R/ISU/14/02

NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION FOR FOREIGN APPLICANTS

SYLLABUS FOR PHYSICS

STRUCTURE OF EXAMINATION PAPER

1. The examination consists of 1 theory paper which contains 3 sections:

a. Section A: 15 multiple-choice questions which are simple and do not require more
than 1 concept. Each question will carry 1 mark.

b. Section B: 15 multiple-choice questions which may require more than 1 concept to

answer and across different areas of Physics. Each question will carry 3 marks.

c. Section C: 2 long questions (involving a mixture of topics). Each question carries 20

marks.

2. Candidates will have to answer ALL the questions.

3. The questions in all the three sections can be set on any part of the syllabus mentioned
below.

SYLLABUS

Section I - General Physics

1. Physical Quantities and Units

 Physical quantities, base quantities and their units: mass (kg), length (m), time (s),
current (A), temperature (K), amount of substance (mol);
 SI Units; using base units to check the homogeneity of physical equations;
 Scalars and vectors add and subtract coplanar vectors; represent a vector as two
perpendicular components.

Section II Newtonian Mechanics

2. Kinematics

 Rectilinear motion; displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration;

 using graphical methods to represent displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration;
 finding the distance travelled by calculating the area under a velocity-time graph;
 using the slope of a displacement-time graph to find the velocity;
 using the slope of a velocity-time graph to find the acceleration;
 deriving, from the definitions of velocity and acceleration, equations which represent
uniformly accelerated motion in a straight line;
 using equations which represent uniformly accelerated motion in a straight line,
including falling in a uniform gravitational field without air resistance;
 describing qualitatively the motion of bodies falling in a uniform gravitational field with
air resistance
 describing and explain motion due to a uniform velocity in one direction and a uniform
acceleration in a perpendicular direction.
 describing and explaining motion due to a uniform velocity in one direction and a
uniform acceleration in a perpendicular direction.

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3. Dynamics

 Newton's laws of motion;

 understanding that mass is the property of a body which resists change in motion.
 describing and using the concept of weight as the effect of a gravitational field on a
mass
 Linear momentum and its conservation
 defining linear momentum as the product of mass and velocity.
 defining force as rate of change of momentum
 using the relationship F = ma, appreciating that acceleration and force are always in
the same direction.
 principle of conservation of momentum and its application to elastic and inelastic
interactions between two bodies in one dimension. (Knowledge of the concept of
coefficient of restitution is not required.)

4. Forces

 Types of force, including the forces on mass, charge and current in gravitational,
electric and magnetic fields
 the origin of the upthrust acting on a body in a fluid
 qualitative treatmenty of frictional forces and viscous forces including air resistance.
(No treatment of the coefficients of friction and viscosity is required.)
 Equilibrium of forces; vector triangle;
 Centre of gravity
 Turning effects of forces; principle of moments; torque.

5. Work, Energy, Power


Energy conversion and conservation

application of principle of energy conservation to simple examples.

work as the product of a force and displacement in the direction of the force.

calculating the work done in a number of situations including the work done by a gas
which is expanding against a constant external pressure: W = pV.
 1
derive, from the equations of motion, the formula Ek = mv2
2

distinguish between gravitational potential energy, electric potential energy and strain
energy

the relationship between force and potential energy in a uniform field.

the concept of internal energy

energy losses in practical devices and use the concept of efficiency.

the kilowatt hour (kWh) as a unit of energy

6. Gravitational Field

 gravitational field as a field of force and define gravitational field strength as force per
unit mass
 Force between point masses; Newton's law of gravitation;
 gravitational field strength,
 potential at a point as the work done in bringing unit mass from infinity to the point.
 the analogy between certain qualitative and quantitative aspects of gravitational and
electric fields.

2
7. Motion in a Circle

 Kinematics of uniform circular motion

 angular displacement in radians
 the concept of angular velocity
 Centripetal acceleration
 Centripetal force
 Motion in a vertical circle.

Section III Oscillations And Waves

8. Oscillations

 Simple harmonic motion; simple examples of free oscillations; investigating the motion
of an oscillator using experimental and graphical methods;
 amplitude, period, frequency, angular frequency and phase difference of oscillation; the
period of oscillation in terms of both frequency and angular frequency;
 graphical description of the changes in displacement, velocity and acceleration during
simple harmonic motion;
 the interchange between kinetic and potential energy during simple harmonic motion
 practical examples of damped oscillations with particular reference to the effects of the
degree of damping and the importance of critical damping in cases such as a car
suspension system;
 practical examples of forced oscillations and resonance;
 graphical description of how the amplitude of a forced oscillation changes with
frequency near to the natural frequency of the system;
 qualitative treatment the factors which determine the frequency response and
sharpness of the resonance.

9. Waves

 Progressive waves; description of wave motion as illustrated by vibration in ropes,

springs and ripple tanks;
 Displacement, amplitude, phase difference, period, frequency, wavelength and speed
of progressive waves;
 Relationship between the speed, frequency and wavelength of a progressive waves;
 the energy transfer due to a progressive wave; intensity of a wave;
 the nature of the motions in transverse and longitudinal waves; graphical
representations of transverse and longitudinal waves; polarisation as a phenomenon
associated with transverse waves

10. Superposition

 The principle of superposition; Interference; Two-source interference patterns;

 the meaning of the term coherence; the conditions required for two-source interference
fringes to be observed.;
 use of the equation  = ax/D for double-slit interference using light;
 experiments which demonstrate stationary waves for microwaves, stretched strings and
air columns;
 the formation of a stationary wave using a graphical method; nodes and antinodes;
 diffraction; experiments which demonstrate diffraction including the diffraction of water
waves in a ripple tank with both a wide gap and a narrow gap;
 Use of the formula dsin = n and describe the use of a diffraction grating to determine
the wavelength of light;

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Section IV Electricity and Magnetism

11. Current of Electricity

 electric current as the flow of charged particles;

 charge and the coulomb;
 use of the equation Q = It.
 potential difference and the volt; use of the V = W/Q; P = VI, and P = I2R
 resistance and the ohm and use of the equation V = IR;
 the I-V characteristics of a metallic conductor at constant temperature, a semiconductor
diode and a filament lamp; temperature characteristic of a thermistor;
 Ohm's law; ad use of equation R =l/A;
 e.m.f. defined in terms of the energy transferred by a source in driving unit charge
round a complete circuit.; using energy considerations to distinguish between e.m.f.
and p.d;
 the internal resistance of an e.m.f. source;

12. D.C. Circuits

 Practical circuits; draw and interpret circuit diagrams containing sources, switches,
resistors, ammeters, voltmeters, and/or any other type of component referred to in the
syllabus;
 Conservation of charge and energy; Kirchoff’s laws and its application;
 Series and parallel connection of resistors;
 the use of thermistors and light-dependent resistors in potential dividers to provide a
potential difference which is dependent on temperature and illumination respectively.
 the potentiometer as a means of comparing potential differences.

13 Electric Field

 Concept of an electric field; and electric field strength as force per unit positive charge;
representing an electric field by means of field lines;
 Force between point charges; the Coulomb’s law;
 Electric field of a point charge and use of formula E = Q/4Or2 ; the field strength of the
uniform field between charged parallel plates in terms of potential difference and
separation;
 Uniform electric fields; the forces on charges in uniform electric fields; the effect of a
uniform electric field on the motion of charged particles
 Electric potential; electric potential at a point as the work done in bringing unit positive
charge from infinity to the point;
 use of the equation V = Q/4O r for the potential in the field of a point charge;
 the field strength of the field at a point is numerically equal to the potential gradient at
that point.;

14. Capacitance

 Capacitors and capacitance; the farad; the function of capacitors in simple circuits;
 use of the equation C = Q/V;
 capacitor in series and parallel;
 Energy stored in a capacitor

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15. Electromagnetism

 Force on a current-carrying conductor; use of the equation F = BIl sin , with directions
as interpreted by Fleming's left-hand rule;
 magnetic flux density and the tesla.
 Force on a moving charge; the direction of the force on a charge moving in a magnetic
field and the use of equation F = BQvsin;
 flux patterns due to a long straight wire, a flat circular coil and a long solenoid;
 the forces between current-carrying conductors and predict the direction of the forces;

16. Electromagnetic Induction

 Laws of electromagnetic induction;

 magnetic flux and the weber and the use of the equation  = BA; magnetic flux linkage
 use Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction to determine the magnitude, and Lenz's
law to determine the direction of induced e.m.f's;
 Characteristics of alternating currents; the transformer

Section V Matter

17. Phases of Matter

 simple kinetic model for solids, liquids and gases;

 distinguish between the structure of crystalline and non-crystalline solids with particular
reference to metals, polymers and amorphous materials.
 pressure and the use of kinetic model to explain the pressure exerted by gases;

18. Deformation of Solids

 Stress, strain; Hooke's law and the spring constant (i.e. force per unit extension); Young
modulus;
 Elastic and plastic behaviour;
 the strain energy in a deformed material

19. Temperature

 Temperature scales; use of a physical property which varies with temperature for the
measurement of temperature and examples of such properties;
 the principal features of liquid-in-glass, resistance and thermocouple thermometers as
previously calibrated instruments, and their relative advantages and disadvantages;
 absolute scale of temperature; the thermodynamic scale and the concept of absolute
zero

20. Thermal Properties of Materials

 Specific heat capacity and the principles of its determination by electrical methods;
 melting and boiling in terms of energy input without a change in temperature;
 specific latent heat, and the principles of its determination by electrical methods;
 explanation of the cooling which accompanies evaporation both in terms of specific
latent heat and in terms of the escape of high energy molecules
 the first law of thermodynamics expressed in terms of the change in internal energy,
the heating of the system and the work done on the system

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21. Ideal Gases

 the equation of state for an ideal gas expressed as pV = nRT. (n = number of moles.);
 the basic assumptions of the kinetic theory of gases;
1 Nm 2
 a simple derivation of p  c  . (N = number of molecules;
3 V
22. Transfer of Thermal Energy

 Thermal conductivity; use of the equation for thermal conduction;

 Newton’s law of cooling;
 Thermal radiation; Wien’s displacement law and Boltzmann-Stefan’s law of Blackbody
radiation.

23. Charged Particles

 the experimental evidence for quantisation of charge;

 the principles of determination of e by Millikan's experiment;
 qualitative description of the deflection of beams of charged particles by uniform
electric and uniform magnetic fields
 the principles of one method for the determination of v and e/me for electrons

24. Quantum Physics

 the particulate nature of electromagnetic radiation; use of equation E = hf;

 the phenomena of the photoelectric effect; the significance of threshold frequency;
 explanation of why the maximum photoelectric energy is independent of intensity, and
why the photoelectric current is proportional to intensity
 explain photoelectric phenomena in terms of photon energy and work function energy
 Einstein’s law of photoelectric effect;
 the wave nature of particles provided by electron diffraction; use of the relation for the
de Broglie wavelength  = h/p;
 the existence of discrete electron energy levels in isolated atoms (e.g. atomic
hydrogen); emission and absorption line spectra

25 Atomic Structure

 qualitative understanding of the -particle scattering experiment and the evidence it

provides for the existence and small size of the nucleus;
 a simple model for the nuclear atom to include protons, neutrons and orbital electrons.
 nucleon number (mass number) and proton number (atomic number); isotopes;
 the association between energy and mass as represented by E = mc2; binding energy
per nucleon and its graph;
 simple nuclear reactions

26. Radioactivity

 the spontaneous and random nature of nuclear decay;

 activity and decay constant and use of formula A = N
0.693

 the decay law; half life; use of the relation t1 .
2

Revised on Oct 2002