BS Nursing Entry Test Physics Syllabus

State the law of conservation of linear momentum.

In the absence of an external force, the total linear momentum of an isolated system remains constant. For a collision: m1u1 + m2u2 = m1v1 + m2v2.

Differentiate between elastic and inelastic collisions.

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).

Define work and state its formula including the angle between force and displacement.

Work is done when a force moves an object: W = F s cos(theta), where theta is the angle between force and displacement. SI unit: joule (J). Work is a scalar.

Write the formulas for kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy.

Kinetic energy KE = (1/2)mv^2. Gravitational potential energy PE = mgh, where h is height above the reference level.

State the work-energy theorem.

The net work done on a body equals the change in its kinetic energy: W_net = (1/2)mv^2 - (1/2)mu^2 = Delta KE.

State the law of conservation of energy.

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another. The total energy of an isolated system remains constant.

For a freely falling body, how do its KE and PE change, and what stays constant?

As the body falls, PE decreases and KE increases by an equal amount; the total mechanical energy (KE + PE) remains constant (ignoring air resistance).

Define power and give its formula and SI unit.

Power is the rate of doing work or transferring energy: P = W/t = F v. SI unit: watt (W) = 1 J/s.

Define efficiency and write its formula.

Efficiency is the ratio of useful output energy (or power) to total input energy (or power): Efficiency = (useful output / total input) x 100%. It is always less than 100% due to energy losses.

Differentiate between heat and temperature.

Heat is the total thermal energy transferred between bodies due to a temperature difference (joule). Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of molecules (kelvin/Celsius); it determines the direction of heat flow.

Convert 27 degrees Celsius to kelvin and give the conversion formula.

K = degrees C + 273. So 27 C = 27 + 273 = 300 K.

Define specific heat capacity and write its formula.

Specific heat capacity is the heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 K (or 1 C). Q = m c Delta T, where c is specific heat. SI unit of c: J/(kg K).

What is latent heat, and name its two types?

Latent heat is the heat absorbed or released during a change of state without a change in temperature. Types: latent heat of fusion (solid-liquid) and latent heat of vaporization (liquid-gas). Q = mL.

State the first law of thermodynamics with its equation.

Energy is conserved: the heat supplied to a system equals the change in internal energy plus the work done by the system. Delta Q = Delta U + Delta W.

State the second law of thermodynamics (Clausius statement).

Heat cannot flow spontaneously from a colder body to a hotter body without external work being done. Equivalently, no process can convert heat completely into work with no other change.

What is an isothermal process versus an adiabatic process?

Isothermal: temperature stays constant (Delta U = 0, so Q = W). Adiabatic: no heat enters or leaves the system (Q = 0, so Delta U = -W).

Name and define the three methods of heat transfer.

Conduction: heat transfer through a solid by molecular vibration without bulk movement. Convection: heat transfer in fluids by movement of heated particles. Radiation: heat transfer by electromagnetic waves, requiring no medium.

Define simple harmonic motion (SHM).

SHM is oscillatory motion in which the restoring force (or acceleration) is directly proportional to the displacement from the mean position and always directed toward it: a = -(omega^2)x.

Write the formula for the time period of a simple pendulum and state what it depends on.

T = 2 pi sqrt(L/g), where L is length and g is gravitational acceleration. It depends only on length and g, not on mass or amplitude (for small angles).

Write the time period of a mass-spring system and define its terms.

T = 2 pi sqrt(m/k), where m is the mass and k is the spring constant. The frequency f = 1/T.

Define amplitude, frequency, and time period of an oscillation.

Amplitude: maximum displacement from the mean position. Frequency: number of oscillations per second (Hz). Time period: time for one complete oscillation; T = 1/f.

Differentiate between transverse and longitudinal waves with an example of each.

In transverse waves the particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction of wave travel (e.g., light, water surface waves). In longitudinal waves particles vibrate parallel to the direction of travel (e.g., sound waves).

State the wave equation relating speed, frequency, and wavelength.

v = f x lambda, where v = wave speed, f = frequency, lambda = wavelength.

Define wavelength and the relationship between frequency and time period.

Wavelength (lambda) is the distance between two consecutive points in phase (e.g., crest to crest). Frequency f = 1/T, where T is the time period.

List three properties common to all sound waves regarding their nature and medium.

Sound waves are longitudinal mechanical waves; they require a material medium to travel (cannot travel in vacuum); they travel fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases.

What physical property of sound determines its loudness, and which determines its pitch?

Loudness is determined by the amplitude of the sound wave; pitch is determined by its frequency (higher frequency = higher pitch).

State Coulomb's law and write its formula.

The electrostatic force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them: F = k(q1 q2)/r^2, where k ~ 9 x 10^9 N m^2/C^2.

Define electric field intensity and give its formula and SI unit.

Electric field intensity is the force per unit positive charge at a point: E = F/q. SI unit: N/C (or V/m). It is a vector pointing away from positive charges.

Define electric potential and state its SI unit.

Electric potential at a point is the work done per unit positive charge in bringing it from infinity to that point: V = W/q. SI unit: volt (V) = 1 J/C.

State Ohm's law with its formula and conditions.

At constant temperature, the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across it: V = IR, where R is resistance. It holds only when physical conditions (temperature) remain constant.

How do total resistance formulas differ for resistors in series versus in parallel?

In series: R_total = R1 + R2 + R3 + ... (resistances add). In parallel: 1/R_total = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ... (total resistance is less than the smallest resistor).

State the right-hand rule for the magnetic field around a current-carrying straight wire, and state Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.

Right-hand rule: point the thumb in the direction of current; the curled fingers give the direction of the magnetic field. Faraday's law: a changing magnetic flux through a circuit induces an EMF proportional to the rate of change of flux (EMF = -dPhi/dt).