CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus

The CBSE Class 12 Physics syllabus is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in both theoretical concepts and practical applications. This syllabus is crucial for students aspiring to pursue careers in engineering, physical sciences, and related fields. Below is a detailed breakdown of the topics covered in the CBSE Class 12 Physics syllabus.

Unit 1: Electrostatics

• Chapter 1: Electric Charges and Fields

  • Electric charges, conservation of charge
  • Coulomb's law, force between two point charges
  • Electric field, electric field due to a point charge, electric dipole
  • Electric flux, Gauss’s law and its applications

• Chapter 2: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

  • Electrostatic potential, potential difference
  • Equipotential surfaces, electric potential energy
  • Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor, capacitors in series and parallel
  • Energy stored in a capacitor

Unit 2: Current Electricity

• Chapter 3: Current Electricity
  • Electric current, drift velocity, Ohm’s law
  • Electrical resistivity and conductivity
  • Carbon resistors, series and parallel combinations of resistors
  • Kirchhoff's laws, Wheatstone bridge, potentiometer

Unit 3: Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism

• Chapter 4: Moving Charges and Magnetism

  • Concept of the magnetic field, Biot-Savart law, Ampere’s law
  • Force on a moving charge in a magnetic field, cyclotron
  • Torque on a current loop, moving coil galvanometer

• Chapter 5: Magnetism and Matter

  • Magnetic dipole moment of a revolving electron, magnetic field intensity
  • Earth’s magnetic field, magnetic properties of materials

Unit 4: Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents

• Chapter 6: Electromagnetic Induction

  • Faraday’s laws, induced EMF, Lenz’s law
  • Eddy currents, self and mutual inductance

• Chapter 7: Alternating Current

  • AC voltage applied to series LCR circuit
  • Power in AC circuits, transformers, LC oscillations

Unit 5: Electromagnetic Waves

• Chapter 8: Electromagnetic Waves
  • Displacement current, electromagnetic waves and their characteristics
  • Electromagnetic spectrum

Unit 6: Optics

• Chapter 9: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments

  • Reflection and refraction of light, total internal reflection
  • Lens formula, magnification, optical instruments like microscopes and telescopes

• Chapter 10: Wave Optics

  • Wavefront and Huygens' principle
  • Interference, diffraction, polarization

Unit 7: Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation

• Chapter 11: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter
  • Photoelectric effect, Einstein’s equation
  • Matter waves, de Broglie hypothesis

Unit 8: Atoms and Nuclei

• Chapter 12: Atoms

  • Bohr’s model, energy levels, spectral series

• Chapter 13: Nuclei

  • Composition of the nucleus, nuclear forces, radioactivity
  • Nuclear energy, mass-energy relation

Unit 9: Electronic Devices

• Chapter 14: Semiconductor Electronics
  • Energy bands, p-n junction diode, I-V characteristics
  • Semiconductor devices: transistor, logic gates

Unit 10: Communication Systems

• Chapter 15: Communication Systems
  • Elements of a communication system, bandwidth of signals
  • Modulation, amplitude modulation, bandwidth of transmission medium

Practical Syllabus

The practical component of the CBSE Class 12 Physics syllabus includes various experiments that help students understand theoretical concepts. Students are required to perform experiments, record observations, and submit lab reports. Key experiments include:

• Electrostatics Experiments: Verification of Ohm’s law, determination of resistance
• Magnetism Experiments: Mapping of magnetic field lines, use of a galvanometer
• Optics Experiments: Determination of focal length of a lens, study of diffraction patterns
• Electronics Experiments: Characteristics of diodes and transistors

Assessment and Exam Pattern

• Theory Exam: The theory exam is of 70 marks, divided into multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions.
• Practical Exam: The practical exam is of 30 marks, including experiments, viva voce, and project work.

Conclusion

The CBSE Class 12 Physics syllabus is comprehensive and requires a strong grasp of both theoretical concepts and practical applications. By focusing on key topics and regularly practicing problems and experiments, students can excel in their board exams and lay a solid foundation for further studies in physics and engineering.