Indian Forest Service (IFoS) - Physics Optional
The syllabus is organized into 8 canonical subject areas across Paper I and Paper II. Jump directly to past-year questions or explore conceptual derivations.
Paper I — Mechanics, Waves, Optics & Thermal
4 Core Subjects • 250 Marks1. Mechanics & Special Relativity
Constrained motion, Lagrangian & Hamiltonian formulations, central force, rigid body dynamics, special relativity.
- •D'Alembert's Principle & Lagrange's Equations
- •Hamilton's Canonical Equations & Phase Space
- •Coriolis Force & Rigid Body Dynamics
- •Lorentz Transformations & Relativistic Collisions
2. Waves, Oscillations & Optics
Damped/forced oscillations, Fourier analysis, thin film interference, diffraction gratings, polarization & lasers.
- •Simple Harmonic Motion & Resonance (Q-factor)
- •Phase Velocity vs Group Velocity
- •Interference & Fabry-Pérot Interferometer
- •Fraunhofer Diffraction, Resolving Power & Polarization
3. Electricity & Magnetism
Electrostatics, boundary-value problems, magnetostatics, Maxwell's equations, gauge transformations, Poynting vector.
- •Method of Images & Dielectric Boundaries
- •Ampère's Law, Biot-Savart & Vector Potential
- •Maxwell's Equations & Gauge Invariance
- •Poynting Theorem & EM Waves in Media
4. Thermal & Statistical Physics
Laws of thermodynamics, Carnot cycle, entropy, Maxwell relations, ensembles, Bose-Einstein & Fermi-Dirac statistics.
- •First & Second Laws, Thermodynamic Potentials
- •Clapeyron Equation & Joule-Thomson Effect
- •Microcanonical, Canonical & Grand Canonical Ensembles
- •Maxwell-Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein & Fermi-Dirac Statistics
Paper II — Quantum, Atomic, Nuclear & Solid State
4 Core Subjects • 250 Marks5. Quantum Mechanics
Wave-particle duality, Schrödinger equation, 1D potentials, harmonic oscillator, angular momentum, perturbation theory.
- •Postulates of QM, Commutators & Uncertainty Principle
- •1D Infinite & Finite Potential Wells, Tunneling
- •Hydrogen Atom Eigenfunctions & Angular Momentum
- •Time-Independent Non-Degenerate & Degenerate Perturbation Theory
6. Atomic & Molecular Physics
Stern-Gerlach experiment, LS and JJ coupling, Zeeman & Stark effects, Raman spectroscopy, NMR & ESR.
- •Vector Atom Model & Spin-Orbit Coupling
- •Normal & Anomalous Zeeman Effects, Paschen-Back Effect
- •Pure Rotational, Vibrational & Raman Spectra
- •Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) & Laser Principles
7. Nuclear & Particle Physics
Nuclear properties, semi-empirical mass formula, shell model, alpha/beta/gamma decays, quark model & conservation laws.
- •Liquid Drop Model & Semi-Empirical Mass Formula
- •Nuclear Shell Model, Magic Numbers & Nuclear Spin
- •Theory of Alpha & Beta Decay, Selection Rules
- •Classification of Hadrons/Leptons, Quark Model & SU(3)
8. Solid State Physics & Devices
Crystal lattices, X-ray diffraction, band theory, superconductivity, junction devices, operational amplifiers & digital logic.
- •Bragg's Law, Laue Conditions & Reciprocal Lattice
- •Kronig-Penney Model & Effective Mass
- •Meissner Effect, London Equations & BCS Theory
- •BJT, MOSFET, Op-Amp Inverting/Non-inverting, Logic Gates