ICSE Class 10 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 ICSE Class 10, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Concise Physics

   5 topics

   • Force
   • Work, Energy, and Power
   • Light
   • Sound
   • Electricity and Magnetism

Physics flashcards for ICSE Class 10

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

1. What is a force? State its SI unit.

   A force is a push or pull that can change or tend to change the state of rest or motion of a body, its direction, or its shape. SI unit: newton (N).

2. Define moment of a force (torque) and give its SI unit.

   The moment of a force about a point is the product of the force and the perpendicular distance of the line of action of the force from that point. Moment = Force x perpendicular distance. SI unit: newton metre (N m).

3. State the principle of moments.

   In equilibrium, the sum of the anticlockwise moments about a point equals the sum of the clockwise moments about the same point.

4. What is a couple? Give its moment.

   A couple is a pair of equal and opposite parallel forces whose lines of action are different, producing rotation. Moment of couple = either force x perpendicular distance between them.

5. Define centre of gravity.

   The centre of gravity of a body is the point through which the entire weight of the body appears to act, irrespective of the body's position.

6. What is the difference between a clockwise and an anticlockwise moment in sign convention?

   An anticlockwise moment is taken as positive and a clockwise moment is taken as negative.

7. State the conditions for a body to be in static equilibrium.

   1) The resultant of all forces acting on the body must be zero. 2) The resultant moment of all forces about any point must be zero.

8. Define uniform circular motion. Is it accelerated?

   Motion of a body moving along a circular path with constant speed. Yes, it is accelerated motion because the direction of velocity continuously changes (centripetal acceleration).

9. What is centripetal force? In which direction does it act?

   The force that acts on a body moving in a circle, directed towards the centre of the circle, keeping the body in circular motion.

10. Distinguish between centripetal and centrifugal force.

    Centripetal force is a real force directed towards the centre of the circular path. Centrifugal force is a fictitious (pseudo) force directed away from the centre, experienced in a rotating frame.

11. Define work in physics and state its SI unit.

    Work is done when a force produces displacement in its own direction. Work = Force x displacement in direction of force (W = F s cos theta). SI unit: joule (J).

12. When is the work done by a force zero, even when a force acts?

    Work is zero when (a) displacement is zero, or (b) the force is perpendicular to the displacement (theta = 90 degrees).

13. Define energy and give its SI unit. How is it related to work?

    Energy is the capacity to do work. SI unit: joule (J). The energy of a body equals the total work it can do; it has the same unit as work.

14. State the expression for kinetic energy.

    Kinetic energy = (1/2) m v squared, where m is mass and v is the speed of the body.

15. State the expression for gravitational potential energy.

    Gravitational potential energy = m g h, where m is mass, g is acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height above a reference level.

16. State the work-energy theorem.

    The work done by the net force on a body equals the change in its kinetic energy. W = (1/2) m v squared - (1/2) m u squared.

17. 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 remaining constant.

18. Define power and state its SI unit.

    Power is the rate of doing work or the rate of energy transfer. Power = Work / time. SI unit: watt (W), where 1 W = 1 J/s.

19. What is 1 horsepower equal to in watts?

    1 horsepower (hp) = 746 watts.

20. Define commercial unit of electrical energy (kWh) and convert it to joules.

    1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the energy consumed by a 1 kW appliance in 1 hour. 1 kWh = 3.6 x 10^6 joules.

21. For a freely falling body, how does the sum of KE and PE behave?

    The sum of kinetic energy and potential energy (total mechanical energy) remains constant throughout the fall, in the absence of air resistance.

22. Distinguish between renewable (non-conventional) and non-renewable (conventional) sources of energy, with one example each.

    Renewable sources can be replenished and do not get exhausted (e.g. solar energy, wind). Non-renewable sources are limited and get exhausted on use (e.g. coal, petroleum).

23. What is refraction of light?

    Refraction is the bending of light as it passes obliquely from one transparent medium to another due to a change in its speed.

24. State Snell's law of refraction.

    The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is constant for a given pair of media. sin i / sin r = constant = refractive index (1n2).

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