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🇵🇰 ECAT · subject
ECAT Physics Syllabus
Every chapter and topic of Physics examined in ECAT — 11 chapters, 38 topics, plus 55 flashcards written against it.
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 ECAT, not a summary of it.
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Measurements and Vectors
3 topics- Physical quantities and SI units
- Errors and significant figures
- Vectors and equilibrium
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Motion and Force
4 topics- Kinematics of linear motion
- Newton's laws of motion
- Momentum and impulse
- Projectile motion
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Work, Energy and Power
4 topics- Work done by a force
- Kinetic and potential energy
- Conservation of energy
- Power and efficiency
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Circular Motion and Gravitation
3 topics- Angular displacement and velocity
- Centripetal force and acceleration
- Law of gravitation and satellites
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Fluid Dynamics and Oscillations
3 topics- Fluid flow and Bernoulli's equation
- Viscosity and terminal velocity
- Simple harmonic motion
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Waves and Sound
3 topics- Progressive and stationary waves
- Superposition and interference
- Sound waves and Doppler effect
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Physical and Geometrical Optics
3 topics- Interference and diffraction
- Polarization
- Lenses and optical instruments
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Heat and Thermodynamics
3 topics- Kinetic theory of gases
- Laws of thermodynamics
- Heat engines and entropy
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Electrostatics and Current Electricity
4 topics- Coulomb's law and electric field
- Capacitors and potential
- Ohm's law and resistance
- DC circuits and Kirchhoff's laws
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Electromagnetism
3 topics- Magnetic field and force on conductors
- Electromagnetic induction
- Alternating current circuits
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Modern Physics
5 topics- Dawn of modern physics and relativity
- Atomic spectra and Bohr's model
- Photoelectric effect and dual nature
- Nuclear physics and radioactivity
- Electronics and semiconductors
Physics flashcards for ECAT
24 of 55 cards from the Physics deck — real questions with worked answers.
What is a physical quantity?
A measurable property of a body or phenomenon that can be expressed as a numerical magnitude multiplied by a unit (e.g. 5 m).
What are base (fundamental) quantities and how many are there in SI?
Quantities that are independent and not defined in terms of others. There are 7: length, mass, time, electric current, temperature, amount of substance, and luminous intensity.
List the seven SI base units with their quantities.
metre (length), kilogram (mass), second (time), ampere (current), kelvin (temperature), mole (amount of substance), candela (luminous intensity).
What is a derived quantity? Give two examples.
A quantity defined in terms of base quantities. Examples: velocity (m/s), force (kg·m/s² = newton).
State the dimensional formula of force.
[F] = [M L T⁻²].
What is the SI prefix and factor for: nano, micro, milli, kilo, mega, giga?
nano = 10⁻⁹, micro = 10⁻⁶, milli = 10⁻³, kilo = 10³, mega = 10⁶, giga = 10⁹.
What is the principle of homogeneity of dimensions?
For an equation to be physically correct, every term on both sides must have the same dimensions.
What are the uses of dimensional analysis?
To check the correctness of an equation, to derive relations between physical quantities, and to convert units from one system to another.
Differentiate between systematic error and random error.
Systematic errors are consistent and repeatable (e.g. zero error, faulty instrument), affecting accuracy. Random errors are unpredictable fluctuations that vary in sign/size, affecting precision.
Define accuracy and precision.
Accuracy is how close a measurement is to the true value. Precision is how close repeated measurements are to one another (reproducibility).
What are significant figures?
The digits in a measurement known reliably plus the first uncertain (estimated) digit, indicating the precision of the measurement.
How many significant figures are in 0.00450 and in 6.00 × 10³?
0.00450 has 3 significant figures; 6.00 × 10³ has 3 significant figures.
State the rule for significant figures when multiplying or dividing.
The result is rounded to the same number of significant figures as the measurement with the fewest significant figures.
State the rule for significant figures when adding or subtracting.
The result is kept to the same number of decimal places as the term with the fewest decimal places.
How is fractional (relative) uncertainty calculated and converted to percentage uncertainty?
Fractional uncertainty = absolute uncertainty ÷ measured value; percentage uncertainty = fractional uncertainty × 100%.
Differentiate between scalar and vector quantities, with examples.
Scalars have magnitude only (e.g. mass, time, speed, energy). Vectors have magnitude and direction (e.g. displacement, velocity, force, acceleration).
How are the rectangular components of a vector A at angle θ to the x-axis found?
Aₓ = A cos θ and Aᵧ = A sin θ.
How are the magnitude and direction of a vector obtained from its components Aₓ and Aᵧ?
Magnitude A = √(Aₓ² + Aᵧ²); direction θ = tan⁻¹(Aᵧ / Aₓ).
Define the scalar (dot) product of two vectors and give its formula.
A·B = AB cos θ, a scalar equal to the product of magnitudes and the cosine of the angle between them.
Define the vector (cross) product of two vectors and give its magnitude.
A×B is a vector perpendicular to both, with magnitude AB sin θ; its direction follows the right-hand rule.
State the first condition of equilibrium.
The vector sum of all forces acting on a body is zero: ΣF = 0 (ΣFₓ = 0 and ΣFᵧ = 0).
State the second condition of equilibrium.
The sum of all torques (moments) acting on the body about any point is zero: Στ = 0.
Define torque and give its formula.
Torque is the turning effect of a force about a pivot: τ = r F sin θ, where r is the moment arm distance and θ the angle between r and F.
Differentiate between distance and displacement.
Distance is the total path length travelled (scalar). Displacement is the straight-line change in position from start to end with direction (vector).
Planning Physics for ECAT
Physics is about 25% of the ECAT syllabus by topic count — 38 of 154 topics, spread over 11 chapters. At roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, a first pass runs to about 30 hours.
The heaviest chapters are Modern Physics (5 topics), Motion and Force (4 topics), Work, Energy and Power (4 topics) . Front-load those while your energy is high; the short chapters are better revision filler later.
Work top-down: read the chapter, then tick topics off individually rather than marking the whole chapter done. Sub-topics are where silent gaps hide.
Physics (ECAT) FAQ
What is in the ECAT Physics syllabus?
Physics is split into 11 chapters — Measurements and Vectors, Motion and Force, Work, Energy and Power, Circular Motion and Gravitation, Fluid Dynamics and Oscillations and Waves and Sound, and 5 more, containing 38 topics and 0 sub-topics in total.
How many chapters are there in Physics for ECAT?
11 chapters. Physics accounts for about 25% of the topics in the whole ECAT syllabus (38 of 154).
How long should I spend on Physics for ECAT?
Budget around 30 hours for a first pass through Physics — about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic across its 38 topics. Add revision cycles on top.
Are there flashcards for ECAT Physics?
Yes — a 55-card Physics deck. Sample cards are printed on this page, and the full deck is free in the Examius app with spaced repetition scheduling.