The syllabus consists of five units: (v) Electromagnetic Waves (vi) Optics (vii) Dual Nature of Matter (viii) Atoms and Nuclei (ix) Electronic Devices.
Exam Structure
| Unit | Chapter | Marks |
| V | Electromagnetic Waves | 17 |
| Chapter 8: Electromagnetic Waves | ||
| VI | Optics | |
| Chapter 9: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments | ||
| Chapter 10: Wave Optics | ||
| VII | Dual Nature of Matter | 11 |
| Chapter 11: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter | ||
| VIII | Atoms and Nuclei | |
| Chapter 12: Atoms | ||
| Chapter 13: Nuclei | ||
| IX | Electronic Devices | 7 |
| Chapter 14: Semiconductor Electronics: Materials, Devices and Simple Circuits | ||
| Total | 35 |
Chapter 8: Electromagnetic Waves
Electromagnetic waves, their characteristics, their transverse nature (qualitative ideas only).
Electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) including elementary facts about their uses.
Chapter 9: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
Ray Optics: Refraction of light, total internal reflection and its applications, optical fibres, 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.
Optical instruments: Microscopes and astronomical telescopes (reflecting and refracting) and their magnifying powers.
Chapter 10: Wave Optics
Wave front and Huygen's principle, reflection and refraction of plane wave at a plane surface using wave fronts. Proof of laws of reflection and refraction using Huygen's 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.
Chapter 11: 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 photoelectric effect
Matter waves - wave nature of particles, de Broglie relation.
Chapter 12: Atoms
Alpha-particle scattering experiment; Rutherford's model of atom; Bohr model, energy levels, hydrogen spectrum.
Chapter 13: Nuclei
Composition and size of nucleus. Nuclear force.
Mass-energy relation, mass defect; nuclear fission, nuclear fusion.
Chapter 14: Semiconductor Electronics: Materials, Devices and Simple Circuits
Energy bands in conductors, semiconductors and insulators (qualitative ideas only)
Semiconductor diode - I-V characteristics in forward and reverse bias, diode as a rectifier;
Special purpose p-n junction diodes: LED, photodiode, solar cell.