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UPSC IFOS Physics Paper I Syllabus

Indian Forest Service Examination

6
Topics
43
Sub-topics
8
Questions

Physics Paper I is one of 32 sections in the UPSC IFOS syllabus. It has 6 topics and 43 sub-topics, tested in Main Examination, with about 8 questions (200 marks). Optional subject, Paper I (200 marks, 3 hours, conventional essay type, answered in English). The paper has 8 questions in Parts A and B; candidates attempt 5, including one compulsory question from each part. Candidates choose any two of the 14 optional subjects..

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UPSC IFOS Physics Paper I: topic-wise syllabus

  1. 1

    Classical Mechanics

    Section A

    • Conservation of linear and angular momentum
    • Rocket equation and Rutherford scattering
    • Inertial and non-inertial frames; Coriolis force
    • Lagrange's equations and applications
    • Hamilton's principle
    • Rigid body dynamics and the gyroscope
  2. 2

    Special Relativity, Waves and Geometrical Optics

    Section A

    • Michelson-Morley experiment and Lorentz transformations
    • Time dilation, length contraction and mass-energy relation
    • Four-momentum and covariance
    • Oscillations, resonance and beats
    • Wave packets, phase and group velocities
    • Fermat's principle and matrix method in paraxial optics
    • Lens aberrations
  3. 3

    Physical Optics

    Section A

    • Interference and Michelson interferometer
    • Fabry-Perot interferometer and holography
    • Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction
    • Resolving power
    • Polarisation and optical activity
    • Fibre optics
    • Lasers and coherence
  4. 4

    Electricity and Magnetism

    Section B

    • Laplace and Poisson equations
    • Method of images
    • Dipoles and dielectrics
    • Magnetic materials and hysteresis
    • Kirchhoff's, Biot-Savart, Ampere's and Faraday's laws
    • Inductance and AC circuits
    • Resonance, quality factor and transformers
  5. 5

    Electromagnetic Theory and Black Body Radiation

    Section B

    • Maxwell's equations and displacement current
    • Poynting theorem
    • Potentials and gauge invariance
    • Reflection, refraction and Fresnel's relations
    • Dispersion and Rayleigh scattering
    • Planck's law, Stefan-Boltzmann and Wien laws
    • Planck units
  6. 6

    Thermal and Statistical Physics

    Section B

    • Laws of thermodynamics and entropy
    • Otto and Diesel engines
    • Phase rule and chemical potential
    • Van der Waals equation
    • Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and transport phenomena
    • Theories of specific heat of solids
    • Maxwell relations and Joule-Kelvin effect
    • Bose-Einstein condensation and Fermi gas
    • Neutron stars, Brownian motion and negative temperature

Frequently asked questions

What topics are in the UPSC IFOS Physics Paper I syllabus?

Physics Paper I for UPSC IFOS has 6 topics: Classical Mechanics, Special Relativity, Waves and Geometrical Optics, Physical Optics, Electricity and Magnetism, Electromagnetic Theory and Black Body Radiation and Thermal and Statistical Physics, with 43 sub-topics in all.

How many questions come from Physics Paper I in UPSC IFOS?

About 8 questions (200 marks) in Main Examination. Always check the latest notification, as numbers can change.

How do I practise UPSC IFOS Physics Paper I on Topicly?

Pick a topic above and study it your way — step-by-step chat, a quiz, a formula sheet or a voice call with Sia. Topicly tracks each sub-topic so you know what's left. It's free to start.

A study guide, not an official notice. Always confirm with the conducting body's latest notification. See the full exam page for any recorded source, check date and coverage limits.