GATE Physics Syllabus

GATE Physics: topic-wise syllabus

1. 1

   Mechanics

   ~1 marks

   Kinematics, Dynamics, Energy, Per GATE Official Notification

   • Kinematics — Motion in 1D/2D/3D, Projectile, Circular, Relative Motion
   • Newton's Laws, Friction, Work-Energy-Power, Circular Motion, Gravitation
   • Rotational Mechanics — Torque, Angular Momentum, Moment of Inertia, Rolling
   • Properties of Matter — Elasticity, Fluid Mechanics, Surface Tension, Viscosity
   • SHM, Oscillations, Waves, Sound, Doppler Effect, Beats, Resonance
   • Heat & Thermodynamics — Laws, Calorimetry, Heat Transfer, Kinetic Theory
   • Mechanical Engineering Topics (for GATE — Machine Design, TOM, SOM, FMS)
2. 2

   Electrodynamics & Optics

   ~1 marks

   Electrostatics, Magnetism, Optics, Per GATE Official Notification

   • Electrostatics — Coulomb's Law, Electric Field, Potential, Capacitance, Dielectrics
   • Current Electricity — Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff, Circuits, Wheatstone Bridge, Potentiometer
   • Magnetism — Biot-Savart, Ampere's Law, Magnetic Field, Earth's Magnetism
   • EMI & AC — Faraday, Lenz, Transformer, Generator, AC Circuits, RLC
   • Optics — Reflection, Refraction, Lens, Prism, Wave Optics, Diffraction, Polarization
   • Modern Physics — Photoelectric Effect, Bohr Model, Atomic, Nuclear, Radioactivity
   • Semiconductors & Electronics — Diode, Transistor, Logic Gates, Communication
3. 3

   Mechanics (Physics)

   ~4 marks

   Kinematics, Dynamics, Rotational Motion, Gravitation

   • Kinematics — Motion in 1D/2D/3D, Projectile, Circular, Relative Motion
   • Newton's Laws of Motion, Friction, Pseudo Forces, Constraint Motion
   • Work, Energy, Power, Kinetic and Potential Energy, Conservation
   • Circular Motion, Banking of Roads, Conical Pendulum, Vertical Circle
   • Rotational Mechanics — Torque, Angular Momentum, Moment of Inertia, Rolling
   • Gravitation — Kepler's Laws, Universal Law, Gravitational Field, Satellite
   • Elasticity — Stress, Strain, Hooke's Law, Young's Modulus, Bulk Modulus, Shear Modulus
   • Fluid Mechanics — Pressure, Buoyancy, Bernoulli's Theorem, Viscosity, Surface Tension
   • Mechanical Waves — SHM, Oscillations, Spring, Pendulum, Wave Motion, Sound
   • Properties of Matter, Units, Dimensions, Error Analysis, Significant Figures
4. 4

   Heat & Thermodynamics (Physics)

   ~4 marks

   Heat Transfer, Laws, Kinetic Theory

   • Heat and Temperature — Scales, Thermometry, Thermal Expansion
   • Calorimetry — Specific Heat, Latent Heat, Heat Capacity
   • Heat Transfer — Conduction, Convection, Radiation, Thermal Conductivity
   • Thermodynamics — Zeroth, First, Second, Third Law, PV Diagram, Work, Heat
   • Kinetic Theory of Gases — Pressure, RMS Speed, Mean Free Path, Degrees of Freedom
   • Gas Laws — Boyle's, Charles', Gay-Lussac's, Ideal Gas Equation, Real Gases
   • Thermodynamic Processes — Isothermal, Adiabatic, Isobaric, Isochoric, Cyclic
   • Heat Engines, Refrigerators, Carnot Cycle, Entropy
   • Calorimetry, Phase Changes, Latent Heat, Triple Point, Critical Point
   • Thermal Radiation, Black Body, Stefan-Boltzmann Law, Wien's Displacement Law
5. 5

   Optics & Modern Physics

   ~4 marks

   Light, EM Waves, Relativity, Quantum, Nuclear

   • Ray Optics — Reflection, Refraction, Total Internal Reflection, Prism
   • Lenses and Mirrors — Image Formation, Formulae, Power, Combination
   • Optical Instruments — Microscope, Telescope, Magnifying Glass, Camera
   • Wave Optics — Interference, Diffraction, Polarization, Young's Double Slit
   • Electromagnetic Waves — EM Spectrum, Properties, Maxwell's Equations
   • Photoelectric Effect — Einstein's Equation, Work Function, Threshold Frequency
   • Bohr's Atomic Model, Hydrogen Spectrum, Atomic Structure
   • Nuclear Physics — Atomic Structure, Radioactivity, Half-Life, Decay
   • Modern Physics — Photoelectric Effect, X-rays, Lasers, Optical Fibers
   • Semiconductor Physics — Diode, Transistor, Logic Gates, Communication
6. 6

   Atomic Structure & Chemical Bonding

   ~4 marks

   Quantum, Periodic Table, Bonds

   • Atomic Structure — Bohr's Model, Quantum Numbers, Electronic Configuration, Shapes
   • Atomic Models — Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr, Schrodinger (Qualitative), Heisenberg
   • Photoelectric Effect, Wave-Particle Duality, de Broglie Wavelength, Heisenberg
   • Periodic Table — Periodicity, Atomic Radius, Ionization Energy, Electronegativity
   • Chemical Bonding — Ionic, Covalent, Coordinate, Hydrogen Bonding, Metallic
   • Hybridization — sp, sp2, sp3, sp3d, sp3d2 with Examples (CH4, NH3, H2O)
   • VSEPR Theory, VBT (Valence Bond Theory), MOT (Molecular Orbital Theory)
   • Bond Parameters — Bond Length, Angle, Energy, Polarity, Dipole Moment
   • Resonance, Hyperconjugation, Inductive Effect, Mesomeric Effect, Electromeric
   • Lattice Energy, Born-Haber Cycle, Fajan's Rules, Polarizing Power
7. 7

   States of Matter & Solutions

   ~4 marks

   Gas, Liquid, Solid, Solutions, Colloids

   • Gas Laws — Boyle's Law, Charles' Law, Gay-Lussac's Law, Avogadro's Law, Ideal Gas
   • Kinetic Molecular Theory — Postulates, Derivation of Gas Laws, RMS Speed
   • Real Gases — van der Waals Equation, Critical Constants, Liquefaction
   • Liquid State — Properties, Vapor Pressure, Surface Tension, Viscosity
   • Solid State — Crystalline, Amorphous, Crystal Systems, Bravais Lattices
   • Unit Cell, Coordination Number, Packing Efficiency, Density Calculations
   • Imperfections in Solids — Point Defects, Schottky, Frenkel, F-Centers
   • Solutions — Types, Concentration (Molarity, Molality, Normality, Formality)
   • Colligative Properties — Lowering of VP, Elevation of BP, Depression of FP, Osmotic
   • Colloids — Types, Preparation, Properties, Emulsions, Gels, Tyndall Effect
8. 8

   Algebra (Advanced)

   ~4 marks

   Sets, Relations, Functions, Complex Numbers, P&C

   • Sets, Relations, Functions, Venn Diagrams, Equivalence Relations
   • Complex Numbers — Algebra, Argand Plane, Modulus-Argument, De Moivre's
   • Quadratic Equations, Polynomials, Identities, Factorization, Remainder Theorem
   • Sequences and Series — AP, GP, HP, Sum, Special Series, Method of Differences
   • Permutations and Combinations, Binomial Theorem, Multinomial Theorem
   • Probability — Conditional, Bayes, Independent Events, Random Variables
   • Matrices and Determinants — Types, Operations, Inverse, Cramer's Rule
   • Linear Algebra — Vector Spaces, Eigenvalues, Linear Programming, Graph Theory
   • Logarithms, Antilogarithms, Partial Fractions, Induction, Mathematical Reasoning
   • Number Theory — Divisibility, Modular Arithmetic, Fermat's, Wilson's Theorem
9. 9

   Trigonometry (Advanced)

   ~4 marks

   Ratios, Identities, Equations, Inverse, Heights

   • Trigonometric Ratios (sin, cos, tan, cot, sec, cosec) — Sign Conventions
   • Trigonometric Identities — Pythagorean, Sum-Difference, Product-to-Sum
   • Trigonometric Equations — General Solutions, Specific Solutions
   • Inverse Trigonometric Functions — sin^-1, cos^-1, tan^-1, Properties
   • Heights and Distances — Angle of Elevation, Depression, Problems
   • Properties of Triangles — Sine Rule, Cosine Rule, Half-Angle, Napier Analogy
   • Trigonometric Series — Taylor Series, Maclaurin Series for sin, cos
   • Multiple and Sub-multiple Angles — sin 2θ, cos 2θ, sin 3θ, cos 3θ
   • Conditional Trigonometric Identities, Maxima and Minima
   • Heights and Distances — Bearing, Compass, Survey Problems, Real-World Applications
10. 10

    Coordinate Geometry (Advanced)

    ~4 marks

    2D/3D, Conics, Vectors, Transformations

    • Straight Lines — Slope, Equation, Distance, Angle Between Lines, Family of Lines
    • Circles — Standard Form, General Form, Tangent, Normal, Chord of Contact, Pole-Polar
    • Conic Sections — Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola (Standard Forms, Focus, Directrix, Eccentricity)
    • 3D Coordinate Geometry — Distance, Section Formula, Direction Cosines, Ratios
    • Plane and Line in 3D — Equation, Angle, Distance, Symmetric Form
    • Sphere, Cone, Cylinder — Equations, Tangent Plane, Generator, Curved Surface
    • Vectors — Types, Addition, Subtraction, Dot, Cross, Triple Product
    • Vector Algebra — Position Vector, Section Formula, Projection, Resolution
    • Coordinate Transformations — Translation, Rotation, Reflection, Scaling
    • Locus, Curve Tracing, Parametric Equations, Applications to Motion