PURELY MEMORIZING OR DERIVATION PARTS
I. OSCILLATIONS AND MECHANICAL WAVES
Subtopic A: Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) Fundamentals
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Derive the differential equation for SHM and show that its solution is of the form . | 2017, 2024, 2024(becm) |
| Memorization | Defination: simple harmonic motion | 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Memorization | Explain simple harmonic motion and discuss its oscillatory behavior. | 2016, 2023 |
| Memorization | Show graphical representation of the SHM. | 2017, 2022 |
| Memorization | Show in tabular form and graphically that simple harmonic motion is an oscillatory motion in terms of displacement velocity and acceleration. | 2018, 2021, 2022 |
| Memorization | Discuss some basic characteristics of Simple Harmonic Motion. | 2024(becm) |
Subtopic B: SHM Energy, Superposition, and Lissajous Figures
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Show that the total energy of a particle executing simple harmonic motion is constant. | 2016 |
| Derivation/Expression | Derive an expression for energy of vibration of a vibrating system. | 2021 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is superposition principle? Show that superposition principle is valid only in case of linear homogeneous equation. | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024(becm) |
| Derivation/Expression | What are Lissajous figures? Derive an expression for two simple harmonic vibrations of equal time periods acting at right angles. Discuss when the phase difference and . | 2022, 2024, 2020 |
| Derivation/Expression | Two SHM , . Obtain the general equation of resultant vibration. | 2018 |
Subtopic C: Damped and Forced Oscillations / Resonance
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | What are damped vibrations and forced vibrations? Derive an expression for power dissipation in damped harmonic oscillation. | 2017, 2020 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is resonance? Derive an expression for maximum displacement of a driven oscillator. | 2017, 2020 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is Damped oscillation? Write forces, construct and solve the differential equation, obtain critical damping condition. | 2018 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is damped vibration? Derive and solve the differential equation of damped simple harmonic motion in LCR circuit. | 2019, 2021 |
| Derivation/Expression | Define bandwidth of resonance. Derive an expression for bandwidth of resonance. | 2019 |
| Derivation/Expression | Derive and solve the differential equation of damped vibration in LCR circuit. Discuss the case when damping is small. | 2021 |
| Derivation/Expression | Obtain an expression for the displacement in the case of a LCR circuit. Discuss the effect of critical damping on the LCR circuit. | 2023 |
| Derivation/Expression | Describe the term “Quality factor”. Derive an expression for the energy loss per cycle in a damped harmonic oscillator. | 2024 |
| Derivation/Expression | Construct an expression for the displacement in the case of a damped oscillatory motion. Also find out the maximum displacement of a driven oscillator in case of resonance. | 2024 |
| Memorization | Discuss the sharpness of resonance. | 2016 |
| Memorization | Distinguish between free, forced and damped vibrations. | 2024(becm) |
Subtopic D: Wave Motion (Progressive, Stationary, Group/Phase Velocity)
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Show that the energy of a plane progressive wave is . | 2016, 2021, 2023 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is meant by intensity of a plane progressive wave? Obtain an expression for the intensity of a plane progressive wave. | 2024(becm) |
| Derivation/Expression | What is wave velocity? Derive an expression for energy of a progressive wave. | 2018 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is stationary wave? Discuss analytically the formation of stationary waves when reflection occurs at a free boundary. Why are they referred to as stationary waves? | 2019 |
| Derivation/Expression | Express mathematically that no energy is transfer in case of stationary wave. | 2024 |
| Derivation/Expression | Define group velocity and phase velocity. Find a relation between them. | 2023 |
| Derivation/Expression | Mention the basic difference between phase velocity and group velocity. Establish the mathematical relation between them. | 2024(becm) |
| Derivation/Expression | Show that the group velocity depends on the medium through which the wave is transmitted. | 2019, 2022 |
| Memorization | What are stationary waves? Write down their properties. | 2017, 2021 |
| Memorization | What are nodes and anti-nodes? Discuss the formation of stationary waves due to reflection at a free end boundary. Explain how characteristics change (i) with position and (ii) with time. | 2024(becm) |
Subtopic E: Acoustics and Sound
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | What is Doppler’s effect in Sound? Obtain an expression for the apparent frequency of a note when the source and the listener are (i) moving towards each other, (ii) moving away from each other. | 2016, 2022 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is Doppler’s effect? Derive an expression for the apparent frequency of a note when (i) The source and observer is moving separately towards the stationary observer and source. (ii) The source and the listener are moving. | 2018 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is Beats? Show that the number of beats produced per second is . | 2018, 2022 |
| Derivation/Expression | Define about beats. How are they produced? Analytically describe the formation of beats and prove that the number of beats per second is equal to the difference in frequency of the two notes. | 2024(becm), 2024 |
| Derivation/Expression | Derive an expression for the growth and decay of sound in an auditorium and hence obtain Sabine’s reverberation formula. | 2023, 2024(becm) |
| Memorization | What is bel and phone? Discuss the factors influencing loudness. | 2016, 2024(becm) |
| Memorization | Explain Sabine’s reverberation formula. | 2016, 2022 |
| Memorization | Write down the requisites for a good auditorium. | 2017, 2023 |
II. OPTICS
Subtopic A: Interference
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Explain interference of light using suitable diagram. Discuss interference of light analytically and obtain the conditions of maximum and minimum intensities. | 2016 |
| Derivation/Expression | What are coherent sources of light? Show that the distance between two successive bright and dark fringes formed in Young’s experiment is . | 2017, 2019, 2024 |
| Memorization | What is interference of light? Discuss the important conditions for the interference of light. | 2023 |
| Memorization | Discuss about the phenomenon of interference of light due to reflected light in thin film. Why do colors appear in thin film? | 2016 |
| Memorization | Describe the Fresnel’s biprism method of producing interference fringes and determining the wavelength of light. | 2020 |
Subtopic B: Newton’s Rings
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | What is Newton’s ring? How formed? Derive expressions for diameter of dark and bright rings. | 2019, 2023 |
| Memorization | How can you obtain Newton’s rings in the laboratory? Discuss the determination of the wavelength of light by Newton’s ring. | 2018 |
Subtopic C: Diffraction
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Starting from the resultant displacement of Fraunhofer angle slit diffraction pattern derive expression for intensity of first, second and third secondary maxima. | 2021 |
| Derivation/Expression | Deduce the missing order for a double slit Fraunhoffer diffraction pattern if the width of the slit and the opaque space are 0.16 and 0.8 mm respectively. | 2018 |
| Derivation/Expression | Find an expression for the resolving power of a plane transmission grating. Mention some applications of grating. | 2023 |
| Memorization | Discuss the Fraunhofer diffraction at a single slit. Draw the intensity distribution for the diffraction pattern. | 2016, 2018, 2022 |
| Memorization | Interpret the fundamental difference between interference and diffraction. Hence write and explain the intensity distribution formula for Fraunhofer diffraction at double slit. | 2024 |
Subtopic D: Polarization
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | What is polarization of light? Discuss Brewster’s law and hence show that the reflected and refracted rays are 90° apart. | 2018 |
| Derivation/Expression | Prove that in the case of polarization, the reflected and the refracted rays are right angles to each other. | 2023, 2022, 2018 |
| Memorization | What do you mean by polarization of light? Explain how a Nicol prism produces plane polarized light. | 2016 |
| Memorization | Discuss the constructional details of a Nicol prism. How can you use it as a polarizer and an analyzer? | 2017 |
| Memorization | State and explain the polarization by double refraction and Brewster’s law or polarization by reflection. | 2024 |
| Memorization | What is Malus law and Brewster’s law? | 2021 |
| Memorization | Discuss how can you prove light wave is a transverse wave. | 2017 |
| Memorization | What is specific rotation of an optically active substance? Discuss the determination of specific rotation of sugar solution by means of a polarimeter. | 2019 |
Subtopic E: Geometrical Optics (Aberrations)
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | What is chromatic aberration? Show that the circle of least confusion depends on the diameter of the lens aperture and dispersive power of the material, but is independent of the focal length of the lens. | 2019 |
| Derivation/Expression | Two thin lenses in contact… ratio of dispersive powers of material equal to ratio of focal lengths… Show equivalent lens is achromatic. | 2021 |
| Memorization | Define equivalent lens and equivalent focal length. Explain the defects astigmatism, coma and curvature. Explain how they can be minimized. | 2016 |
| Memorization | Explain Huygens’s principle. | 2016, 2024 |
III. MODERN PHYSICS
Subtopic A: Special Theory of Relativity
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Two consequences of Michelson-Moreley experiment? Show that the speed of light is invariant under velocity addition. | 2017 |
| Derivation/Expression | Differences between inertial and absolute frame? Derive length contraction starting from Lorentz transformation. | 2018 |
| Derivation/Expression | Derive an expression for Einstein mass energy relation and hence show that the classical kinetic energy is only an approximation. | 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 |
| Derivation/Expression | Establish mathematically Einstein’s mass energy relationship. Explain the physical significance of this relation. | 2019 |
| Derivation/Expression | Show that material object cannot travel as fast as light. | 2020 |
| Memorization | Discuss Michelson-Morley experiment and Show that there is no existence of ether in the universe. | 2019 |
Subtopic B: Quantum Mechanics and Wave Mechanics
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Derive Einstein’s photo-electric equation and explain the laws of photoelectric emission. | 2023 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is Compton shift? Briefly describe theory and obtain expression for change in wavelength of photon undergoing Compton scattering. | 2024 |
| Derivation/Expression | Show that the Compton red shift is . | 2017, 2019, 2023 |
| Derivation/Expression | Deduce the time dependent Schrodinger wave equation. Give the significance of the wave equation. | 2016 |
| Derivation/Expression | Show that the quantum physics gives the same results as classical physics in the limit of very large quantum numbers. | 2018, 2022 |
| Memorization | What is photoelectric effect? What are the limitations of classical electromagnetic wave to explain it? | 2017, 2019 |
Subtopic C: Atomic Structure (Bohr Model & Quantum Numbers)
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | State the postulates of Bohr atom model. Obtain the expressions for the radius and electron energy levels in the orbit for atom. | 2024 |
| Memorization | What are the basic postulates of Bohr Atom Model? | 2018, 2020 |
| Memorization | State correspondence principle. Mention name of quantum numbers associated with vector atom model. Define space quantization. | 2024 |
| Memorization | Discuss magnetic quantum number and total angular quantum number. | 2022 |
Subtopic D: Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | What is radioactivity? State and explain radioactive decay law. From the decay law deduce an expression for half-life of a radioactive sample. | 2016 |
| Derivation/Expression | Show that the average life period of a radioactive atom is the reciprocal of the radioactive constant. | 2018, 2024 |
| Derivation/Expression | Derive an expression for age of earth using radio-active dating. | 2017 |
| Derivation/Expression | What is Binding energy and packing fraction of a nucleon? Draw BE curve. Show . | 2018 |
| Memorization | Discuss the general properties of nucleus. | 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024 |
| Memorization | Discuss the properties of nuclear forces. | 2019 |
| Memorization | What is radio activity? Write down the properties of alpha, beta and gamma rays. | 2017, 2023 |
| Memorization | Draw binding energy curve and explain it with the help of fission and fusion. | 2017, 2024 |
| Memorization | Explain nuclear fission and nuclear fusion reactions with example. What is the source of energy release in nuclear fission? | 2016 |
| Memorization | Discuss construction and working principle of a nuclear reactor with a proper diagram. | 2024 |
| Memorization | State and explain criticality of a reactor. Write down the conditions to have controlled chain reaction. | 2024 |
Subtopic E: Uncertainty Principle
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Prove that electron can not stay in the nucleus but within the atom on the basis of uncertainty principle. | 2020 |
| Derivation/Expression | Show that electron cannot stay in the nucleus, but can stay in an atom. | 2022 |
| Derivation/Expression | Applying uncertainty principle, show that an electron cannot be the part of a nucleus. | 2024 |
IV. THERMODYNAMICS AND PROPERTIES OF MATTER
Subtopic A: Thermal Physics and Thermodynamics
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | Define thermal conductivity. Show that, in the steady state of a metal bar heated at one end . | 2024(becm) |
| Derivation/Expression | What is Carnot’s Reversible engine? Obtain an expression for the efficiency of Carnot’s engine in term’s of temperature. | 2024(becm) |
| Derivation/Expression | Mention the physical significance of entropy. Obtain the expression for entropy of a perfect gas in term of pressure volume and specific heat. | 2024(becm) |
| Memorization | What is a thermocouple? Explain neutral temperature and inversion temperature. | 2024(becm) |
| Memorization | Describe a Platinum resistance thermometer. Explain how it works with the help of Calendar and Griffith’s bridge. Give its correction. | 2024(becm) |
| Memorization | State first law of thermodynamics and mention its physical significance. Distinguish between isothermal and adiabatic process. | 2024(becm) |
Subtopic B: Properties of Matter
| Question Category | Question Text | Year(s) of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Derivation/Expression | If Y, K, and are constants. Derive the relationships connecting (i) Y, K and , (ii) K, and . | 2024(becm) |
| Derivation/Expression | What is capillarity? Obtain the expression for the surface tension of water by capillary rise. | 2024(becm) |