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JEE Main Physics Syllabus
The Physics syllabus for JEE Main in full: 20 chapters, 194 topics and 76 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 50 Physics flashcards with answers.
Physics syllabus: all 20 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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PHYSICS AND MEASUREMENT
10 topics- Units of measurements
- System of Units
- S I Units
- fundamental and derived units
- least count
- significant figures
- Errors in measurements
- Dimensions of Physics quantities
- dimensional analysis
- applications
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KINEMATICS
19 topics- The frame of reference
- motion in a straight line
- Position- time graph
- speed and velocity
- Uniform and non-uniform motion
- average speed and instantaneous velocity
- uniformly accelerated motion
- velocity-time
- position-time graph
- relations for uniformly accelerated motion
- Scalars and Vectors
- Vector. Addition and subtraction
- scalar and vector products
- Unit Vector
- Resolution of a Vector
- Relative Velocity
- Motion in a plane
- Projectile Motion
- Uniform Circular Motion
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LAWS OF MOTION
12 topics- Force and inertia
- Newton’s First law of motion
- Momentum
- Newton’s Second Law of motion
- Impulses
- Newton’s Third Law of motion
- Law of conservation of linear momentum and its applications
- Equilibrium of concurrent forces
- Static and Kinetic friction
- laws of friction
- rolling friction
- Dynamics of uniform circular motion
- centripetal force and its applications
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WORK, ENERGY, AND POWER
8 topics- Work done by a constant force and a variable force
- kinetic and potential energies
- work-energy theorem
- power
- The potential energy of spring conservation of mechanical energy
- conservative and non-conservative forces
- motion in a vertical circle
- Elastic and inelastic collisions in one and two dimensions
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ROTATIONAL MOTION
14 topics- Centre of the mass of a two-particle system
- Centre of the mass of a rigid body
- Basic concepts of rotational motion
- moment of a force
- torque
- angular momentum
- conservation of angular momentum and its applications
- moment of inertia
- radius of gyration
- values of moments of inertia for simple geometrical objects
- parallel and perpendicular axes theorems and their applications
- Equilibrium of rigid bodies
- rigid body rotation and equations of rotational motion
- comparison of linear and rotational motions
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GRAVITATION
9 topics- The universal law of gravitation
- Acceleration due to gravity and its variation with altitude and depth
- Kepler’s law of planetary motion
- Gravitational potential energy
- Gravitational potential
- Escape velocity
- Motion of a satellite
- Orbital velocity
- Time period and energy of satellite
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PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS
27 topics- Elastic behaviour
- Stress-strain relationship
- Hooke's Law
- Young's modulus
- Bulk modulus
- Modulus of rigidity
- Pressure due to a fluid column
- Pascal's law and its applications
- Effect of gravity on fluid pressure
- Viscosity
- Stokes' law
- Terminal velocity
- Streamline and turbulent flow
- Critical velocity
- Bernoulli's principle and its applications
- Surface energy and surface tension
- Angle of contact
- Excess of pressure across a curved surface
- Application of surface tension - drops, bubbles, and capillary rise
- Heat
- Temperature
- Thermal expansion
- Specific heat capacity
- Calorimetry
- Change of state
- Latent heat
- Heat transfer
- Conduction
- Convection
- Radiation
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THERMODYNAMICS
7 topics- Thermal equilibrium
- Zeroth law of thermodynamics
- The concept of temperature
- Heat, work, and internal energy
- The first law of thermodynamics
- Isothermal and adiabatic processes
- The second law of thermodynamics
- Reversible and irreversible processes
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KINETIC THEORY OF GASES
8 topics- Equation of state of a perfect gas
- Work done on compressing a gas
- Kinetic theory of gases - assumptions
- The concept of pressure
- Kinetic interpretation of temperature
- RMS speed of gas molecules
- Degrees of freedom
- Law of equipartition of energy and applications to specific heat capacities of gases
- Mean free path
- Avogadro's number
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OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES
10 topics- Oscillations and periodic motion – time period, frequency, displacement as a function of time
- Periodic functions
- Simple harmonic motion (S.H.M.) and its equation
- Phase
- Oscillations of a spring - restoring force and force constant
- Energy in S.H.M. - Kinetic and potential energies
- Simple pendulum - derivation of expression for its time period
- Wave motion
- Longitudinal and transverse waves
- Speed of the travelling wave
- Displacement relation for a progressive wave
- Principle of superposition of waves
- Reflection of waves
- Standing waves in strings and organ pipes
- Fundamental mode and harmonics
- Beats
- Oscillations and periodic motion – time period, frequency, displacement as a function of time
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ELECTROSTATICS
9 topics- Electric charges
- Electric field
- Electric field due to a point charge
- Electric field lines
- Electric dipole
- Torque on a dipole in a uniform electric field
- Electric flux
- Gauss's law and its applications
- Field due to infinitely long uniformly charged straight wire
- Field due to uniformly charged infinite plane sheet
- Field due to uniformly charged thin spherical shell
- Electric potential
- Calculation for a point charge
- Calculation for electric dipole
- Calculation for system of charges
- Conductors and insulators
- Dielectrics and electric polarization
- Capacitors and capacitances
- Combination of capacitors in series and parallel
- Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with and without dielectric medium
- Energy stored in a capacitor
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CURRENT ELECTRICITY
9 topics- Electric current
- Ohm's law
- Electrical resistance
- Series and parallel combinations of resistors
- Temperature dependence of resistance
- Internal resistance
- Kirchhoff’s laws and their applications
- Wheatstone bridge
- Metre Bridge
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MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF CURRENT AND MAGNETISM
11 topics- Biot - Savart law
- Ampere's law
- Force on a moving charge in uniform magnetic and electric fields
- Force on a current-carrying conductor in a uniform magnetic field
- Torque experienced by a current loop in a uniform magnetic field
- Moving coil galvanometer
- Current loop as a magnetic dipole
- Bar magnet as an equivalent solenoid
- Magnetic field due to a magnetic dipole
- Along its axis
- Perpendicular to its axis
- Para-, dia- and ferromagnetic substances
- Effect of temperature on magnetic properties
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ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION AND ALTERNATING CURRENTS
12 topics- Electromagnetic induction
- Faraday's law
- Induced emf and current
- Lenz’s Law
- Eddy currents
- Self and mutual inductance
- Alternating currents
- Reactance and impedance
- LCR series circuit
- Resonance
- Power in AC circuits
- AC generator and transformer
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ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
5 topics- Displacement current
- Electromagnetic waves and their characteristics
- Transverse nature of electromagnetic waves
- Electromagnetic spectrum
- Radio waves
- Microwaves
- Infrared
- Visible
- Ultraviolet
- X-rays
- Gamma rays
- Applications of e.m. waves
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OPTICS
10 topics- Reflection of Light
- Spherical mirrors
- Mirror formula
- Refraction of Light
- Plane surfaces
- Spherical surfaces
- Thin Lens Formula
- Lens maker formula
- Total Internal Reflection
- Applications
- Magnification
- Power of a Lens
- Combination of Thin Lenses
- In contact
- Refraction of Light through a Prism
- Microscope and Astronomical Telescope
- Reflecting
- Refracting
- Magnifying powers
- Wave Optics
- Wavefront and Huygens' principle
- Laws of reflection and refraction using Huygens principle
- Interference
- Young's double-slit experiment
- Expression for fringe width
- Coherent sources
- Sustained interference of light
- Diffraction due to a single slit
- Width of central maximum
- Polarization
- Plane-polarized light
- Brewster's law
- Uses of plane-polarized light and Polaroid
- Reflection of Light
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DUAL NATURE OF MATTER AND RADIATION
3 topics- Dual nature of radiation
- Photoelectric effect
- Hertz and Lenard's observations
- Einstein's photoelectric equation
- Matter waves
- Wave nature of particle
- de Broglie relation
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ATOMS AND NUCLEI
6 topics- Alpha-particle scattering experiment
- Rutherford's model of atom
- Bohr model
- Energy levels
- Hydrogen spectrum
- Composition and size of nucleus
- Atomic masses
- Mass-energy relation
- Mass defect
- Binding energy per nucleon and its variation with mass number
- Nuclear fission and fusion
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ELECTRONIC DEVICES
5 topics- Semiconductors
- Semiconductor diode
- I-V characteristics in forward and reverse bias
- Diode as a rectifier
- LED
- Photodiode
- Solar cell
- Zener diode
- Zener diode as a voltage regulator
- Logic gates
- OR
- AND
- NOT
- NAND
- NOR
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EXPERIMENTAL SKILLS
overviewNo separate topics listed for this chapter.
JEE Main Physics flashcards — 50 questions with answers
What is a physical quantity, and what two parts express its measurement?
A physical quantity is a property of matter that can be measured. Its measurement is expressed as a numerical value (magnitude) multiplied by a unit, i.e. $Q = n \times u$, where $n$ is the numerical value and $u$ is the unit.
State the relation between the numerical value of a quantity and the size of the unit chosen.
For a fixed physical quantity, $n \times u = \text{constant}$, so $n \propto \frac{1}{u}$. A larger unit gives a smaller numerical value and vice versa, i.e. $n_1 u_1 = n_2 u_2$.
What is the difference between fundamental (base) units and derived units?
Fundamental units are independent units for base quantities that cannot be expressed in terms of others (e.g. metre, kilogram, second). Derived units are obtained by combining fundamental units (e.g. unit of force $\text{kg}\cdot\text{m}\cdot\text{s}^{-2}$).
List the seven base quantities of the SI system and their units.
Length — metre (m); Mass — kilogram (kg); Time — second (s); Electric current — ampere (A); Temperature — kelvin (K); Amount of substance — mole (mol); Luminous intensity — candela (cd).
Name the two supplementary SI units and the quantities they measure.
Radian (rad) for plane angle and steradian (sr) for solid angle.
Define one radian.
One radian is the angle subtended at the centre of a circle by an arc whose length equals the radius: $\theta = \frac{s}{r}$, so $\theta = 1\ \text{rad}$ when $s = r$.
Name three common systems of units and their base units of length, mass and time.
CGS: centimetre, gram, second. FPS (British): foot, pound, second. MKS/SI: metre, kilogram, second.
What is the least count of a measuring instrument?
The least count is the smallest measurement (smallest division) that an instrument can read accurately, e.g. $1\ \text{mm}$ for an ordinary metre scale.
Give the formula for the least count of a vernier callipers.
$\text{L.C.} = 1\ \text{M.S.D.} - 1\ \text{V.S.D.} = \dfrac{\text{value of 1 main scale division}}{\text{number of vernier scale divisions}}$.
Give the formula for the least count of a screw gauge (micrometer).
$\text{L.C.} = \dfrac{\text{pitch}}{\text{number of divisions on circular scale}}$, where pitch is the distance moved per complete rotation.
Define significant figures.
Significant figures are the digits in a measurement that are known reliably plus the first uncertain (estimated) digit; they convey the precision of the measurement.
State the rule for significant figures regarding zeros to the left of the first non-zero digit.
Leading zeros (zeros before the first non-zero digit) are NOT significant. For example, $0.00254$ has only 3 significant figures (2, 5, 4).
How many significant figures are in $6.032 \times 10^{4}$ and why does scientific notation help?
It has 4 significant figures. Scientific notation removes ambiguity about trailing/leading zeros, since only the digits in the mantissa are counted.
State the significant-figure rule for multiplication and division.
The result should be rounded to the same number of significant figures as the quantity with the least number of significant figures among those multiplied or divided.
State the significant-figure rule for addition and subtraction.
The result should be rounded to the same number of decimal places as the quantity with the least number of decimal places.
What is the difference between accuracy and precision?
Accuracy is how close a measured value is to the true value. Precision is how close repeated measurements are to one another (resolution/consistency), independent of the true value.
Define error in a measurement and name its two broad types.
Error is the difference between a measured value and the true value. The two broad types are systematic errors (consistent, one-directional, e.g. instrumental, zero error) and random errors (irregular, varying in sign and size).
How is the best (most probable) value obtained from several measurements, and what is absolute error?
The best value is the arithmetic mean $a_{mean} = \frac{1}{n}\sum_{i=1}^{n} a_i$. The absolute error of the $i$-th reading is $\Delta a_i = |a_{mean} - a_i|$.
Define mean absolute error, relative error and percentage error.
Mean absolute error: $\overline{\Delta a} = \frac{1}{n}\sum |\Delta a_i|$. Relative error: $\frac{\overline{\Delta a}}{a_{mean}}$. Percentage error: $\frac{\overline{\Delta a}}{a_{mean}} \times 100\%$.
How do errors combine for a sum or difference $Z = A \pm B$?
The absolute errors add: $\Delta Z = \Delta A + \Delta B$. The maximum absolute error in the result equals the sum of the absolute errors of the terms.
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How do errors combine for a product or quotient $Z = AB$ or $Z = \frac{A}{B}$?
The relative errors add: $\dfrac{\Delta Z}{Z} = \dfrac{\Delta A}{A} + \dfrac{\Delta B}{B}$.
What is the maximum relative error in $Z = \dfrac{A^{p} B^{q}}{C^{r}}$?
$\dfrac{\Delta Z}{Z} = p\,\dfrac{\Delta A}{A} + q\,\dfrac{\Delta B}{B} + r\,\dfrac{\Delta C}{C}$ — exponents multiply the corresponding relative errors and all terms add.
What are the dimensions of a physical quantity?
Dimensions are the powers to which the fundamental quantities (mass $M$, length $L$, time $T$, etc.) must be raised to represent that quantity. They are written in a dimensional formula, e.g. force $= [MLT^{-2}]$.
Write the dimensional formulae for velocity, acceleration and force.
Velocity: $[M^{0}LT^{-1}]$; Acceleration: $[M^{0}LT^{-2}]$; Force: $[MLT^{-2}]$.
Write the dimensional formulae for work/energy and power.
Work and energy: $[ML^{2}T^{-2}]$; Power: $[ML^{2}T^{-3}]$.
Write the dimensional formulae for pressure and momentum.
Pressure: $[ML^{-1}T^{-2}]$; Momentum: $[MLT^{-1}]$.
State the principle of homogeneity of dimensions.
In a physically correct equation, every term on both sides must have the same dimensions; only quantities of identical dimensions can be added, subtracted or equated.
Give one example each of a dimensionless quantity and a dimensionless quantity that still has a unit.
Dimensionless without unit: strain (ratio of lengths) or refractive index. Dimensionless but with a unit: plane angle (radian) and solid angle (steradian).
List the three main uses (applications) of dimensional analysis.
1) Checking the dimensional correctness of an equation (homogeneity). 2) Deriving the relation among physical quantities. 3) Converting a unit from one system to another.
State two important limitations of dimensional analysis.
It cannot determine dimensionless constants (like $\frac{1}{2}$ or $2\pi$), and it cannot derive relations involving more than three unknowns, trigonometric, exponential or logarithmic functions, or sums of terms.
Using dimensional analysis, give the formula to convert the numerical value of a quantity between unit systems.
$n_2 = n_1 \left[\dfrac{M_1}{M_2}\right]^{a}\left[\dfrac{L_1}{L_2}\right]^{b}\left[\dfrac{T_1}{T_2}\right]^{c}$, where $a,b,c$ are the dimensions of mass, length and time in the quantity.
What is a frame of reference?
A frame of reference is a coordinate system (with an origin and axes) attached to an observer, together with a clock, used to specify the position and time of events; motion is always described relative to it.
Distinguish inertial and non-inertial frames of reference.
An inertial frame is one moving with constant velocity (zero acceleration) in which Newton's first law holds. A non-inertial frame is accelerating, requiring pseudo (fictitious) forces to apply Newton's laws.
What does 'motion in a straight line' (rectilinear motion) mean, and is it one-dimensional?
It is motion of an object along a single straight-line path, so it is one-dimensional motion; position can be specified by a single coordinate $x$ along that line.
Distinguish distance and displacement.
Distance is the total path length travelled (scalar, always positive). Displacement is the shortest straight-line vector from initial to final position (vector, can be positive, negative or zero). $|\text{displacement}| \leq \text{distance}$.
What information is given by the slope of a position–time graph?
The slope of a position–time ($x$–$t$) graph gives the velocity: $v = \dfrac{dx}{dt}$. A steeper slope means greater speed; a horizontal line means the object is at rest.
How do you read the position–time graphs for an object at rest, in uniform motion, and in accelerated motion?
At rest: a horizontal straight line. Uniform motion: a sloping straight line (constant slope). Accelerated motion: a curved line (changing slope).
Define speed and velocity and state which is scalar and which is vector.
Speed is the rate of change of distance, $\text{speed} = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}}$, a scalar. Velocity is the rate of change of displacement, $\vec{v} = \frac{\Delta \vec{x}}{\Delta t}$, a vector.
Distinguish uniform and non-uniform motion.
In uniform motion the object covers equal displacements in equal intervals of time (constant velocity, zero acceleration). In non-uniform motion it covers unequal displacements in equal time intervals (velocity changes, so acceleration is non-zero).
Define average speed and average velocity.
Average speed $= \dfrac{\text{total distance}}{\text{total time}}$ (scalar). Average velocity $\vec{v}_{avg} = \dfrac{\Delta \vec{x}}{\Delta t} = \dfrac{x_2 - x_1}{t_2 - t_1}$ (vector).
For a body covering equal distances at speeds $v_1$ and $v_2$, what is the average speed?
The average speed is the harmonic mean: $v_{avg} = \dfrac{2 v_1 v_2}{v_1 + v_2}$.
Define instantaneous velocity and instantaneous speed.
Instantaneous velocity is the velocity at a particular instant: $\vec{v} = \lim_{\Delta t \to 0}\dfrac{\Delta \vec{x}}{\Delta t} = \dfrac{d\vec{x}}{dt}$. Instantaneous speed is its magnitude, $|\vec{v}|$.
Define average and instantaneous acceleration.
Average acceleration $\vec{a}_{avg} = \dfrac{\Delta \vec{v}}{\Delta t}$. Instantaneous acceleration $\vec{a} = \lim_{\Delta t \to 0}\dfrac{\Delta \vec{v}}{\Delta t} = \dfrac{d\vec{v}}{dt} = \dfrac{d^{2}x}{dt^{2}}$. SI unit: $\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-2}$.
What is uniformly accelerated motion?
Motion in which the velocity changes by equal amounts in equal intervals of time, i.e. the acceleration is constant in both magnitude and direction (e.g. free fall under gravity).
Write the three equations of motion for uniformly accelerated motion.
$v = u + at$; $\;s = ut + \frac{1}{2}at^{2}$; $\;v^{2} = u^{2} + 2as$, where $u$ is initial velocity, $v$ final velocity, $a$ constant acceleration, $s$ displacement and $t$ time.
Give the formula for the displacement in the $n$-th second of uniformly accelerated motion.
$s_{n} = u + \dfrac{a}{2}(2n - 1)$ — the displacement during the $n$-th second only (not the total distance up to $n$ seconds).
What does the slope of a velocity–time graph represent, and what does the area under it represent?
The slope of a velocity–time graph gives acceleration, $a = \dfrac{dv}{dt}$. The area under the $v$–$t$ graph gives the displacement of the object.
Describe the velocity–time graph for uniform velocity and for uniform acceleration starting from rest.
Uniform velocity: a horizontal straight line parallel to the time axis. Uniform acceleration from rest: a straight line through the origin with positive constant slope.
How is displacement found from a velocity–time graph for uniformly accelerated motion (graphical derivation idea)?
The displacement equals the area of the trapezium under the $v$–$t$ line: $s = \frac{1}{2}(u + v)t$, the area combining the rectangle ($ut$) and triangle ($\frac{1}{2}at^{2}$).
What does a negative slope (downward line) on a velocity–time graph indicate?
A negative slope indicates negative acceleration (retardation/deceleration); the magnitude of velocity is decreasing with time while the object may still be moving in the positive direction.
JEE Main Physics FAQ
What is in the JEE Main Physics syllabus?
JEE Main Physics is split into 20 chapters: PHYSICS AND MEASUREMENT, KINEMATICS, LAWS OF MOTION, WORK, ENERGY, AND POWER, ROTATIONAL MOTION, GRAVITATION, PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS, THERMODYNAMICS, KINETIC THEORY OF GASES, OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES, ELECTROSTATICS and CURRENT ELECTRICITY, and 8 more. Together they contain 194 topics and 76 sub-topics.
How many chapters are in JEE Main Physics?
20 chapters, containing 194 topics and 76 sub-topics. The largest chapter is PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS, with 27 topics.
Are there flashcards for JEE Main Physics?
Yes — a 50-card Physics deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.