The Central Board of Secondary Examination is an autonomous body recognized worldwide and was established in 1962. The NCERT curriculum is followed by schools affiliated with the esteemed Board.
The CBSE is a premier institution that provides students with a comprehensive syllabus to build a core understanding of the subjects.
This article aims to provide in-depth information about the CBSE Physics Class 11 Syllabus, along with details of both theory and practicals. It also includes information about the weightage given to different units of the syllabus. The syllabus has been divided into two terms, each carrying 50 % of the syllabus.
CBSE has overhauled the examination pattern and the pattern for both terms and the 2021-22 exams.
The Term I paper will be an MCQ based with a duration of 90 minutes. The Term II paper will have questions of different types with a period of two hours. The first paper will be held in Nov-December while the second paper will be conducted in March-April.
Paper I will have case-based and bold reasoning type MCQs, while paper II will have case-based, open-ended, situation-based, and short and long descriptive type questions. However, the top education body keeping in view the COVID-19 situation, has asserted that if the problem does not normalize by March 22, the Term II paper will also be MCQ type of 90 minutes duration.
This year though, the schools will conduct the exams, but CBSE plans to allow them under the supervision of external superintendents and observers.
The schools will be conducting internal assessments throughout the year, including practicals, projects, and experiments from each unit. The schools will maintain student records in digital format to be submitted to the Board at the end of the academic session.
The CBSE Physics Class 11 Syllabus 2021 provides extensive knowledge about fundamental concepts to build a strong subject foundation. Class 11 Physics is the first step towards a future in science-based careers. The student needs to study with a well-planned strategy to ace the exams.
The CBSE has released the marking scheme for the Class 11 Physics exam 2021-22. There is no reduction in the syllabus. Last year, CBSE had reduced the syllabus by 30 % due to the pandemic to lessen the burden on the students. The deleted portion has been restored. The weightage given to each unit is given later in the article to help students prepare their strategy.
Theory Syllabus of Class XI CBSE Physics
The NCERT Physics Class 11 Syllabus 2021 includes several topics that help form a strong foundation for the next class and further higher studies.
Unit–I PHYSICAL WORLD AND MEASUREMENT ( Weightage 23 Marks)
Chapter–1: Physical World
Chapter–2: Units and Measurements
Unit-II KINEMATICS
Chapter–3: Motion in a Straight Line
Chapter–4: Motion in a Plane
Unit–III LAWS OF MOTION
Chapter–5: Laws of Motion
Unit–IV WORK, ENERGY AND POWER (Weightage 17 Marks)
Chapter–6: Work, Energy, and Power
Unit–V Motion of System of Particles and Rigid Body
Chapter–7: System of Particles and Rotational Motion
Unit-VI GRAVITATION
Chapter–8: Gravitation
Unit–VII PROPERTIES OF BULK MATTER (Weightage 20 Marks)
Chapter–9: Mechanical Properties of Solids
Chapter–10: Mechanical Properties of Fluids
Chapter–11: Thermal Properties of Matter
Unit–VIII THERMODYNAMICS
Chapter–12: Thermodynamics
Unit–IX KINETIC THEORY OF GASES
Chapter–13: Kinetic Theory
Unit–X OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES (Weightage 10 Marks)
Chapter–14: Oscillations
Chapter–15: Waves Total
Summary of Theory Syllabus
As per the CBSE Board, the Class 11 Physics syllabus 2021-2022 is the same as the Class 11 Physics syllabus 2019-2020.
The theory part carries 70 marks, and the remaining 30 marks are allocated to practicals. The syllabus of class 11 Physics has 10 units with a total of 15 chapters. The chapters build on the concepts of Gravity, Thermodynamics, Laws of Motion, and Properties of Matter. The CBSE Board has different weightage assigned to each unit. The highest weightage is for Unit I, II, and III carrying 23 marks. The lowest weightage of 10 marks is for the last Unit X on Oscillations, while Unit IV, V, and VI have 17 marks. The remaining 20 marks are allocated to Unit VII, VIII, and IX. The students studying in schools affiliated with CBSE need to prepare for internal and external assessments to get excellent scores.
Practical Syllabus of Class XI CBSE Physics
This is the list of experiments that students need to perform as a part of the CBSE Physics Class 11 Syllabus:
Section A – Experiments
1. Measurement by using the Vernier calipers the diameter of a small spherical/cylindrical body.
2. Measurement using vernier Callipers the internal diameter and depth of a given beaker/calorimeter and finding its volume.
3. Measurement of the diameter of a wire by a screw gauge.
4. Measurement of the thickness of a given sheet by a screw gauge.
5. Measurement of the volume of an irregular lamina by a screw gauge.
6. Determining using the spherometer the radius of curvature of a spherical surface.
7. Determining the mass of two different objects by a beam balance.
8. Finding the weight of a given body using the law of vectors.
9. A simple pendulum, plotting L-T and L-T2 graphs and finding the effective length of a second’s pendulum.
10. Studying the relationship between the force of limiting friction and normal reaction and finding the coefficient of friction.
11. Find the downward force, along an inclined plane, acting on a roller due to the earth’s gravitational pull and studying its relationship with the angle of inclination (θ) by plotting a graph.
Section B – Experiments
1. Determining Young’s modulus of elasticity of the material of a wire.
2. Finding the force constant by plotting a graph between load and extension of a helical spring.
3. Studying by plotting graphs the variation in volume with pressure for an air sample at a constant temperature.
4. Determining by capillary rise method the surface tension of water.
5. Determining by measuring the terminal velocity the coefficient of viscosity of a given viscous liquid.
6. Studying the relationship between the time and the temperature of a hot body.
7. Determining the specific heat capacity of a given solid or a liquid by method of mixtures.
8. (i) Studying the relationship between the length of a wire and its frequency under constant tension.
(ii) Studying the relation between the tension and the length of a wire for constant frequency.
9. Finding using a resonance tube the speed of sound in air at room temperature.
Section A – Activities
1. Making a paper scale of given least count, e.g., 0.5 cm.
2. Determining the mass of a given body by a meter scale using the principle of moments.
3. Plotting a graph for a given data, with proper scales and error bars.
4. Measurement of the force of limiting friction for rolling a roller on a horizontal plane.
5. Studying the variation in the range of a water jet with the angle of projection.
6. Studying the conservation of energy of a ball rolling down on an inclined plane.
7. Studying the dissipation of energy of a simple pendulum by a graph between square of amplitude and time.
Section B – Activities
1. Observing the change of state and plotting a cooling curve for molten wax.
2. Observing and explaining the effect of heating on a bi-metallic strip.
3. Noting the change in the liquid level in a container on heating and interpreting the observations.
4. Studying the effect of detergent on the surface tension of water by capillary rise.
5. Studying the factors affecting the rate of loss of heat of a liquid.
6. Studying the effect of load on the depression of a suitably clamped meter scale loaded at its end or in the middle.
Summary of Practical Syllabus
The practicals test the understanding of concepts taught in the theory of CBSE Physics Class 11 Syllabus 2021. The school will maintain a record of practicals and activities performed by the student throughout the academic year. It will be submitted to the CBSE Board at the time of annual examinations. The records include:
- 15 Experiments out of which at least 8 should be from Section A and 7 should be from Section B.
- 5 Activities out of which at least 2 should be from each Section A and B.
- Report of the project done by the student.
FAQs of Class 11 Physics CBSE
Why is the NCERT syllabus for Class 11 crucial?
The syllabus is essential as it details the units, chapters, and topics to be prepared. The syllabus also outlines the unit-wise marks distribution and the structure of exams for assessment.
Is the CBSE Class 11 Physics syllabus challenging?
Yes, the Physics syllabus is challenging compared to the Class X syllabus. The syllabus tests the comprehensive understanding of students and helps to develop the foundation for Class XII. The subject has several theorems and lots of numerical problems that make it a challenging subject.
How many chapters are there in Class 11 Physics?
The Physics class 11 syllabus is divided into two books. The first book contains 8 chapters, and the second book includes 7 chapters.
Is only the NCERT book enough to prepare for the CBSE Class 11 exam?
It is recommended that NCERT books should be referred entirely for exam preparation. The book contains all the topics as per the syllabus. If the language or explanation becomes challenging to comprehend at times, the learner can refer to external guides or books. Additionally, one can take a practice book for numerical.
How should I prepare for the Class 11 Physics exam?
You can excel well by following these tips:
- It is best to complete the syllabus at least a month before the final exam.
- Solve all the questions of all the chapters.
- Solve the previous years’ question papers.
- Refer to a reference book to practice different types of questions.