CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus 2021-22 for Term 1

Time: 90 Minutes
Max Marks: 35

Unit No. Name of Unit No. of Periods Marks

Unit–I Electrostatics 23 17

Chapter–1: Electric Charges and Fields

Chapter–2: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

Unit-II Current Electricity 15

Chapter–3: Current Electricity

Unit-III Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism 16 18

Chapter–4: Moving Charges and Magnetism

Chapter–5: Magnetism and Matter

Unit-IV Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents 19

Chapter–6: Electromagnetic Induction

Chapter–7: Alternating Current

Total 73 35

CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus 2021-22 for Term 2

Time: 2 Hours
Max Marks: 35
Unit No. Name of Unit No. of Marks
Periods

Unit–V Electromagnetic Waves 02 17

Chapter–8: Electromagnetic Waves

Unit–VI Optics 18

Chapter–9: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments

Chapter–10: Wave Optics

Unit–VII Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter 07 11

Chapter–11: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter

Unit–VIII Atoms and Nuclei 11

Chapter–12: Atoms

Chapter–13: Nuclei

Unit–IX Electronic Devices 07 7

Chapter–14: Semiconductor Electronics: Materials, Devices and Simple

Circuits

Total 45 35

Students can also go through the CBSE Class 12 Syllabus to know the topics to be
studied for the other subjects.
Term Wise CBSE Syllabus for Class 12 Physics Practical

List of Experiment for Term 1 Physics Practical

1. To determine resistivity of two / three wires by plotting a graph between
potential difference versus current.
2. To find the resistance of a given wire / standard resistor using metre bridge.
OR
To verify the laws of combination (series) of resistances using a metre bridge.
OR
To verify the laws of combination (parallel) of resistances using a metre bridge
3. To compare the EMF of two given primary cells using potentiometer.
OR
To determine the internal resistance of given primary cell using potentiometer
4. To determine the resistance of a galvanometer by half-deflection method and to
find its figure of merit.
5. To convert the given galvanometer (of known resistance and figure of merit) into
a voltmeter of desired range and to verify the same.
OR
To convert the given galvanometer (of known resistance and figure of merit) into
an ammeter of desired range and to verify the same.
6. To find the frequency of AC mains with a sonometer.

Activities Assigned for Term I

1. To measure the resistance and impedance of an inductor with or without iron
core.
2. To measure resistance, voltage (AC/DC), current (AC) and check continuity of a
given circuit using multimeter.
3. To assemble a household circuit comprising three bulbs, three (on/off) switches,
a fuse and a power source.
4. To assemble the components of a given electrical circuit.
5. To study the variation in potential drop with length of a wire for a steady current.
6. To draw the diagram of a given open circuit comprising at least a battery,
resistor/rheostat, key, ammeter and voltmeter. Mark the components that are
not connected in proper order and correct the circuit and also the circuit
diagram.

List of Experiment for Term 2 Physics Practical

1. To find the focal length of a convex lens by plotting graphs between u and v or
between 1/u and 1/v.
2. To find the focal length of a convex mirror, using a convex lens.
OR
To find the focal length of a concave lens, using a convex lens.
 3. To determine the angle of minimum deviation for a given prism by plotting a
graph between angle of incidence and angle of deviation.
4. To determine the refractive index of a glass slab using a travelling microscope.
5. To find the refractive index of a liquid by using a convex lens and plane mirror.
6. To draw the I-V characteristic curve for a p-n junction in forward bias and reverse
bias.

Activities assigned for Term-II

1. To identify a diode, an LED, a resistor and a capacitor from a mixed collection of
such items.
2. Use of multimeter to see the unidirectional flow of current in case of a diode and
an LED and check whether a given electronic component (e.g., diode) is in
working order.
3. To study effect of intensity of light (by varying distance of the source) on an LDR.
4. To observe refraction and lateral deviation of a beam of light incident obliquely
on a glass slab.
5. To observe polarization of light using two Polaroids.
6. To observe diffraction of light due to a thin slit.
7. To study the nature and size of the image formed by a (i) convex lens, (ii)
concave mirror, on a screen by using a candle and a screen (for different
distances of the candle from the lens/mirror).
8. To obtain a lens combination with the specified focal length by using two lenses
from the given set of lenses.
NCERT Class 11 Physics Theory Syllabus (Total Periods: 180)

Unit I: Physical World and Measurement (Periods 10)

 Physics: Scope and excitement; nature of physical laws; Physics, technology and
society.
 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 (Periods 30)

 The frame of reference, Motion in a straight line: Position-time graph, speed and
velocity. 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).
 Elementary concepts of differentiation and integration for describing motion.
Scalar and vector quantities: Position and displacement vectors, general vectors
and notation, equality of vectors, multiplication of vectors by a real number;
addition and subtraction of vectors. Relative velocity.
 Unit vectors. Resolution of a vector in a plane – rectangular components.
 Scalar and Vector products of Vectors. Motion in a plane. Cases of uniform
velocity and uniform acceleration – projectile motion. Uniform circular motion.

Unit III: Laws of Motion (Periods 16)

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

Unit IV: Work, Energy and Power (Periods 16)

 Work done by a constant force and 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 (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 (Periods 18)

 Centre of a mass of a two-particle system, momentum conservation and centre
of mass motion. Centre of a mass of a rigid body; the centre of mass of the
uniform rod.
 Moment of a force, torque, angular momentum, conservation of angular
momentum with some examples.
 Equilibrium of rigid bodies, rigid body rotation and equation of rotational motion,
comparison of linear and rotational motions; a moment of inertia, the radius of
 gyration. Values of M.I. for simple geometrical objects (no derivation). Statement
of parallel and perpendicular axes theorems and their applications.

Unit VI: Gravitation (Periods 14)

 Kepler’s laws of planetary motion. The universal law of gravitation. Acceleration
due to gravity and its variation with altitude and depth.
 Gravitational potential energy; gravitational potential. Escape velocity, orbital
velocity of a satellite. Geostationary satellites.

Unit VII: Properties of Bulk Matter (Periods 28)

 Elastic behaviour, Stress-strain relationship, Hooke’s law, Young’s modulus, bulk
modulus, shear, modulus of rigidity, poisson’s ratio; elastic energy.
 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, Reynold’s number, streamline and
turbulent flow. Critical velocity, Bernoulli’s theorem and its applications.
 Surface energy and surface tension, angle of contact, excess of pressure,
application of surface tension ideas to drops, bubbles and capillary rise.
 Heat, temperature, thermal expansion; thermal expansion of solids, liquids, and
gases. Anomalous expansion. Specific heat capacity: Cp, Cv – calorimetry;
change of state – latent heat.
 Heat transfer – conduction and thermal conductivity, convection and radiation.
Qualitative ideas of Black Body Radiation, Wein’s displacement law, and Green
House effect.
 Newton’s law of cooling and Stefan’s law.

Unit VIII: Thermodynamics (Periods 12)

 Thermal equilibrium and definition of temperature (zeroth law of
Thermodynamics). Heat, work and internal energy. The first law of
thermodynamics. Isothermal and adiabatic processes.
 The second law of thermodynamics: Reversible and irreversible processes. Heat
engines and refrigerators.

Unit IX: Behaviour of Perfect Gas and Kinetic Theory (Periods 8)

 Equation of state of a perfect gas, work done on compressing a gas.
 Kinetic theory of gases: Assumptions, the concept of pressure. Kinetic energy
and temperature; rms speed of gas molecules; degrees of freedom, the law of
equipartition of energy (statement only) and application to specific heat
capacities of gases; the concept of mean free path, Avogadro’s number.
Unit X: Oscillations and Waves (Periods 28)
 Periodic motion – period, frequency, displacement as a function of time. Periodic
functions. Simple harmonic motion (SHM) and its equation; phase; oscillations of
a spring – restoring force and force constant; energy in SHM – kinetic and
potential energies; simple pendulum – derivation of expression for its time
period; free, forced and damped oscillations (qualitative ideas only), resonance.
 Wave motion. Longitudinal and transverse 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.

NCERT Syllabus for Class 11 Physics Practicals (Total Periods: 60)

The NCERT Syllabus for practicals is divided into two sections i.e section A and Section
B. Each section contains a list of experiments and activities.

Section A
Experiments

1. To measure the diameter of a small spherical/cylindrical body using Vernier

callipers.
2. To measure internal diameter and depth of a given beaker/calorimeter using
Vernier callipers and hence find its volume.
3. To measure the diameter of a given wire using screw gauge.
4. To measure the thickness of a given sheet using screw gauge.
5. To measure the volume of an irregular lamina using screw gauge.
6. To determine the radius of curvature of a given spherical surface by a
spherometer.
7. To determine the mass of two different objects using a beam balance.
8. To find the weight of a given body using the parallelogram law of vectors.
9. Using a simple pendulum, plot L-T and L-T 2 graphs. Hence find the effective
length of a second’s pendulum using an appropriate graph.
10. To study the relationship between the force of limiting friction and normal
reaction and to find the coefficient of friction between a block and a horizontal
surface.
11. 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

12. To make a paper scale of given least count, e.g. 0.2 cm, 0.5 cm.
13. To determine the mass of a given body using a metre scale by the principle of
moments.
14. To plot a graph for a given set of data, with a proper choice of scales and error
bars.
15. To measure the force of limiting friction for rolling of a roller on a horizontal
plane.
 16. To study the variation in the range of a jet of water with the angle of projection.
17. To study the conservation of energy of a ball rolling down on inclined plane
(using a double inclined plane).

18. To study the dissipation of energy of a simple pendulum by plotting a graph

between square of amplitude and time.

Section B
Experiments

19. To determine Young’s modulus of elasticity of the material of a given wire.

20. To find the force constant of a helical spring by plotting a graph between load
and extension.
21. 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.
22. To determine the surface tension of water by capillary rise method.
23. To determine the coefficient of viscosity of a given viscous liquid by measuring
the terminal velocity of a given spherical body.
24. To study the relationship between the temperature of a hot body and time by
plotting a cooling curve.
25. To determine the specific heat capacity of a given (i) solid (ii) liquid, by the
method of mixtures.
26. (i) To study the relation between frequency and length of a given wire under
constant tension using sonometer.
(ii) To study the relation between the length of a given wire and tension for
constant frequency using sonometer.
27. To find the speed of sound in air at room temperature using a resonance tube by
two resonance positions.

Activities

28. To observe the change of state and plot a cooling curve for molten wax.
29. To observe and explain the effect of heating on a bi-metallic strip.
30. To note the change in the level of liquid in a container on heating and interpret
the observations.
31. To study the effect of detergent on the surface tension of water by observing
capillary rise.
32. To study the factors affecting the rate of loss of heat of a liquid.
33. To study the effect of load on the depression of a suitably clamped meter scale
loaded at
(i) at its end
(ii) in the middle.