Syllabus of Physics for B.Sc. II

Click to download PDF of Proposed Syllabus for B. Sc. Semester program implemented from Session 2016-17 of Kumaun University for Physics

First Paper  :  Thermodynamics and Heat  
M.M. 33  

Note: This question paper consists of three Sections. Section-A consists of fourteen objective
type questions bearing ½ mark each, all questions are compulsory. Section-B consists of ten short
answer type questions bearing 2 marks each, attempt any seven questions from this section.
Section-C consists of six long answer type questions bearing 4 marks each and attempt any three
questions from this section. Questions are to be attempted sequentially as far as possible. All the
symbols used have their usual meanings.



Unit 1:    Thermodynamical concepts and First Law of Thermodynamics  

Macroscopic and microscopic systems, Internal and external energy states of molecule,
Equilibrium and thermodynamic variables of a system, Temperature, Zeroth law of
Thermodynamics, Equation of state, work Indicator diagram, Internal Energy and First law of
Thermodynamics, the two specific heats of a substance, Joule's law and perfect gas, Cp, Cv,  
Quasi static processes, Adiabatic  Processes (change of temp. and work done with examples),
perfect gas model and quantitative checks on it, Kinetic theory of gases (an Outline), Van der
Waals equation, Joules Expansion of a real gas, Nature of Van der Waals forces, J.T. expansion
(change of temperature), Distinction between Joule, Joule-Thompson and Adiabatic expansion
of a gas.

                 
Unit 2:    II- law of Thermodynamics and Entropy  

Insufficiency of first law of Thermodynamics, Heat Engine and its efficiency, Reversible and
Irreversible processes, Carnot's cycle (examples), Carnot's Theorem, Second law of
Thermodynamics. Clausius theorem and Entropy, mathematical formulation of II- law of
Thermodynamics, Entropy of an ideal gas, T-S Diagrams, Principle of increase of entropy and its
application, Evaluation of entropy changes in simple cases. Thermodynamic scale of
temperature and its identity to perfect gas scale of temperature. Second law in terms of
entropy, Third law of thermodynamics as unattainability of absolute zero: Nernst heat theorem.

Unit 3:    Thermodynamic Relations and Production of low Temperatures

single valued functions of state, intensive and extensive parameters, Maxwell's thermodynamic
relationship, Thermodynamic potentials, Maxwell's equations from thermodynamic potentials,
some useful manipulations with partial derivatives (cooling in adiabatic processes and adiabatic
stretching of a wire), The Clausius-Clapeyron latent heat and specific heat equations, Triple 
point, Applications of Maxwell's thermodynamical relations.

Introduction to cryogenics and refrigeration, cooling by evaporation: Vapor-
compression refrigeration, cascade or series refrigeration, cooling by adiabatic expansion: air 
compression machine, Cooling by J.T. throttling process, Hampson's and Linde's regenerative 
cooling machine. Liquification of air, Hydrogen and Helium-production of temperatures below  
4°K Solidification of Helium cooling by adiabatic demagnetization (Mechanical details of the 
machines not required) 

Unit 4:      Radiation 

Radiation, black body, some useful definitions, Thermodynamics of radiation inside a hollow 
enclosure, Kirchhoff's law, Stefan-Boltzmann Law from thermodynamics, Radiation from non-
black-bodies, Wien's displacement law and its deduction from thermodynamics. Radiation 
pyrometers, Black body spectrum formula-early attempts, Rayleigh Jean's law - the counting of 
modes and average energy of a classical oscillator in thermal equilibrium at temperature T, 
Quantum theory of radiation, average energy of Planck's oscillator, Planck's formula for black 
body spectrum, derivation of Stefan-Boltzmann law, Wien's law, Rayleigh Jean’s law from 
Planck's formula. Radiation as a photon gas. 

Unit 5:     Specific Heat 

Specific heat of simple solids, Dulong and Petit’s law, departure of the law at low temperatures, 
Einstein's theory of specific heat and its limitations, Lattice vibrations, Phonons, Debye's theory 
of specific heat of solids, Specific heat of diatomic gases and its variation with temperature. 

 

Books Recommended: 

1. D.P Khandelwal & S.Loknathan "Thermodynamics, Heat and Statistical Physics" 

2. Sharma and Sarkar K.K " Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics" 

3. Brijlal and Subrahmanyam "Heat and Thermodynamics" 

4. Saha and Srivastav "Treatise on Heat" 

 

 

 
Second Paper  :  Optics
M.M.-33 

Note: This question paper consists of three Sections. Section-A consists of fourteen objective 
type questions bearing ½ mark each, all questions are compulsory. Section-B consists of ten short 
answer type questions bearing 2 marks each, attempt any seven questions from this section. 
Section-C consists of six long answer type questions bearing 4 marks each and attempt any three 
questions from this section. Questions are to be attempted sequentially as far as possible. All the 
symbols used have their usual meanings. 

                                                                                 

Unit 1:     Geometrical Optics 

Fermat's Principle : Principle of extremum path and its application to deduce laws of reflection 
and refraction, Aplanatic Points of a Sphere, Gauss's general theory of image formation: coaxial 
symmetrical system, Cardinal points of an optical system, general relationships, thick lens and 
lens combination, Lagrange equation of magnification, telescopic combinations, telephoto 
lenses. 

Unit 2:    Optical Instruments 

Entrance and exit pupils, need for a multiple lens eyepiece, Ramsden's , Huygen's and Gaussian 
eyepieces, Astronomical refractive telescope, spectrometer, Aberration in images: chromatic 
aberration, achromatic combination of lenses in contact and separated lenses, Monochromatic 
aberrations and their reduction: aspherical mirrors and Schmidt corrector plates, Aplanatic 
points, oil immersion objective meniscus lens. 

Unit 3:    Physical Optics 

Interference of light: The principle of superposition, two slit interference, coherence 
requirement for the sources, optical path retardations, Interference with multiple reflection, 
thin films, application for precision measurements, Haidinger fringes: fringes of equal 
inclination, Michelson interferometer and its application for precision measurements of 
wavelength, Wavelength difference and width of spectral lines, Twyman-Green interferometer 
and its uses, Intensity distribution in multiple beam interference, Tolansky fringes, Fabry-Perot 
interferometer and Etalon. 
 
Unit 4:    Diffraction 

Fresnel's Diffraction:  Fresnel's half period zones, straight edge, circular aperture or disc, rectilinear propagation,  Zone plates.

Fraunhofer Diffraction:  Diffraction of a single slit, Phasor diagrams and integral calculus methods, the intensity  distribution, diffraction by circular aperture, Resolution of images, Rayleigh criterion, resolving 
power of telescopes, and microscopic systems, Outline of phase contrast microscopy, 
Diffraction of 2- slits and N-slits, Intensity distribution, phase diffraction grating, reflection 
grating and blazed gratings, concave grating and  different mountings, Resolution power of a 
grating and comparison with resolving powers of  prisms and Fabry-Perot etalon. 

Unit 5:    Polarization of light

Concept of plane polarized light, circularly and elliptically polarized light, Malus law, Brewster's 
law, Double refraction: refraction and  uniaxial crystals, its electromagnetic theory, phase 
retardation plates, double image prism, Application of Birefringence, Dichroism. Production and 
analysis of polarized light, Polaroid and wire grid polarizer, optical rotation: Rotation of plane of 
Polarization, origin of optical rotation in liquids and in crystals, polarimeter- half shade and 
biquartz   devices. 

 

Books Recommended: 

1. D.K Khandelwal "Optics and Atomic Physics" 

2. Jenkins and White "Fundamentals of Optics" 

3. A.K. Ghatak "Physical Optics" 

4. K.D. Moltev "Optics" 

5. Brijlal and Subrahmanyam "Optics" 

6.B.K. Mathur "Optics" 

 

 

Third Paper :  Solid State Physics and Statistical Mechanics
M.M.-34  

Note: This question paper consists of three Sections. Section-A consists of sixteen objective type 
questions bearing ½ mark each, all questions are compulsory. Section-B consists of ten short answer 
type questions bearing 2 marks each, attempt any seven questions from this section. Section-C 
consists of six long answer type questions bearing 4 marks each and attempt any three questions 

from this section. Questions are to be attempted sequentially as far as possible. All the symbols used 
have their usual meanings.          

Solid State Physics:-                    

Unit1:    Crystals 

Single crystals and polycrystalline forms, Lattice, Basis and crystal structure, Translational 
symmetry and basis Vectors. Unit Cell(primitive and non-primitive),Two dimensional point 
groups and Bravais lattices, Miller indices ,sc, bcc, and sodium chloride structures, closed 
packed structures(fcc and hcp),Reciprocal lattice ,X-ray diffraction, Bragg's law, Laue and 
Powder method of X-ray diffraction, Introduction of electron and neutron diffraction. 

Unit2:     Lattice Vibrations 

Vibrations of an elastic homogeneous line and mono-atomic lattice, concept of lattice  phonons 
. Free electron theory of metals: Outline and limitations of Lorentz-Drude theory, Sommerfeld 
theory of free electrons, Specific heat and paramagnetism of free electrons, Results of Kronig-
Penny model, Distinction between conductors, semiconductors and insulators, Intrinsic and 
Extrinsic semiconductors. 

Statistical Mechanics:- 

Unit3:     The Statistical basis of thermodynamics 

Probability and thermodynamic  probability ,Postulates of equal a priori probability ,probability 
distribution and its narrowing with increase in number of particles, Ensemble and Average 
properties, Equilibrium and fluctuations, Constraints, Distribution of particles with a given total 
energy into a discrete set of energy states. 

Unit4:     Some Universal Laws 
The mu-space representation. division of mu-space into energy sheets and into phase cells of 
arbitrary size, application to one dimensional harmonic oscillator and free particles , 
Equilibrium between two systems in thermal contact -the Beta parameter, Entropy and 
probability - Boltzmann entropy relation, Statistical interpretation of second law of 
thermodynamics, Boltzmann canonical law and its applications, Rigorous form of equipartition 
of energy, some numerical exercises on canonical distribution. 

Unit 5:     Maxwellian Distribution  of speeds in an ideal gas 

Distribution of speeds and velocities, Distinction between mean, rms and most probable speed 
values, Doppler broadening of spectral lines. Transition to quantum statistics: ’h’ as a natural 
constant and its implications, indistinguishability  of particles and its consequences, Bose-
Einstein and Fermi -Dirac condensation, Applications to liquid helium, free electrons in a metal  
and photons in black body chamber, Fermi level and Fermi energy . 

 

Books Recommended : 

1. B.B. Laud "Introduction to Statistical Mechanics" (Macmillan 1981). 

2. Bhattacharjee J.K. " Statistical Physics" (Allied Publishers 1997). 

3. F.Reif " Statistical Physics" (McGraw- Hill 1988). 

4. K. Haung " Statistical Physics" (Wiley Eastern 1988) 

5. Kamal Singh "Elements of Statistical Mechanics" (S.Chand & Co). 

6. A.J. Dekker "Solid State Physics" (Macmillan 2008) 

7. C. Kittel "Introduction to Solid State Physics V -vol" (John Wiley and Sons) 

8. Pillai S.O. "Solid State Physics" (New Age International 2005) 

9. Gupta, Kumar and Saxena "Fundamental of solid State Physics" (Pragati Prakashan).
 


PDF of Physics Syllabus of B.Sc. II of Kumaun University


SOURCE : Kumaun University