CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus 2025-26 PDF | Theory & Practical Marks

1. Electrostatics

Electric Charges and Fields

Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

16

2. Current Electricity

Current Electricity

3. Magnetic Effect of Current & Magnetism

Moving Charges and Magnetism

Magnetism and Matter

17

4. Electromagnetic Induction & Alternating Currents

Electromagnetic Induction

Alternating Currents

5. Electromagnetic Waves

Electromagnetic Waves

18

6. Optics

Ray Optics and Optical Instruments

Wave Optics

7. Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter

Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter

12

8. Atoms and Nuclei

Atoms

Nuclei

9. Electronic Devices

Semiconductor Electronics: Materials, Devices and Simple Circuits

7

Total

70

Particular

Marks in 2025

Two experiments, one from each section

7+7

Practical record [experiments and activities]

5

One activity from any section

3

Investigatory Project

3

Viva on experiments, activities and projects

5

Total

30

S. No.

Chapters

1.

Electric Charges and Fields

2.

Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

3.

Current Electricity

4.

Moving Charges and Magnetism

5.

Magnetism and Matter

6.

Electromagnetic Induction

7.

Alternating Current

8.

Electromagnetic Waves

9.

Ray Optics and Optical Instruments

10.

Wave Optics

11.

Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter

12.

Atoms

13.

Nuclei

14.

Semiconductor Electronics: Materials, Devices and Simple Circuits

Chapters

Important Topics

Electric Charges and Fields

Electric charges, Conservation of charge, Coulomb's law-force between two point charges, forces between multiple charges; superposition principle and continuous charge distribution. Electric field, electric field due to a point charge, electric field lines, electric dipole, electric field due to a dipole, torque on a dipole in a uniform electric field. Electric flux, statement of Gauss's theorem and its applications to find the field due to an infinitely long straight wire, a uniformly charged infinite plane sheet and a uniformly charged thin spherical shell (field inside and outside).

Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

Electric potential, potential difference, electric potential due to a point charge, a dipole and a system of charges; equipotential surfaces, electrical potential energy of a system of two-point charges and of an electric dipole in an electrostatic field. Conductors and insulators, free charges and bound charges inside a conductor. Dielectrics and electric polarisation, capacitors and capacitance, combination of capacitors in series and parallel, capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with and without a dielectric medium between the plates, energy stored in a capacitor (no derivation, formulae only).

Current Electricity

Electric current, flow of electric charges in a metallic conductor, drift velocity, mobility and their relation with electric current; Ohm's law, V-I characteristics (linear and non-linear), electrical energy and power, electrical resistivity and conductivity, temperature dependence of resistance, Internal resistance of a cell, potential difference and emf of a cell, combination of cells in series and in parallel, Kirchhoff's rules, Wheatstone bridge.

Moving Charges and Magnetism

Concept of magnetic field, Oersted's experiment. Biot-Savart law and its application to the current-carrying circular loop. Ampere's law and its applications to an infinitely long straight wire. Straight solenoid (only qualitative treatment), force on a moving charge in uniform magnetic and electric fields. Force on a current-carrying conductor in a uniform magnetic field, force between two parallel current-carrying conductors-definition of ampere, torque experienced by a current loop in a uniform magnetic field; Current loop as a magnetic dipole and its magnetic dipole moment, moving coil galvanometer, current sensitivity and conversion to ammeter and voltmeter.

Magnetism and Matter

Bar magnet, bar magnet as an equivalent solenoid (qualitative treatment only), magnetic field intensity due to a magnetic dipole (bar magnet) along its axis and perpendicular to its axis (qualitative treatment only), torque on a magnetic dipole (bar magnet) in a uniform magnetic field (qualitative treatment only), magnetic field lines. Magnetic properties of materials- Para-, dia- and ferro - magnetic substances with examples, Magnetisation of materials, effect of temperature on magnetic properties.

Electromagnetic Induction

Electromagnetic induction; Faraday's laws, induced EMF and current; Lenz's Law, Self and mutual induction.

Alternating Current

Alternating currents, peak and RMS value of alternating current/voltage; reactance and impedance; LCR series circuit (phasors only), resonance, power in AC circuits, power factor, wattless current. AC generator, Transformer

Electromagnetic Waves

Basic idea of displacement current, Electromagnetic waves, their characteristics, and their transverse nature (qualitative idea only). Electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays), including elementary facts about their uses.

Ray Optics and Optical Instruments

Reflection of light, spherical mirrors, mirror formula, refraction of light, total internal reflection and optical fibres, refraction at spherical surfaces, lenses, thin lens formula, lens maker’s formula, magnification, power of a lens, combination of thin lenses in contact, refraction of light through a prism. Optical instruments: Microscopes and astronomical telescopes (reflecting and refracting) and their magnifying powers.

Wave Optics

Wave front and Huygen’s principle, reflection and refraction of a plane wave at a plane surface using wave fronts. Proof of laws of reflection and refraction using Huygen’s principle. Interference, Young's double slit experiment and expression for fringe width (No derivation final expression only), coherent sources and sustained interference of light, diffraction due to a single slit, width of central maxima (qualitative treatment only).

Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter

Dual nature of radiation, Photoelectric effect, Hertz and Lenard's observations; Einstein's photoelectric equation-particle nature of light. Experimental study of the photoelectric effect: Matter waves-wave nature of particles, de-Broglie relation.

Atoms

Alpha-particle scattering experiment; Rutherford's model of the atom; Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, Expression for the radius of the nth possible orbit, velocity and energy of the electron in its orbit, of hydrogen line spectra (qualitative treatment only).

Nuclei

Composition and size of nucleus, nuclear force, Mass-energy relation, mass defect, binding energy per nucleon and its variation with mass number; nuclear fission, nuclear fusion.

Semiconductor Electronics

Energy bands in conductors, semiconductors and insulators (qualitative ideas only). Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors- p and n type, p-n junction, Semiconductor diode - I-V characteristics in forward and reverse bias, application of junction diode -diode as a rectifier.

Typology of Questions

Total marks

Approximate Percentage

Remembering and Understanding

27

38%

Applying

22

32%

Analysing, Evaluating and Creating

21

30%

Total

70

100%

Practical

30

Gross total

100

Particulars

Details

Apparatus for Identification & Familiarity

Meter scale, voltmeter, ammeter, battery/power supply, connecting wires, standard resistances, meter bridge, screw gauge, jockey, galvanometer, resistance box, potentiometer, Leclanché cell, Daniell cell, rheostat, plug-in/tapping keys, diode, resistors, capacitors, inductors, electric/electronic bell, lenses (convex/concave), mirrors (convex/concave), core/hollow wooden cylinder, insulated wire, transformer core, ferromagnetic rod.

List of Experiments

1. Find resistance per cm of wire (V-I graph)

2. Verify laws of resistance (series/parallel)

3. Measure resistance using a meter bridge

4. Find galvanometer resistance (half deflection method)

5. Identify the resistor, capacitor, inductor, and diode

6. Distinguish between convex/concave lenses and mirrors; estimate the power difference

7. Design inductor coil; study effects of turns and core material

8. Design a step-up/step-down transformer and study the input-output voltage relation