Pharm-D Admission Test Physics Syllabus

How is instantaneous velocity obtained from a displacement-time graph and acceleration from a velocity-time graph?

Instantaneous velocity is the gradient (slope) of the displacement-time graph; acceleration is the gradient of the velocity-time graph. Displacement is the area under the velocity-time graph.

State Newton's First Law of Motion.

A body remains at rest or continues in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by a net external force. It defines the property of inertia.

State Newton's Second Law of Motion and its equation.

The rate of change of momentum of a body is proportional to the net applied force and occurs in the direction of the force. In equation form: F = ma (or F = dp/dt).

State Newton's Third Law of Motion.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; the forces act on two different bodies and are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction.

Define inertia and state which physical quantity measures it.

Inertia is the tendency of a body to resist any change in its state of rest or uniform motion. Mass is the measure of inertia.

Define linear momentum and give its formula and SI unit.

Linear momentum is the product of a body's mass and velocity: p = mv. It is a vector quantity with SI unit kg.m.s^-1 (or N.s).

Define impulse and state the impulse-momentum theorem.

Impulse is the product of force and the time for which it acts: J = F.t. The impulse-momentum theorem states impulse equals the change in momentum: F.t = m(v - u).

State the law of conservation of linear momentum.

In the absence of an external net force, the total momentum of a system (e.g., colliding bodies) remains constant before and after the interaction.

What is the difference between an elastic and an inelastic collision?

In an elastic collision both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. In an inelastic collision momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not (some converts to heat, sound, deformation).

What are the two components of velocity in projectile motion and how do they behave?

The horizontal component remains constant (no horizontal acceleration, ignoring air resistance); the vertical component changes uniformly due to gravity (acceleration = g downward).

Give the formulas for the time of flight, maximum height, and range of a projectile launched at angle theta with speed u.

Time of flight T = 2u sin(theta)/g; Maximum height H = u^2 sin^2(theta)/(2g); Range R = u^2 sin(2theta)/g.

At what launch angle is the range of a projectile maximum, and why?

At 45 degrees, because range R = u^2 sin(2theta)/g is maximum when sin(2theta) = 1, i.e., when 2theta = 90 degrees.

Define work in physics and give its formula and SI unit.

Work is the product of force and displacement in the direction of the force: W = Fd cos(theta). Its SI unit is the joule (J = N.m).

Give the formulas for kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy.

Kinetic energy KE = (1/2)mv^2; Gravitational potential energy PE = mgh, where h is the height above a reference level.

State the work-energy theorem.

The net work done on a body equals the change in its kinetic energy: W_net = (1/2)mv^2 - (1/2)mu^2.

State the law of conservation of energy.

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another, and the total energy of an isolated system remains constant.

For a freely falling body, how do KE and PE change, and what stays constant?

As the body falls, PE decreases and KE increases by an equal amount; the total mechanical energy (KE + PE) remains constant (ignoring air resistance).

Define power and give its formula and SI unit.

Power is the rate of doing work or transferring energy: P = W/t = Fv. Its SI unit is the watt (W = J/s).

Define efficiency and give its formula.

Efficiency is the ratio of useful output energy (or power) to total input energy (or power), expressed as a percentage: Efficiency = (useful output / total input) x 100%.

Why is the efficiency of a real machine always less than 100%?

Because some input energy is always lost as heat, sound, or to friction and other dissipative forces, so useful output is always less than total input.

Define angular displacement, angular velocity, and angular acceleration with their units.

Angular displacement (theta) is the angle swept, in radians. Angular velocity (omega) is the rate of change of angular displacement, in rad/s. Angular acceleration (alpha) is the rate of change of angular velocity, in rad/s^2.

State the relationships between linear and angular quantities (s, v, a).

s = r.theta; v = r.omega; a (tangential) = r.alpha, where r is the radius of the circular path.

Define centripetal acceleration and give its formula.

Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration directed toward the centre of a circular path: a = v^2/r = r.omega^2.

Define centripetal force and give its formula.

Centripetal force is the net inward force required to keep a body moving in a circle, directed toward the centre: F = mv^2/r = m.r.omega^2.

What provides the centripetal force for (a) a car turning a corner and (b) a planet orbiting the Sun?

(a) Friction between the tyres and the road. (b) The gravitational force between the planet and the Sun.

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

Torque is the turning effect of a force: tau = r F sin(theta) = force x perpendicular distance from the axis. Its SI unit is the newton-metre (N.m).

Define moment of inertia and state what it depends on.

Moment of inertia (I) is the rotational analogue of mass, measuring resistance to angular acceleration: I = sum(m r^2). It depends on the mass of the body and how that mass is distributed about the axis of rotation.

State the rotational form of Newton's second law and the formula for rotational kinetic energy.

Rotational second law: tau = I.alpha (torque = moment of inertia x angular acceleration). Rotational kinetic energy = (1/2)I.omega^2.

Define pressure in a fluid and give the formula for pressure at depth h in a liquid.

Pressure is force per unit area, P = F/A. The pressure due to a liquid column of depth h is P = rho.g.h, where rho is the liquid density.

State Pascal's principle (law).

Pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted undiminished to every part of the fluid and to the walls of the container. This is the basis of hydraulic systems.

State Archimedes' principle and the condition for an object to float.

Archimedes' principle: an object immersed in a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. An object floats when the buoyant force equals its weight (i.e., its average density is less than or equal to the fluid's density).

State the equation of continuity for an incompressible fluid.

A1.v1 = A2.v2 (the product of cross-sectional area and fluid speed is constant), meaning fluid speeds up where the pipe narrows.

State Bernoulli's equation and what each term represents.

P + (1/2)rho.v^2 + rho.g.h = constant along a streamline. The terms are static pressure, dynamic (kinetic) pressure per unit volume, and pressure due to height (potential), for an ideal incompressible non-viscous fluid.

According to Bernoulli's principle, how does fluid pressure relate to fluid speed?

Where the speed of a fluid is high, its pressure is low, and where the speed is low, its pressure is high (for a horizontal flow). This explains aerofoil lift and the spin of balls.

Define viscosity and state how it changes with temperature for liquids and gases.

Viscosity is a fluid's resistance to flow (internal friction between layers). For liquids, viscosity decreases as temperature rises; for gases, viscosity increases as temperature rises.

State Stokes' law for the drag force on a small sphere moving through a viscous fluid.

F = 6.pi.eta.r.v, where eta is the coefficient of viscosity, r is the sphere's radius, and v is its velocity relative to the fluid.

Define terminal velocity and state the condition at which it is reached.

Terminal velocity is the constant maximum velocity attained by a body falling through a fluid, reached when the net force is zero (weight = buoyant force + viscous drag), giving zero acceleration.

Define surface tension and give one everyday example of its effect.

Surface tension is the force per unit length acting along the surface of a liquid that makes it behave like an elastic stretched membrane, due to cohesive forces. Example: water droplets forming spherical shapes, or insects walking on water.

Define Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) and state its defining condition.

SHM is oscillatory motion in which the restoring force (and acceleration) is directly proportional to the displacement from the mean position and always directed toward it: a = -omega^2 x.

Give the formula for the time period of a mass-spring system and a simple pendulum.

Mass-spring: T = 2.pi.sqrt(m/k). Simple pendulum: T = 2.pi.sqrt(L/g), where L is the pendulum length and g is gravitational acceleration.

In SHM, at what positions are velocity and acceleration maximum and minimum?

Velocity is maximum at the mean (equilibrium) position and zero at the extremes. Acceleration is maximum at the extreme positions and zero at the mean position.