body is proportional to the net applied force and occurs in the direction of that force; F = ma (or F = dp/dt).
State Newton's third law of motion.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; the forces two bodies exert on each other are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
Define linear momentum and give its SI unit.
Linear momentum p = mv (mass × velocity); it is a vector quantity with SI unit kg·m/s (or N·s).
Define impulse and state its relationship to momentum.
Impulse = force × time = FΔt; by the impulse-momentum theorem, impulse equals the change in momentum: FΔt = Δp = mv − mu. SI unit: N·s.
State the law of conservation of linear momentum.
If no net external force acts on a system, its total linear momentum remains constant; in any interaction (e.g. collision) total momentum before equals total momentum after.
What is the difference between an elastic and an inelastic collision?
In an elastic collision both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved; in an inelastic collision momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not (some converts to heat/sound/deformation).
What is projectile motion?
Projectile motion is two-dimensional motion under constant gravitational acceleration, with constant horizontal velocity and uniformly accelerated vertical motion, tracing a parabolic path.
For a projectile launched at speed v₀ and angle θ, what are the initial horizontal and vertical velocity components?
Horizontal: vₓ = v₀ cos θ (constant); Vertical: vᵧ = v₀ sin θ (changes due to gravity).
What is the formula for the time of flight of a projectile launched from ground level at angle θ?
T = (2 v₀ sin θ) / g.
What is the formula for the maximum height of a projectile?
H = (v₀² sin²θ) / (2g).
What is the formula for the horizontal range of a projectile, and at what angle is it maximum?
R = (v₀² sin 2θ) / g; the range is maximum at θ = 45° (since sin 2θ = 1).
Why is the horizontal velocity of a projectile constant while the vertical velocity changes?
Because gravity acts only vertically (downward); there is no horizontal force (neglecting air resistance), so horizontal velocity stays constant while vertical velocity changes at g.
Define work in physics and give its formula for a constant force.
Work is done when a force moves its point of application through a displacement; W = F·d cos θ, where θ is the angle between force and displacement. SI unit: joule (J).
When is work done by a force zero?
Work is zero when the displacement is zero, when the force is zero, or when the force is perpendicular to the displacement (θ = 90°, cos 90° = 0).
State the work-energy theorem.
The net work done on a body equals the change in its kinetic energy: W_net = ΔKE = ½mv² − ½mu².
Write the formulas for kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy.
Kinetic energy: KE = ½mv²; Gravitational potential energy: PE = mgh.
State the law of conservation of energy.
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another; the total energy of an isolated system remains constant.
Define power, give its formula, and state its SI unit.
Power is the rate of doing work or transferring energy: P = W/t = F·v; SI unit is the watt (W), where 1 W = 1 J/s.
BDS Admission Test Physics FAQ
What is in the BDS Admission Test Physics syllabus?
BDS Admission Test Physics is split into 12 chapters: Measurements, Scalars and Vectors, Motion and Force, Work, Energy and Power, Circular Motion, Waves, Thermodynamics, Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Electromagnetism, Dawn of Modern Physics and Nuclear Physics. Together they contain 36 topics.
How many chapters are in BDS Admission Test Physics?
12 chapters, containing 36 topics. The largest chapter is Measurements, with 3 topics.
Are there flashcards for BDS Admission Test Physics?
Yes — a 50-card Physics deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.