NEET UG Physical Chemistry Syllabus

Physical Chemistry syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Physical Chemistry in NEET UG, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   UNIT 1: Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry

   10 topics

   • Matter and its nature
   • Dalton’s atomic theory
   • Laws of chemical combination
   • Concept of elements, atoms, and molecules
   • Atomic and molecular masses
   • Mole concept and molar mass
   • Percentage composition
   • Empirical and molecular formulae
   • Chemical reactions
   • Stoichiometry
2. 2

   UNIT 2: Structure of Atom

   15 topics

   • Discovery of electron, proton, and neutron
   • Atomic number, isotopes and isobars
   • Thompson’s model and its limitations
   • Rutherford’s model and its limitations
   • Bohr’s model and its limitations
   • Concept of shells and subshells
   • Dual nature of matter and light
   • de Broglie’s relationship
   • Heisenberg uncertainty principle
   • Concept of orbitals
   • Quantum numbers
   • Shapes of s, p and d orbitals
   • Rules for filling electrons in orbitals – Aufbau principle, Pauli exclusion principle, Hund’s rule
   • Electronic configuration of atoms
   • Stability of half-filled and filled orbitals
3. 3

   UNIT 3: Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties

   4 topics

   • Significance of classification
   • Development of the periodic table
   • Modern periodic law and the present form of the periodic table
   • Periodic trends in properties of elements
     • Atomic radii
     • Ionic radii
     • Ionization enthalpy
     • Electron gain enthalpy
     • Electronegativity
     • Valence
4. 4

   UNIT 4: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure

   14 topics

   • Valence electrons
   • Ionic bond
   • Covalent bond
   • Bond parameters
   • Lewis structure
   • Polar character of covalent bond
   • Covalent character of ionic bond
   • Valence bond theory
   • Resonance
   • Geometry of covalent molecules
   • VSEPR theory
   • Concept of hybridization involving s, p, and d orbitals
   • Molecular orbital theory of homonuclear diatomic molecules (qualitative idea only)
   • Hydrogen bond
5. 5

   UNIT 5: States of Matter: Gases and Liquids

   8 topics

   • Three states of matter
   • Intermolecular interactions
   • Types of bonding
   • Melting and boiling points
   • Role of gas laws in elucidating the concept of the molecule
     • Boyle’s law
     • Charle’s law
     • Gay Lussac’s law
     • Avogadro’s law
   • Ideal behavior
     • Empirical derivation of gas equation
     • Avogadro number
     • Ideal gas equation
     • Kinetic energy and molecular speeds (elementary idea)
     • Deviation from ideal behavior
   • Liquefaction of gases
     • Critical temperature
   • Liquid State
     • Vapour pressure
     • Viscosity
     • Surface tension (qualitative idea only, no mathematical derivations)
6. 6

   UNIT 6: Thermodynamics

   25 topics

   • Concepts of system
   • Types of systems
   • Surroundings
   • Work
   • Heat
   • Energy
   • Extensive and intensive properties
   • State functions
   • The first law of thermodynamics – internal energy and enthalpy
   • Heat capacity and specific heat
   • Measurement of ΔU and ΔH
   • Hess’s law of constant heat summation
   • Enthalpy of bond dissociation
   • Combustion
   • Formation
   • Atomization
   • Sublimation
   • Phase transition
   • Ionization
   • Solution and dilution
   • Introduction of entropy as a state function
   • The second law of thermodynamics
   • Gibbs energy change for spontaneous and non-spontaneous process
   • Criteria for equilibrium
   • The third law of thermodynamics – a brief introduction
7. 7

   UNIT 7: Equilibrium

   16 topics

   • Equilibrium in physical and chemical processes
   • Dynamic nature of equilibrium
   • Law of mass action
   • Equilibrium constant
   • Factors affecting equilibrium – Le Chatelier’s principle
   • Ionic equilibrium – ionization of acids and bases
   • Strong and weak electrolytes
   • Degree of ionization
   • Ionization of polybasic acids
   • Acid strength
   • Concept of pH
   • Hydrolysis of salts (elementary idea)
   • Buffer solutions
   • Henderson equation
   • Solubility product
   • Common ion effect (with illustrative examples)
8. 8

   UNIT 8: Redox Reactions

   5 topics

   • Concept of oxidation and reduction
   • Redox reactions
   • Oxidation number
   • Balancing redox reactions in terms of loss and gain of electron and change in oxidation numbers
   • Applications of redox reactions

Physical Chemistry flashcards for NEET UG

19 of 52 cards from the Physical Chemistry deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. State the law of conservation of mass.

   In a chemical reaction, matter is neither created nor destroyed; the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.

2. Define a mole and give the value of Avogadro's number.

   A mole is the amount of substance containing as many entities as there are atoms in 12 g of carbon-12. Avogadro's number = 6.022 x 10^23 particles per mole.

3. What is the difference between molarity (M) and molality (m)?

   Molarity = moles of solute per litre of solution (temperature-dependent). Molality = moles of solute per kilogram of solvent (temperature-independent).

4. State the law of multiple proportions.

   When two elements combine to form more than one compound, the masses of one element that combine with a fixed mass of the other are in a ratio of small whole numbers.

5. How do you calculate percentage yield of a reaction?

   Percentage yield = (actual yield / theoretical yield) x 100.

6. Write the de Broglie equation relating wavelength to momentum.

   lambda = h / (mv) = h / p, where h is Planck's constant, m is mass and v is velocity.

7. State Heisenberg's uncertainty principle with its formula.

   It is impossible to determine simultaneously the exact position and momentum of an electron: delta x . delta p >= h / (4*pi).

8. What are the four quantum numbers and what does each describe?

   Principal (n) = energy/shell size; Azimuthal (l) = subshell/shape; Magnetic (m_l) = orbital orientation; Spin (m_s) = electron spin (+1/2 or -1/2).

9. State the Aufbau principle.

   Electrons fill atomic orbitals in order of increasing energy, lowest-energy orbitals first.

10. State Hund's rule of maximum multiplicity.

    Electrons occupy degenerate orbitals singly with parallel spins before pairing occurs.

11. State Pauli's exclusion principle.

    No two electrons in an atom can have the same set of all four quantum numbers; an orbital holds at most two electrons with opposite spins.

12. Give the Rydberg formula for the hydrogen atom spectral lines.

    1/lambda = R_H (1/n1^2 - 1/n2^2), where R_H = 109677 cm^-1 and n2 > n1.

13. What is the basis of the modern periodic law?

    The physical and chemical properties of elements are periodic functions of their atomic numbers.

14. How does atomic radius vary across a period and down a group?

    It decreases across a period (increasing nuclear charge) and increases down a group (added shells).

15. How does ionization enthalpy vary across a period and down a group?

    It increases across a period and decreases down a group.

16. Define electronegativity and name the most electronegative element.

    Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract a shared electron pair toward itself. Fluorine is the most electronegative element.

17. Why is the second ionization enthalpy always greater than the first?

    Removing an electron from a positively charged cation requires more energy because the remaining electrons are held more tightly by the same nuclear charge.

18. State Boyle's law.

    At constant temperature and amount of gas, the volume is inversely proportional to pressure: PV = constant.

19. State Charles's law.

    At constant pressure, the volume of a fixed amount of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature: V/T = constant.

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