CFTRI M.Sc. (Food Technology) 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 CFTRI M.Sc. (Food Technology), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Elements of Mechanics

   1 topic

   • Laws of Thermodynamics
2. 2

   Heat Transfer

   1 topic

   • Mode of Heat Transfer
3. 3

   Electrostatics

   overview

   Examined as a single unit within Physics — no further topic split in the official outline.

4. 4

   Magnetism and Electrodynamics

   overview

   Examined as a single unit within Physics — no further topic split in the official outline.

5. 5

   Optics

   1 topic

   • Outlines in Optics
6. 6

   Sound

   overview

   Examined as a single unit within Physics — no further topic split in the official outline.

7. 7

   Electro-magnetic Radiation

   overview

   Examined as a single unit within Physics — no further topic split in the official outline.

8. 8

   Radioactivity

   overview

   Examined as a single unit within Physics — no further topic split in the official outline.

9. 9

   Quantum Physics

   1 topic

   • Elements in Quantum Physics

Physics flashcards for CFTRI M.Sc. (Food Technology)

24 of 51 cards from the Physics deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. State the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics.

   If two systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third system, then they are in thermal equilibrium with each other. This law forms the basis for the concept of temperature.

2. State the First Law of Thermodynamics and give its mathematical form.

   Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed. Mathematically: ΔU = Q − W, where ΔU is change in internal energy, Q is heat added to the system, and W is work done by the system.

3. State the Second Law of Thermodynamics (Kelvin–Planck statement).

   It is impossible to construct a device operating in a cycle that converts all the heat absorbed from a single reservoir completely into work (no 100% efficient heat engine is possible).

4. State the Clausius statement of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

   It is impossible for heat to flow spontaneously from a colder body to a hotter body without external work being done on the system.

5. State the Third Law of Thermodynamics.

   As the temperature of a system approaches absolute zero (0 K), the entropy of a perfect crystalline substance approaches zero. Absolute zero cannot be reached in a finite number of steps.

6. Define entropy and state its sign convention for spontaneous processes.

   Entropy (S) is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system. For any spontaneous (irreversible) process in an isolated system, the total entropy increases: ΔS > 0.

7. What is the formula for the efficiency of a Carnot engine?

   η = 1 − (T_cold / T_hot), where temperatures are in kelvin. It represents the maximum possible efficiency of a heat engine operating between two reservoirs.

8. Define an isothermal process and state what stays constant.

   An isothermal process occurs at constant temperature (ΔT = 0). For an ideal gas, internal energy is unchanged (ΔU = 0), so Q = W.

9. Define an adiabatic process and its key condition.

   An adiabatic process occurs with no heat exchange with the surroundings (Q = 0). Therefore ΔU = −W; the relation PV^γ = constant holds for an ideal gas, where γ = Cp/Cv.

10. Differentiate between an isobaric and an isochoric process.

    Isobaric: constant pressure (W = PΔV). Isochoric (isometric): constant volume, so no work is done (W = 0) and Q = ΔU.

11. Define internal energy of a system.

    Internal energy (U) is the total energy contained within a system—the sum of the kinetic and potential energies of its molecules. It is a state function depending only on the system's state.

12. What is enthalpy and how is it defined?

    Enthalpy (H) is the total heat content of a system at constant pressure, defined as H = U + PV, where U is internal energy, P is pressure, and V is volume. It is a state function.

13. Distinguish between a reversible and an irreversible thermodynamic process.

    A reversible process proceeds through infinitesimally small, near-equilibrium steps and can be exactly reversed with no net change. An irreversible process occurs spontaneously, increases total entropy, and cannot be reversed without leaving changes in the surroundings.

14. What is Gibbs free energy and what does its sign indicate?

    Gibbs free energy G = H − TS. A process is spontaneous when ΔG < 0, at equilibrium when ΔG = 0, and non-spontaneous when ΔG > 0 (at constant temperature and pressure).

15. Name the three modes of heat transfer.

    Conduction, convection, and radiation.

16. Define conduction as a mode of heat transfer.

    Conduction is the transfer of heat through a material by direct molecular collisions and vibrations, without any bulk movement of the material. It is the dominant mode in solids.

17. Define convection as a mode of heat transfer.

    Convection is the transfer of heat by the actual bulk movement of a fluid (liquid or gas), where warmer, less dense fluid rises and cooler, denser fluid sinks, creating convection currents.

18. Define radiation as a mode of heat transfer.

    Radiation is the transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves (mainly infrared), requiring no material medium; it can travel through a vacuum, as with solar energy reaching Earth.

19. Differentiate between natural and forced convection.

    Natural (free) convection is driven by density differences from temperature gradients (buoyancy) alone. Forced convection uses an external agent such as a pump, fan, or stirrer to move the fluid.

20. State Fourier's law of heat conduction.

    Q/t = −kA (dT/dx): the rate of heat conduction is proportional to the cross-sectional area A and the temperature gradient dT/dx, where k is the thermal conductivity. The minus sign indicates heat flows from hot to cold.

21. State the Stefan–Boltzmann law of thermal radiation.

    The total energy radiated per unit area of a black body per unit time is E = σT⁴, where σ is the Stefan–Boltzmann constant (5.67 × 10⁻⁸ W m⁻² K⁻⁴) and T is absolute temperature.

22. State Newton's law of cooling.

    The rate of heat loss of a body is directly proportional to the difference in temperature between the body and its surroundings, provided the difference is small: dT/dt ∝ (T − T_surroundings).

23. Define thermal conductivity and give its SI unit.

    Thermal conductivity (k) is a material property measuring its ability to conduct heat—the rate of heat transfer per unit area per unit temperature gradient. SI unit: watt per metre per kelvin (W m⁻¹ K⁻¹).

24. What is a black body in the context of thermal radiation?

    A black body is an idealized object that absorbs all incident radiation (no reflection or transmission) and is also a perfect emitter, radiating the maximum possible energy at every wavelength for a given temperature.

See more Physics flashcards →

Planning Physics for CFTRI M.Sc. (Food Technology)

Physics (CFTRI M.Sc. (Food Technology)) FAQ