ICSE CLASS 11 PHYSICS SYLLABUS

There are 2 papers in Physics – a. Theory paper and b. Practical and project as mentioned below:

Paper  I (Theory) – This will be a theory paper of 70 marks and 3 hours of time duration.

PAPER I (THEORY) – 70 Marks

There will be no overall choice in the paper. Candidates will be required to answer all questions. Internal choice will be available in two questions of 2 marks each, two questions of 3 marks each, and all the three questions of 5 marks each.

PAPER II – 30 Marks

This will consist of 30 marks. The subdivision is mentioned below:

• Practical–         15 marks
• Project Work–  10 marks(Follow School Guidelines)
• Practical File– 5 marks(Follow School Guidelines)

To get the syllabus for all the subjects of class 11 and 12, visit following  links :

1) ICSE CLASS 11 Physics Sample Papers

2) ICSE CLASS 11 Physics Competitive Questions

3) ICSE CLASS 12 Physics Syllabus

4) CBSE CLASS 11 Physics Sample Papers

PRACTICAL WORK- 15 Marks

Students are required to have completed all experiments from the given list:

(i) To measure the diameter of a spherical body using Vernier Calipers. Calculate its volume with appropriate significant figures. Also, measure its volume using a graduated cylinder and compare the two.

(ii) Find the diameter of a wire using a micrometre screw gauge and determine percentage error in cross-sectional area.

(iii) Determine the radius of curvature of a spherical surface like watch glass by a spherometer.

(iv) Equilibrium of three concurrent coplanar forces. To verify the parallelogram law of forces and to determine the weight of a body.

(v) Inclined Plane, Friction.

(vi) To find the acceleration due to gravity by measuring the variation in the time period (T) with effective length (L) of a simple pendulum.

Described Syllabus For Paper I

1. Physical World and Measurement

Units and Measurements

Measurement: need for measurement; units of measurement; systems of units: fundamental and derived units in SI;
measurement of length, mass and time; significant figures.
Dimensional formulae of physical quantities and constants, dimensional analysis and its applications.

2. Kinematics

Motion in a Plane

Scalar and Vector quantities with examples. Position and displacement vectors, general vectors and their notations; equality of vectors, addition and subtraction of vectors, relative velocity, Unit vector; resolution of a vector in a plane, rectangular components, Scalar and Vector product of two vectors. Projectile motion and uniform circular motion.

3. Laws of Motion

General 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. Friction: Static and kinetic friction, laws of friction, rolling friction, lubrication.
Dynamics of uniform circular motion: Centripetal force, examples of circular motion (vehicle on a level circular road, vehicle on a banked road).

4. Work, Power and Energy

Work done by a constant force and a variable force; kinetic energy, work-energy theorem, power.
Potential energy, potential energy of a spring, conservative forces: conservation of mechanical energy (kinetic and potential energies); Conservative and non-conservative forces. Concept of collision: elastic and inelastic collisions in one and two dimensions.

5. Motion of System of Particles and Rigid Body

Idea of centre of mass: centre of mass of a two particle system, momentum conservation and centre of mass motion. Centre of mass of a rigid body; centre of mass of a uniform rod.

Moment of a force, torque, angular momentum, laws of conservation of angular momentum and its applications.

Equilibrium of rigid bodies, rigid body rotation and equations of rotational motion, comparative study of linear and rotational motions.

Moment of inertia, radius of gyration, moments of inertia for simple geometrical objects (no derivation). Statement of parallel and perpendicular axes theorems and their applications.

6. Gravitation

Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, universal law of gravitation. Acceleration due to gravity (g) and its variation with altitude, latitude and depth.
Gravitational potential and gravitational potential energy, escape velocity, orbital velocity of a satellite, Geo-stationary
satellites.

7. Properties of Bulk Matter

(i) Mechanical Properties of Solids:

Elastic behaviour of solids, Stress-strain relationship, Hooke’s law, Young’s modulus, bulk modulus, shear modulus of
rigidity, Poisson’s ratio; elastic energy.

(ii) Mechanical Properties of Fluids

Viscosity, Stokes’ law, terminal velocity, streamline and turbulent flow, critical velocity, Bernoulli’s theorem and its applications.
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.

8. Heat and Thermodynamics

(i) Heat transfer– conduction, convection and radiation, thermal conductivity, qualitative ideas of Blackbody radiation, Wein’s displacement Law, Stefan’s law, and Greenhouse effect

(ii) 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.

9. Behaviour of Perfect Gases and Kinetic Theory of Gases

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
equi-partition of energy (statement only) and application to specific heat capacities of gases; concept of mean free path,
Avogadro’s number.

10. Oscillations and Waves

(i) 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 and derivation of expression for its time period.

(ii) Waves

Wave motion, Transverse and longitudinal waves, 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.

We hope students have found this information on Class 11 Physics Syllabus useful for their studies.