CUET UG 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 CUET UG, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Electrostatics and Current Electricity

   3 topics

   • Electric Charges and Fields
     • Coulomb's law and electric field
     • Gauss's law and applications
     • Electric dipole
   • Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance
     • Potential due to charge and dipole
     • Capacitors and combinations
     • Energy stored in a capacitor
   • Current Electricity
     • Ohm's law, resistivity and drift velocity
     • Kirchhoff's laws and Wheatstone bridge
     • Potentiometer and cells
2. 2

   Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction

   4 topics

   • Moving Charges and Magnetism
     • Biot-Savart law and Ampere's law
     • Force on a current-carrying conductor
     • Moving coil galvanometer
   • Magnetism and Matter
     • Bar magnet and magnetic field lines
     • Dia-, para- and ferromagnetism
   • Electromagnetic Induction
     • Faraday's and Lenz's laws
     • Self and mutual inductance
     • Eddy currents
   • Alternating Current
     • AC through R, L and C
     • LCR series circuit and resonance
     • Transformers and power in AC
3. 3

   Optics and Electromagnetic Waves

   3 topics

   • Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
     • Reflection and refraction at curved surfaces
     • Lens maker's formula and combinations
     • Prism, microscope and telescope
   • Wave Optics
     • Huygens' principle
     • Young's double-slit interference
     • Diffraction and polarisation
   • Electromagnetic Waves
     • Displacement current
     • Electromagnetic spectrum
4. 4

   Modern Physics

   3 topics

   • Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter
     • Photoelectric effect
     • de Broglie wavelength
   • Atoms and Nuclei
     • Bohr model and hydrogen spectrum
     • Radioactivity and decay law
     • Nuclear fission and fusion
   • Semiconductor Electronics
     • Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors
     • p-n junction diode and rectifiers
     • Logic gates

Physics flashcards for CUET UG

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

1. State Coulomb's law and write its formula for the force between two point charges in vacuum.

   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 = (1/4πε₀)·(q₁q₂/r²), where 1/4πε₀ ≈ 9×10⁹ N·m²/C².

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

   Electric field intensity at a point is the force per unit positive test charge placed at that point: E = F/q₀. Its SI unit is N/C (or V/m).

3. State Gauss's law in electrostatics.

   The net electric flux through any closed surface equals 1/ε₀ times the total charge enclosed: Φ = ∮E·dA = q_enclosed/ε₀.

4. What is the electric field due to an infinitely long straight charged wire of linear charge density λ at distance r?

   E = λ/(2πε₀r), directed radially outward (for positive λ).

5. What is the electric field due to an infinite plane sheet of charge with surface charge density σ?

   E = σ/(2ε₀), independent of distance from the sheet, directed perpendicular to it.

6. Define electric dipole moment and give its direction and SI unit.

   Dipole moment p = q·2a, where 2a is the separation between charges +q and −q. It is directed from the negative to the positive charge. SI unit: coulomb·metre (C·m).

7. What is the torque experienced by an electric dipole in a uniform electric field?

   τ = pE sinθ, or in vector form τ = p × E, where θ is the angle between the dipole moment and the field.

8. Define electrostatic potential at a point and give its SI unit.

   It is the work done in bringing a unit positive charge from infinity to that point against the electric field: V = W/q₀. SI unit: volt (V) = J/C.

9. What is the electric potential due to a point charge q at distance r?

   V = (1/4πε₀)·(q/r).

10. What is the relation between electric field and electric potential?

    E = −dV/dr; the electric field is the negative gradient of potential. Field points in the direction of decreasing potential.

11. Define capacitance of a capacitor and give its SI unit.

    Capacitance is the ratio of charge stored to potential difference: C = Q/V. SI unit: farad (F) = C/V.

12. Give the formula for the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor.

    C = ε₀A/d (in vacuum), where A is plate area and d is the separation. With a dielectric of constant K: C = Kε₀A/d.

13. What is the energy stored in a charged capacitor?

    U = ½CV² = ½QV = Q²/(2C).

14. How do capacitors combine in series and in parallel?

    Series: 1/C_eq = 1/C₁ + 1/C₂ + … (charge same). Parallel: C_eq = C₁ + C₂ + … (voltage same).

15. Define dielectric constant (relative permittivity).

    It is the ratio of the capacitance with the dielectric to that with vacuum between the plates, K = C/C₀ = ε/ε₀. It is dimensionless and always > 1.

16. State Ohm's law and give the formula for resistance in terms of resistivity.

    Ohm's law: V = IR (current is proportional to potential difference at constant temperature). Resistance R = ρL/A, where ρ is resistivity, L length, A cross-sectional area.

17. Define drift velocity and relate current to it.

    Drift velocity is the average velocity of free electrons under an applied field. I = neAv_d, where n is electron density, e the charge, A area, v_d drift velocity.

18. State Kirchhoff's two laws for electrical circuits.

    Junction (current) rule: the algebraic sum of currents at a junction is zero (charge conservation). Loop (voltage) rule: the algebraic sum of EMFs and potential drops around any closed loop is zero (energy conservation).

19. What is the condition for balance of a Wheatstone bridge?

    The bridge is balanced (no galvanometer current) when P/Q = R/S, i.e., the ratios of resistances in the two arms are equal.

20. How does the resistivity of a conductor vary with temperature?

    Resistivity increases with temperature: ρ_T = ρ₀[1 + α(T − T₀)], where α is the temperature coefficient of resistivity. (For semiconductors, resistivity decreases with temperature.)

21. Define EMF and internal resistance of a cell, and relate terminal voltage to them.

    EMF (ε) is the potential difference across the cell terminals with no current flowing. Internal resistance (r) is the cell's own resistance. Terminal voltage V = ε − Ir when supplying current I.

22. State the Biot–Savart law.

    The magnetic field due to a current element is dB = (μ₀/4π)·(I dl × r̂)/r². It gives the field contribution of a small current element.

23. What is the magnetic field at the centre of a circular current loop of radius R carrying current I?

    B = μ₀I/(2R), directed along the axis perpendicular to the loop.

24. State Ampere's circuital law.

    The line integral of the magnetic field around a closed loop equals μ₀ times the total current enclosed: ∮B·dl = μ₀I_enclosed.

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