Concepts of Physics
Physical World and Measurement
Units and Measurements
- Need for measurement
- Units of measurement
- systems of units; SI units, fundamental and derived units.
- Length, mass, and time measurements
- accuracy and precision of measuring instruments
- errors in measurement
- significant figures
- Dimensions of physical quantities
- dimensional analysis and its applications
Motion in a Straight Line
- Distance, Displacement, Average Speed, And Average Velocity
- Instantaneous Speed, Instantaneous Velocity, and Instantaneous Acceleration
- Equations of Kinematics for a Linear Motion
- Projectile Motion
- Relative Velocity
Motion in a Plane
- Scalar and vector quantities
- Position and displacement vectors
- general vectors and their notations
- equality of vectors
- multiplication of vectors by a real number
- addition and subtraction of vectors
- Relative velocity
- Unit vector
- Resolution of a vector in a plane
- Scalar and Vector product of vectors
- Motion in a plane
- cases of uniform velocity and uniform acceleration
- projectile motion
- Uniform circular motion.
Laws of Motion
- Intuitive concept of force.
- Inertia
- Newton’s first law of motion
- momentum and Newton’s second law of motion
- impulse
- Newton’s third law of motion.
- Law of conservation of linear momentum and its applications.
- Equilibrium of concurrent forces.
- Static, kinetic, and limiting friction
- laws of friction
- rolling friction and lubrication
- Dynamics of uniform circular motion
- Centripetal force
- examples of circular motion (vehicle on a level circular road, vehicle on a banked road)
Work, Energy, and Power
- Work done by a constant force
- work done by a variable force
- kinetic energy
- work-energy theorem
- power
- The notion of potential energy
- The potential energy of a spring
- conservative forces
- conservation of mechanical energy
- non-conservative forces
- motion in a vertical circle
- elastic and inelastic collisions in one and two dimensions
System of Particles and Rotational Motion
- Centre of mass of a two-particle system
- momentum conservation and center of mass motion
- Centre of mass of a rigid body
- center of mass of a uniform rod
- Moment of a force
- torque
- angular momentum
- laws of conservation of angular momentum
- Equilibrium of rigid bodies
- rigid body rotation and equations of rotational motion
- comparison of linear and rotational motions
- Moment of inertia
- radius of gyration
- Values of moments of inertia for simple geometrical objects
- Statement of parallel and perpendicular axes theorems
Gravitation
- The universal law of gravitation
- Acceleration due to gravity and its variation with altitude and depth
- Gravitational potential energy and gravitational potential
- Escape velocity
- Orbital velocity of a satellite
- Geostationary satellites
- Kepler’s laws of planetary motion
Mechanical Properties of Solids
- Elastic behaviour
- Stress-strain relationship
- Hooke’s law
- Young’s modulus
- bulk modulus
- shear modulus of rigidity
- Poisson’s ratio
- elastic energy
Mechanical Properties of Fluids
- pressure due to a fluid column
- Pascal’s law
- hydraulic lift
- hydraulic brakes
- effect of gravity on fluid pressure
- viscosity
- tokes’ law
- terminal velocity
- streamline and turbulent flow
- critical velocity
- Bernoulli’s theorem
- Surface energy and surface tension
- angle of contact
- excess of pressure across a curved surface
- application of surface tension ideas to drops, bubbles, and capillary rise
Thermal Properties of Matter
- Heat
- temperature
- thermal expansion
- thermal expansion of solids, liquids, and gases
- anomalous expansion of water
- specific heat capacity; Cp, Cv
- calorimetry
- change of state
- latent heat capacity
- Heat transfer-conduction, convection, and radiation
- thermal conductivity
- Qualitative ideas of Blackbody radiation
- Wein’s Displacement Law
- Stefan’s law
- Greenhouse effect
Thermodynamics
- Thermal equilibrium and definition of temperature (zeroth law of thermodynamics)
- Heat
- work and internal energy
- First law of thermodynamics
- Isothermal and adiabatic processes
- Second law of thermodynamics
- reversible and irreversible processes
- Heat engine and refrigerator
Kinetic Theory
- Equation of state of a perfect gas
- work done in compressing a gas
- Kinetic theory of gases-assumptions
- concept of pressure
- Kinetic interpretation of temperature
- rms speed of gas molecules
- degrees of freedom
- law of equipartition of energy (statement only) and application to specific heat capacities of gases
- concept of mean free path
- Avogadro’s number
Oscillations
- 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
- Free, forced, and damped oscillations (qualitative ideas only)
- resonance.
Waves
- Wave motion
- Transverse and longitudinal waves
- speed of wave motion
- 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
- Doppler effect
Electric Charges and Fields
- Electric Charges, Conservation of charge,
- Coulomb’s law of force between two-point charges,
- forces between multiple charges,
- superposition principle and continuous charge distribution,
- Electric field, electric field due to a point charge,
- electric field lines,
- electric dipole,
- electric field due to a dipole,
- torque on a dipole in a uniform electric field,
- Electric flux,
- statement of Gauss’s theorem and its applications to find field due to infinitely long straight wire, uniformly charged infinite plane sheet
Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance
- Electric potential, potential difference,
- electric potential due to a point charge, a dipole and a system of charges,
- equipotential surfaces,
- the electrical potential energy of a system of two-point charges, and of electric dipole in an electrostatic field,
- Conductors and insulators,
- free charges, and bound charges inside a conductor,
- Dielectrics and electric polarization,
- capacitors and capacitance,
- a combination of capacitors in series and in parallel,
- the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with and without a dielectric medium between the plates,
- energy stored in a capacitor,
Current Electricity
- Electric current, the flow of electric charges in a metallic conductor,
- drift velocity, mobility and their relation with electric current,
- Ohm’s law, electrical resistance, V-I characteristics (linear and nonlinear),
- electrical energy and power,
- electrical resistivity, and conductivity, the temperature dependence of resistance,
- The internal resistance of a cell, potential difference, and emf of a cell,
- a combination of cells in series and in parallel,
- Kirchhoff’s laws and simple applications,
- Wheatstone bridge,
- meter bridge,
- Potentiometer – principle and its applications to measure potential difference and for comparing EMF of two cells, measurement of internal resistance of a cell
Moving Charges and Magnetism
- Concept of the magnetic field,
- Oersted’s experiment,
- Biot – Savart law and its application to the current-carrying circular loop,
- Ampere’s law and its applications to an infinitely long straight wire,
- Straight and toroidal solenoids,
- force on a moving charge in uniform magnetic and electric fields,
- Force on a current-carrying conductor in a uniform magnetic field,
- the force between two parallel current-carrying conductors-definition of the ampere,
- torque experienced by a current loop in the uniform magnetic field,
- moving coil galvanometer-its current sensitivity and conversion to ammeter and voltmeter,
Magnetism and Matter
- Current loop as a magnetic dipole and its magnetic dipole moment,
- magnetic dipole moment of a revolving electron,
- bar magnet as an equivalent solenoid,
- magnetic field lines, earth’s magnetic field, and magnetic elements,
Electromagnetic Induction
- Electromagnetic induction,
- Faraday’s laws
- induced EMF and current,
- Lenz’s Law,
- Eddy currents,
- Self and mutual induction,
Alternating Current
- Alternating currents,
- peak and RMS value of alternating current/voltage,
- reactance, and impedance,
- LC oscillations,
- LCR series circuit, resonance,
- power in AC circuits,
- AC generator, and transformer,
Electromagnetic Waves
- Electromagnetic waves, their characteristics, their Transverse nature,
- Electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) including elementary facts about their uses,
Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
- Refraction of light,
- total internal reflection and its applications,
- optical fibers,
- refraction at spherical surfaces,
- lenses, thin lens formula,
- lensmaker’s formula,
- magnification, power of a lens,
- combination of thin lenses in contact,
- refraction of light through a prism,
- Microscopes and astronomical telescopes (reflecting and refracting) and their magnifying powers,
Wave Optics
- Wavefront and Huygens principle,
- reflection and refraction of plane waves at a plane surface using wavefronts,
- Proof of laws of reflection and refraction using Huygens principle,
- Interference,
- Young’s double slit experiment and expression for fringe width, coherent sources, and sustained interference of light,
- diffraction due to a single slit, width of central maximum,
Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter
- Dual nature of radiation,
- Photoelectric effect,
- Hertz and Lenard’s observations,
- Einstein’s photoelectric equation-particle nature of light,
- Experimental study of the photoelectric effect
- Matter waves-wave nature of particles,
- de-Broglie relation
Atoms
- Alpha-particle scattering experiment,
- Rutherford’s model of the atom,
- Bohr’s model, energy levels,
- hydrogen spectrum,
Nuclei
- Composition and size of nucleus,
- Nuclear force
- Mass-energy relation,
- mass defect,
- nuclear fission,
- nuclear fusion,
Semiconductor Electronics: Materials, Devices and Simple Circuits
- Energy bands in conductors,
- semiconductors, and insulators,
- Semiconductor diode – I-V characteristics in forward and reverse bias,
- diode as a rectifier, Special purpose p-n junction diodes: LED, photodiode, solar cell,
Problems in Basic Physics
I.E. Irodov Question Number 1.1: A motorboat going downstream overcame a raft at a point A; \tau = 60\rm \ min later it turned back and after some time passed the raft at a distance l = 6.0\rm \ km from the point A. Find the flow velocity assuming the duty of the engine to be constant.
I.E. Irodov Question Number 2.1 : A vessel of volume V = 30\rm \ l contains ideal gas at the temperature 0^0\rm \ C. After a portion of the gas has been let out, the pressure in the vessel decreased by \Delta P = 0.78\rm \ atm (the temperature remaining constant). Find the mass of the released gas. The gas density under the normal conditions \rho = 1.3\rm \ g/l.
I.E. Irodov Question Number 2.2: Two identical vessels are connected by a tube with a valve letting the gas pass from one vessel into the other if the pressure difference \Delta P \geq 1.10\rm \ atm. Initially, there was a vacuum in one vessel while the other contained ideal gas at a temperature T_1 = 27 \rm \ ^0C and pressure P_1 = 1.00\rm \ atm. Then both vessels were heated to a temperature T_2 =1 07\rm \ ^0C. Up to what value will the pressure in the first vessel (which had vacuum initially) increase?
I.E. Irodov Question Number 2.3: A vessel of volume V = 20\rm \ L contains a mixture of hydrogen and helium at a temperature T = 20\rm \ ^0C and pressure P = 2.0\rm \ atm. The mass of the mixture is equal to m = 5.0\rm \ g. Find the ratio of the mass of hydrogen to that of helium in the given mixture.
I.E. Irodov Question Number 2.4: A vessel contains a mixture of nitrogen (m_1 = 7.0\rm \ g) and carbon dioxide (m_2 = 11\rm \ g) at a temperature T = 290\rm \ K and pressure P = 1.0\rm \ atm. Find the density of this mixture, assuming the gases to be ideal.
I.E. Irodov Question Number 3.1: Calculate the ratio of the electrostatic to gravitational interaction forces between two electrons, and between two protons. At what value of the specific charge q/m of a particle would these forces become equal (in their absolute values) in the case of interaction of identical particle?
Rotational Mechanics Question Number 1: A uniform solid sphere of radius r starts rolling down without slipping from the top of another fixed sphere of radius R. Find the angular velocity of the sphere of radius r at the instant when it leaves contact with the surface of the fixed sphere.
Rotational Mechanics Question Number 2: A solid cylindrical pulley with a mass of M = 2\rm \ kg and radius of R = 20\rm \ cm is free to rotate about its axis. A block of mass M = 4\rm \ kg is attached to the pulley with a light string. Assume the string does not stretch or slip. Calculate (a) the tension in the string and (b) the angular acceleration of the pulley.
Oscillations And Waves Question Number 1: A physical pendulum consists of 4\ \rm m long sticks joined together as shown in the figure. What is the pendulum’s period of oscillation about the midpoint of the horizontal stick?
Electric Flux and Gauss Law Question Number 1: A particle of charge q is placed at a corner of a cube of the edge a. What is the flux through (a) each cube face forming that corner and (b) each of the other cube faces?
Electric Flux and Gauss Law Question Number 2: A point charge q of magnitude 4.0\rm\ \mu C is placed at the center of the flat surface of a hemisphere of radius 10 \rm \ cm. What is the electric flux a) through the curved surface of the hemisphere and b) through the flat surface of the hemisphere?
Electric Flux and Gauss Law Question Number 3: A 10\ \rm nc charge is uniformly distributed on a ring of radius 10\ \rm cm. A sphere of radius 10\ \rm cm is constructed with its center on the circumference of the ring as shown in the figure. Find the electric flux through the sphere.