CBSE 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

Scheme For Theory Examination [70 Marks]:
The theory exam is held for total 70 marks with a maximum time limit of 3 hours given to attempt it. The question paper of the theory exam consists of five types of questions, which is listed below.

• 5 very short answer type Question (VSA) of one mark each.
• 5 short answer-1 (SA-1) type question of 2 marks each.
• 12 short answer-2(SA-2) type question of 3 marks each.
• Only 01 value-based Question of 4 marks, and
• 03 Long answer (LA) type question of 5 marks each.

PAPER II – 30 Marks

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

• Practical–  22 marks
• Project Work–  4 marks(Follow School Guidelines)
• Practical File– 4 marks(Follow School Guidelines)

To get the syllabus for all the subjects of class 11 and 12, visit following  links :
1) CBSE CLASS 11 Physics Sample Papers
2) CBSE CLASS 11 Physics Competitive Questions
3) CBSE CLASS 12 Physics Syllabus
4) CBSE CLASS 11 Physics Sample Papers

Syllabus for Class 11 Physics Practical 2020-21

Below are the list of the experiments of Physics practicals:

SECTION–A

Experiments 

1. To measure the diameter of a small spherical/cylindrical body and to measure internal diameter and depth of a given beaker/calorimeter using Vernier Callipers and hence find its volume.
2. To measure the diameter of a given wire and thickness of a given sheet using screw gauge.
   OR
   To determine the volume of an irregular lamina using the screw gauge.
3. To determine the radius of curvature of a given spherical surface by a spherometer.
4. To determine the mass of two different objects using a beam balance.
5. To find the weight of a given body using parallelogram law of vectors.
6. Using a simple pendulum, plot its L-T²graph and use it to find the effective length of second’s pendulum.
   OR
   To study variation of time period of a simple pendulum of a given length by taking bobs of same size but different masses and interpret the result.
7. To study the relationship between force of limiting friction and normal reaction and to find the co- efficient of friction between a block and a horizontal surface.
   OR
   To find the downward force, along an inclined plane, acting on a roller due to gravitational pull of the earth and study its relationship with the angle of inclination θ by plotting graph between force and sin θ.

Activities

1. To make a paper scale of given least count, e.g., 0.2cm, 0.5 cm.
2. To determine mass of a given body using a meter scale by principle of moments.
3. To plot a graph for a given set of data, with proper choice of scales and error bars.
4. To measure the force of limiting friction for rolling of a roller on a horizontal plane.
5. To study the variation in range of a projectile with angle of projection.
6. To study the conservation of energy of a ball rolling down on an inclined plane (using a double inclined plane).
7. To study dissipation of energy of a simple pendulum by plotting a graph between square of amplitude and time.

SECTION–B

Experiments 

1. To determine Young’s modulus of elasticity of the material of a given wire.
   OR
   To find the force constant of a helical spring by plotting a graph between load and extension.
2. To study the variation in volume with pressure for a sample of air at constant temperature by plotting graphs between P and V, and between P and 1/V.
3. To determine the surface tension of water by capillary rise method.
   OR
   To determine the coefficient of viscosity of a given viscous liquid by measuring terminal velocity of a given spherical body.
4. To study the relationship between the temperature of a hot body and time by plotting a cooling curve.
5. To determine specific heat capacity of a given solid by method of mixtures.
6. To study the relation between frequency and length of a given wire under constant tension using sonometer.
   OR
   To study the relation between the length of a given wire and tension for constant frequency using sonometer.
7. To find the speed of sound in air at room temperature using a resonance tube by two resonance positions.

Activities

1. To observe change of state and plot a cooling curve for molten wax.
2. To observe and explain the effect of heating on a bi-metallic strip.
3. To note the change in level of liquid in a container on heating and interpret the observations.
4. To study the effect of detergent on surface tension of water by observing capillary rise.
5. To study the factors affecting the rate of loss of heat of a liquid.
6. To study the effect of load on depression of a suitably clamped metre scale loaded at (i) its end (ii) in the middle.
7. To observe the decrease in pressure with increase in velocity of a fluid.

Note: Same Evaluation scheme and general guidelines for visually impaired students as given for Class XII may be followed.
A. Items for Identification/Familiarity of the apparatus for assessment in practicals (All experiments): 
Spherical ball, Cylindrical objects, vernier calipers, beaker, calorimeter, Screw gauge, wire, Beam balance, spring balance, weight box, gram and milligram weights, forcep, Parallelogram law of vectors apparatus, pulleys and pans used in the same ‘weights’ used, Bob and string used in a simple pendulum, meter scale, split cork, suspension arrangement, stop clock/stop watch, Helical spring, suspension arrangement used, weights, arrangement used for measuring extension, Sonometer, Wedges, pan and pulley used in it, ‘weights’ Tuning Fork, Meter scale, Beam balance, Weight box, gram and milligram weights, forceps, Resonance Tube, Tuning Fork, Meter scale, Flask/Beaker used for adding water.
B. List of Practicals

1. To measure diameter of a small spherical/cylindrical body using vernier calipers.
2. To measure the internal diameter and depth of a given beaker/calorimeter using vernier calipers and hence find its volume.
3. To measure diameter of given wire using screw gauge.
4. To measure thickness of a given sheet using screw gauge.
5. To determine the mass of a given object using a beam balance.
6. To find the weight of given body using the parallelogram law of vectors.
7. Using a simple pendulum plot L-T and L-T2 graphs. Hence find the effective length of second’s pendulum using appropriate length values.
8. To find the force constant of given helical spring by plotting a graph between load and extension.
9. (i) To study the relation between frequency and length of a given wire under constant tension using a sonometer.
   (ii) To study the relation between the length of a given wire and tension, for
   constant frequency, using a sonometer.
10. To find the speed of sound in air, at room temperature, using a resonance tube, by observing the two resonance positions.

Note: The above practicals may be carried out in an experiential manner rather than recording observations.

Described Syllabus For Paper – I

Unit-I: Physical World and Measurement

Chapter 1: Physical World

Physics – scope and excitement; nature of physical laws; Physics, technology and society.

Chapter 2: 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.

Unit-II: Kinematics

Chapter 3: Motion in a Straight Line

Elementary concepts of differentiation and integration for describing motion, uniform and non- uniform motion, average speed and instantaneous velocity, uniformly accelerated motion, velocity – time and position-time graphs.
Relations for uniformly accelerated motion (graphical treatment).

Chapter 4: 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, rectangular components, Scalar and Vector product of vectors.
Motion in a plane, cases of uniform velocity and uniform acceleration-projectile motion, uniform circular motion.

Unit-III: Laws of Motion

Chapter 5: 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 (recapitulation only).
Law of conservation of linear momentum and its applications.
Equilibrium of concurrent forces, 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).

Unit-IV: Work, Energy and Power

Chapter 6: Work, Energy and Power

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

Unit-V: Motion of System of Particles and Rigid Body

Chapter 7: System of Particles and Rotational Motion

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, law of conservation of angular momentum and its applications.
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 (no derivation).

Unit-VI: Gravitation

Chapter 8: Gravitation

Universal law of gravitation. Acceleration due to gravity (recapitulation only) and its variation with altitude and depth.
Gravitational potential energy and gravitational potential, escape velocity, orbital velocity of a satellite, Geo-stationary satellites.

Unit-VII: Properties of Bulk Matter

Chapter 9: Mechanical Properties of Solids

Stress-strain relationship, Hooke’s law, Young’s modulus, bulk modulus

Chapter 10: Mechanical Properties of Fluids

Pressure due to a fluid column; Pascal’s law and its applications (hydraulic lift and hydraulic brakes), effect of gravity on fluid pressure.
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.

Chapter 11: Thermal Properties of Matter

Heat, temperature,( recapitulation only) 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 (recapitulation only), thermal conductivity, qualitative ideas of Blackbody radiation, Wein’s displacement Law, Stefan’s law, Greenhouse effect.

Unit-VIII: Thermodynamics

Chapter 12: 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

Unit-IX: Behaviour of Perfect Gases and Kinetic Theory of Gases

Chapter 13: 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.

Unit-X: Oscillations and Waves

Chapter 14: 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 loaded 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.

Chapter 15: Waves

Wave motion: Transverse and longitudinal waves, speed of travelling wave, displacement relation for a progressive wave, principle of superposition of waves, reflection of waves, standing waves in strings and organ pipes, Beats.