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🇵🇰 PAF GD Pilot · subject
PAF GD Pilot Physics Syllabus
Every chapter and topic of Physics examined in PAF GD Pilot — 8 chapters, 24 topics, plus 51 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 PAF GD Pilot, not a summary of it.
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Mechanics
4 topics- Motion and Kinematics
- Newton's Laws of Motion
- Force, Momentum and Impulse
- Work, Energy and Power
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Gravitation and Circular Motion
3 topics- Newton's Law of Gravitation
- Circular Motion and Centripetal Force
- Satellites and Orbits
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Properties of Matter and Fluids
2 topics- Elasticity and Pressure
- Fluid Dynamics
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Heat and Thermodynamics
3 topics- Temperature and Heat Transfer
- Laws of Thermodynamics
- Gas Laws
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Waves and Sound
3 topics- Wave Motion and Properties
- Sound and Its Characteristics
- Doppler Effect
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Light and Optics
3 topics- Reflection and Refraction
- Lenses and Mirrors
- Optical Instruments
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Electricity and Magnetism
3 topics- Electrostatics
- Current Electricity and Ohm's Law
- Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction
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Modern Physics
3 topics- Atomic Structure
- Radioactivity
- Basic Electronics and Semiconductors
Physics flashcards for PAF GD Pilot
24 of 51 cards from the Physics deck — real questions with worked answers.
Define displacement and state how it differs from distance.
Displacement is the shortest straight-line change in position from start to finish, with direction (a vector). Distance is the total path length travelled (a scalar). Displacement can be zero even when distance is large.
What is the difference between speed and velocity?
Speed is the rate of change of distance (scalar). Velocity is the rate of change of displacement (vector) and includes direction.
State the three equations of motion for uniform acceleration.
v = u + at; s = ut + ½at²; v² = u² + 2as, where u = initial velocity, v = final velocity, a = acceleration, t = time, s = displacement.
What is acceleration due to gravity (g) near Earth's surface, and what is its direction?
g ≈ 9.8 m/s² (about 9.81 m/s²), directed vertically downward toward Earth's centre.
For a projectile launched at angle θ with speed u, give the formulas for time of flight, maximum height, and range.
Time of flight T = 2u sinθ / g; Maximum height H = u²sin²θ / 2g; Range R = u²sin2θ / g. Maximum range occurs at θ = 45°.
What does the slope and the area under a velocity-time graph represent?
The slope of a velocity-time graph gives acceleration; the area under it gives displacement.
Define instantaneous velocity.
The velocity of an object at a specific instant, equal to the limit of average velocity as the time interval approaches zero (the derivative ds/dt).
State Newton's First Law of Motion (law of inertia).
A body remains at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by a net external force.
State Newton's Second Law of Motion and give its formula.
The rate of change of momentum of a body is proportional to the applied force and acts in its direction. F = ma (force = mass × acceleration).
State Newton's Third Law of Motion.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; the forces act on two different bodies.
Define inertia and state what it depends on.
Inertia is the tendency of a body to resist any change in its state of rest or uniform motion. It depends directly on the mass of the body.
What is the difference between mass and weight?
Mass is the amount of matter in a body (scalar, constant, measured in kg). Weight is the gravitational force on the body, W = mg (vector, varies with g, measured in newtons).
Define momentum and give its formula and SI unit.
Momentum is the product of an object's mass and velocity: p = mv. It is a vector with SI unit kg·m/s (or N·s).
Define impulse and state the impulse-momentum theorem.
Impulse is the product of force and the time it acts: J = F·t. The impulse-momentum theorem states impulse equals the change in momentum: F·t = Δp = m(v − u). SI unit: N·s.
State the law of conservation of linear momentum.
In the absence of an external net force, the total momentum of a system remains constant. For a collision: m₁u₁ + m₂u₂ = m₁v₁ + m₂v₂.
Distinguish between elastic and inelastic collisions.
In an elastic collision both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. In an inelastic collision momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not (some is lost as heat, sound, deformation).
Why are airbags and crumple zones effective in reducing injury, in terms of impulse?
They increase the time over which momentum changes. Since F = Δp/t, increasing t reduces the average force exerted on the occupant for the same change in momentum.
Define work in physics and give its formula and SI unit.
Work is done when a force moves its point of application along its direction: W = F·s·cosθ. SI unit is the joule (J), where 1 J = 1 N·m.
When is the work done by a force zero?
When the force is zero, the displacement is zero, or the force is perpendicular to the displacement (θ = 90°, cos90° = 0).
State the work-energy theorem.
The net work done on a body equals the change in its kinetic energy: W_net = ΔKE = ½mv² − ½mu².
Give the formulas for kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy.
Kinetic energy KE = ½mv²; Gravitational potential energy PE = mgh, where h is height above a reference level.
State the law of conservation of energy.
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another; the total energy of an isolated system remains constant.
Define power and give its formulas and SI unit.
Power is the rate of doing work: P = W/t = F·v. SI unit is the watt (W), where 1 W = 1 J/s. (1 horsepower ≈ 746 W.)
State Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation with its formula.
Every two masses attract each other with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them: F = G·m₁m₂ / r².
Planning Physics for PAF GD Pilot
Physics is about 16% of the PAF GD Pilot syllabus by topic count — 24 of 154 topics, spread over 8 chapters. At roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, a first pass runs to about 20 hours.
The heaviest chapters are Mechanics (4 topics), Gravitation and Circular Motion (3 topics), Heat and Thermodynamics (3 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 (PAF GD Pilot) FAQ
What is in the PAF GD Pilot Physics syllabus?
Physics is split into 8 chapters — Mechanics, Gravitation and Circular Motion, Properties of Matter and Fluids, Heat and Thermodynamics, Waves and Sound and Light and Optics, and 2 more, containing 24 topics and 0 sub-topics in total.
How is Physics structured in the PAF GD Pilot syllabus?
8 chapters. Physics accounts for about 16% of the topics in the whole PAF GD Pilot syllabus (24 of 154).
How long should I spend on Physics for PAF GD Pilot?
Budget around 20 hours for a first pass through Physics — about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic across its 24 topics. Add revision cycles on top.
Are there flashcards for PAF GD Pilot Physics?
Yes — a 51-card Physics deck. Sample cards are printed on this page, and the full deck is free in the Examius app with spaced repetition scheduling.