Topics
Units and Measurements
- Quantitative Science
- System of Units
- Derived Quantities and Units
- Rules and Conventions for Writing SI Units and Their Symbols
- Measurement of Length
- Measurement of Mass
- Measurement of Time
- Dimensions and Dimensional Analysis
- Accuracy, Precision and Uncertainty in Measurement
- Errors in Measurements>Systematic Errors
- Errors in Measurements>Random Errors
- Estimation of Errors
- Combination of Errors
- Significant Figures
- Definitions of SI Units and Constants
Mathematical Methods
- Vector Analysis
- Scalar
- Vector
- Vector Operations>Multiplication of a Vector by a Scalar
- Vector Operations>Addition and Subtraction of Vectors
- Vector Operations>Triangle Law for Vector Addition
- Vector Operations>Law of parallelogram of vectors
- Resolution of Vectors
- Multiplication of Vectors
- Scalar Product(Dot Product)
- Vector Product (Cross Product)
- Concept of Calculus
- Differential Calculus
- Integral Calculus
Motion in a Plane
- Concept of Motion
- Rectilinear Motion
- Displacement
- Path Length
- Average Velocity
- Average Speed
- Instantaneous Velocity
- Instantaneous Speed
- Acceleration in Linear Motion
- Relative Velocity
- Motion in Two Dimensions-Motion in a Plane
- Average and Instantaneous Velocities
- Acceleration in a Plane
- Equations of Motion in a Plane with Constant Acceleration
- Relative Velocity in Two Dimensions
- Projectile Motion
- Uniform Circular Motion (UCM)
- Key Parameters of Circular Motion
- Centripetal Acceleration
- Conical Pendulum
Laws of Motion
- Fundamental Principles of Motion and Mechanics
- Types of Motion
- Aristotle’s Fallacy
- Newton’s Laws of Motion
- Newton's First Law of Motion
- Newton’s Second Law of Motion
- Newton's Third Law of Motion
- Inertial and Non-inertial Frames of Reference
- Types of Forces>Fundamental Forces in Nature
- Types of Forces>Contact and Non-Contact Forces
- Types of Forces>Real and Pseudo Forces
- Types of Forces>Conservative and Non-Conservative Forces
- Types of Forces>Work Done by a Variable Force
- Work Energy Theorem
- Principle of Conservation of Linear Momentum
- Collisions
- Elastic and Inelastic Collisions
- Perfectly Inelastic Collision
- Coefficient of Restitution e
- Expressions for Final Velocities in Elastic Head-On Collision
- Loss of Kinetic Energy in Perfectly Inelastic Head-On Collision
- Collision in Two Dimensions
- Impulse of a Force
- Necessity of Defining Impulse
- Rotational Analogue of a Force: Moment of a Force Or Torque
- Couple and Its Torque
- Proof of Independence of the Axis of Rotation
- Mechanical Equilibrium
- States of Equilibrium
- Centre of Mass>Mathematical Understanding of Centre of Mass
- Centre of Mass>Velocity of Centre of Mass
- Centre of Mass>Acceleration of Centre of Mass
- Centre of Mass>Characteristics of Centre of Mass
- Centre of Gravity
Gravitation
- Concept of Gravitation
- Kepler’s Laws
- Law of Orbit or Kepler's First Law
- Law of Areas or Kepler's Second Law
- Law of Periods or Kepler's Third Law
- Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation
- Measurement of the Gravitational Constant (G)
- Acceleration Due to Gravity (Earth’s Gravitational Acceleration)
- Variation in the Acceleration>Variation in Gravity with Altitude
- Variation in the Acceleration>Variation in Gravity with Depth
- Variation in the Acceleration>Variation in Gravity with Latitude and Rotation of the Earth
- Variation in the Acceleration>Effect of the shape of the Earth
- Gravitational Potential Energy
- Expression for Gravitational Potential Energy
- Connection of Potential Energy Formula with mgh
- Potential and Potential Difference
- Escape Velocity
- Earth Satellites
- Projection of Satellite
- Weightlessness in a Satellite
- Time Period of Satellite
- Binding Energy of an Orbiting Satellite
Mechanical Properties of Solids
- Mechanical Properties of Solids
- Elastic Behavior of Solids
- Stress and Strain
- Types of Stress and Corresponding Strain
- Hooke’s Law
- Elastic Modulus>Young’s Modulus
- Elastic Modulus>Bulk Modulus
- Elastic Modulus>Modulus of Rigidity
- Elastic Modulus>Poisson’s Ratio
- Stress-strain Curve
- Strain Energy
- Hardness of Material
- Friction in Solids
- Origin of Friction
- Types of Friction>Static Friction
- Types of Friction>Kinetic Friction
- Types of Friction>Rolling Friction
Thermal Properties of Matter
- Thermal Properties of Matter
- Temperature and Heat
- Measurement of Temperature
- Absolute Zero and Absolute Temperature
- Ideal Gas Equation
- Thermal Expansion
- Linear Expansion
- Areal Expansion
- Volume Expansion
- Relation Between Coefficient of Expansion
- Specific Heat Capacity
- Specific Heat Capacity of Solids and Liquids
- Specific Heat Capacity of Gas
- Heat Equation
- Thermal Capacity
- Calorimetry
- Change of State
- Analysis of Observation>From Point A to B
- Analysis of Observation>From Point B to D
- Temperature Effects and Considerations
- Evaporation vs Boiling
- Boiling Point and Pressure
- Factors Affecting Cooking
- Sublimation
- Phase Diagram
- Gas and Vapour
- Latent Heat
- Heat Transfer
- Conduction
- Thermal Conductivity
- Coefficient of Thermal Conductivity
- Thermal Resistance
- Applications of Thermal conductivity
- Convection
- Application of Convection
- Free and Forced Convection
- Radiation
- Newton’s Law of Cooling
Sound
- Sound Waves
- Common Properties of All Waves
- Transverse Waves
- Longitudinal Waves
- Mathematical Expression of a Wave
- The Speed of Travelling Waves
- The Speed of Transverse Waves
- The Speed of Longitudinal Waves
- Newton's Formula for Velocity of Sound
- Laplace’s Correction
- Factors Affecting Speed of Sound
- Principle of Superposition of Waves
- Echo
- Reverberation
- Acoustics
- Qualities of Sound
- Doppler Effect
- Source Moving and Listener Stationary
- Listener Approaching a Stationary Source with Velocity
- Both Source and Listener are Moving
- Common Properties between Doppler Effect of Sound and Light
- Major Differences between Doppler Effects of Sound and Light
Optics
- Fundamental Concepts of Light
- Nature of Light
- Ray Optics Or Geometrical Optics
- Cartesian Sign Convention
- Reflection>Reflection from a Plane Surface
- Reflection>Reflection from Curved Mirrors
- Total Internal Reflection
- Refraction of Light
- Applications of Total Internal Reflection
- Refraction at a Spherical Surface and Lenses
- Thin Lenses and Their Combination
- Refraction at a Single Spherical Surface
- Lens Makers' Equation
- Dispersion of Light
- Analysis of Prism
- Thin Prisms
- Some Natural Phenomena Due to Sunlight
- Defects of Lenses
- Optical Instruments
- Simple Microscope or a Reading Glass
- Compound Microscope
- Telescope
Electrostatics
- Concept of Electrostatics
- Electric Charge
- Basic Properties of Electric Charge
- Additive Nature of Charge
- Quantization of Charge
- Conservation of Charge
- Force between Charges
- Coulomb’s Law
- Scalar Form of Coulomb’s Law
- Relative Permittivity or Dielectric Constant
- Definition of Unit Charge from the Coulomb’s Law
- Coulomb's Law in Vector Form
- Principle of Superposition
- Electric Field
- Electric Field Intensity Due to a Point-Charge
- Practical Way of Calculating Electric Field
- Electric Lines of Force
- Electric Flux
- Gauss’s Law
- Electric Dipole
- Couple Acting on an Electric Dipole in a Uniform Electric Field
- Electric Intensity at a Point Due to an Electric Dipole
- Continuous Charge Distribution
Electric Current Through Conductors
- Concept of Electric Currents in Conductors
- Electric Current
- Flow of Current Through a Conductor
- Drift Speed
- Ohm's Law
- Limitations of Ohm’s Law
- Electrical Power
- Resistors
- Rheostat
- A combination of resistors in both series and parallel
- Specific Resistance
- Variation of Resistance with Temperature
- Electromotive Force (emf)
- Cells in Series
- Cells in Parallel
- Types of Cells
Magnetism
- Concept of Magnetism
- Magnetic Lines of Force
- The Bar Magnet
- Magnetic Field due to a Bar Magnet
- Magnetic Field Due to a Bar Magnet at an Arbitrary Point
- Gauss' Law of Magnetism
- The Earth’s Magnetism
Electromagnetic Waves and Communication System
- Foundations of Electromagnetic Theory
- EM Wave
- Sources of EM Waves
- Characteristics of EM Waves
- Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Radio Waves
- Microwaves
- Infrared waves
- Visible Light
- Ultraviolet rays
- X-rays
- Gamma Rays
- Propagation of EM Waves
- Ground (surface) Wave
- Space wave
- Sky wave propagation
- Communication System
- Elements of a Communication System
- Commonly Used Terms in Electronic Communication System
- Modulation
Semiconductors
- Concept of Semiconductors
- Electrical Conduction in Solids
- Band Theory of Solids
- Intrinsic Semiconductor
- Extrinsic Semiconductor
- n-type semiconductor
- p-type semiconductor
- Charge neutrality of extrinsic semiconductors
- p-n Junction
- A p-n Junction Diode
- Basics of Semiconductor Devices
- Applications of Semiconductors and P-n Junction Diode
- Thermistor
- Definition: Derived units
- Formation of Derived Units
- Supplementary Units: The Special Cases
- Angle Conversions: Degrees ↔ Radians
- Key Examples of Derived Quantities
- Example
Definition: Derived Quantities
Derived quantities are physical quantities that depend on and can be calculated using fundamental quantities.
Formation of Derived Units

Supplementary Units: The Special Cases
1. Plane Angle (θ): The amount of rotation or turning between two straight lines meeting at a point.
- When you open a door, the angle between the door's initial and final positions is a plane angle.
- Mathematical Definition: Plane angle (θ) = Arc length (s) ÷ Radius (r)
- Formula: θ = s/r
- Unit: Radian (rad)
- Key Fact: One complete circle = 2π radians = 360°

Fig 1.1 (a): Plane angle dθ.
2. Solid Angle (Ω): A 3D version of a plane angle - it measures how much space an object occupies when viewed from a point.
- When you look at the Moon from Earth, the solid angle tells you how much of your total view is occupied by the Moon.
- Mathematical Definition: Solid angle (Ω) = Surface area (A) ÷ (Radius)²
- Formula: Ω = A/r²
- Unit: Steradian (sr)
- Key Fact: A complete sphere = 4π steradians

Fig 1.1 (b): Solid angle dΩ
Angle Conversions: Degrees ↔ Radians
Key Relationships:
- π radians = 180°
- 1 radian = 180°/π = 57.297°
- 1° = π/180 = 0.01745 radians
Useful Conversions:
| Degrees | Radians | Common Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0° | 0 rad | No rotation |
| 90° | π/2 rad ≈ 1.57 rad | Quarter turn |
| 180° | π rad ≈ 3.14 rad | Half turn |
| 360° | 2π rad ≈ 6.28 rad | Full turn |
Smaller Units:
- 1° = 60 minutes (60')
- 1' = 60 seconds (60'')
- 1' = 2.91 × 10⁻⁴ rad
- 1'' = 4.847 × 10⁻⁶ rad
Key Examples of Derived Quantities
Everyday Analogy: Think of fundamental quantities as basic ingredients (like flour, eggs, milk) and derived quantities as recipes that combine these ingredients to make something new (like a cake or bread).
| Derived Quantity | Formula | Fundamental Quantities Used | SI Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed/Velocity | Distance ÷ Time | Length, Time | m/s or m s⁻¹ |
| Momentum | Mass × Velocity | Mass, Length, Time | kg⋅m/s or kg m s⁻¹ |
| Area | Length × Width | Length | m² |
| Density | Mass ÷ Volume | Mass, Length | kg/m³ or kg m⁻³ |
Example
Worked Example: Moon's Solid Angle
Problem: Calculate the solid angle subtended by the Moon at any point on Earth.
Given: Moon's diameter = 3,474 km, Earth-Moon distance = 3.84 × 10⁸ m
Solution Steps:
Step 1: Find the Moon's radius
Radius = Diameter ÷ 2 = 3,474 ÷ 2 = 1,737 km = 1.737 × 10³ m
Step 2: Calculate Moon's cross-sectional area (as seen from Earth)
Area = π × r² = π × (1.737 × 10³)² = π × 3.017 × 10⁶ m²
Step 3: Apply solid angle formula
Ω = A/R² = (π × 3.017 × 10⁶) ÷ (3.84 × 10⁸)²
Ω = (π × 3.017 × 10⁶) ÷ (1.474 × 10¹⁷)
Ω = 6.425 × 10⁻⁵ sr
What this means: The Moon occupies about 0.000064 steradians of your total field of view!
