Category 8 · Science & Technology
Physics – Mechanics, Waves and Thermodynamics
11 micro topics in Science & Technology for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Fundamental Particles and Basic Forces of Nature; Forms of Energy; and 9 more.
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8.1
Fundamental Particles and Basic Forces of Nature
Fundamental particles are the basic building blocks of matter that have no known smaller parts, and fundamental forces are the basic interactions between them. The Standard Model of particle physics groups matter particles into quarks and…
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8.2
Forms of Energy
Energy is the capacity to do work, and it appears in many forms. Mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic energy, the energy of motion, and potential energy, the energy of position or condition. Other forms…
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8.3
Light and Optics
Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation that the eye can see, and it travels at about 3 lakh kilometres a second in a vacuum. Optics is the study of how light behaves. Light shows reflection,…
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8.4
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the whole range of electromagnetic waves, arranged by wavelength or frequency. Electromagnetic waves are oscillating electric and magnetic fields that travel through empty space at the speed of light, about 3 lakh…
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8.5
Concepts of Electromagnetism
Electromagnetism is the study of electric and magnetic forces and fields and the link between them. Electric charges exert forces on each other, as stated by Coulomb's law, and moving charges form an electric current. Ohm's…
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8.6
Heat and Thermodynamic Principles
Heat is the energy that flows from a hotter body to a colder one because of a difference in temperature, while temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles. Heat is measured…
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8.7
Mechanical Wave Phenomena
Mechanical waves are disturbances that carry energy through a material medium, such as air, water or the ground, and they cannot travel through a vacuum. In a transverse wave, particles move at right angles to the…
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8.8
Electromagnetic Wave Behaviour
Electromagnetic waves behave in several ways when they meet matter or travel through space. They can be reflected from surfaces, refracted when they enter another medium, diffracted around obstacles, absorbed, scattered and polarised, and they can…
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8.9
Superconductivity: History, Classification and Properties
Superconductivity is a state in which certain materials lose all electrical resistance and expel magnetic fields when cooled below a critical temperature. It was discovered by the Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911, who found…
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8.10
Applications of Superconductors
Superconductors are used where very strong magnetic fields, lossless current or extremely sensitive detection is needed. The largest use is in superconducting magnets, made from niobium-titanium or niobium-tin wire, which power magnetic resonance imaging machines in…
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8.11
Types and Applications of Lasers
LASER stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. A laser makes a narrow, intense beam of light in which all the waves have the same wavelength and move in step, called monochromatic and coherent…
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Frequently asked questions
Which topics are in Physics – Mechanics, Waves and Thermodynamics?
Physics – Mechanics, Waves and Thermodynamics has 11 micro topics in Science & Technology: Fundamental Particles and Basic Forces of Nature; Forms of Energy; Light and Optics; The Electromagnetic Spectrum; Concepts of Electromagnetism; Heat and Thermodynamic Principles; Mechanical Wave Phenomena; Electromagnetic Wave Behaviour; Superconductivity: History, Classification and Properties; Applications of Superconductors; Types and Applications of Lasers.
Is Physics – Mechanics, Waves and Thermodynamics important for UPSC Prelims?
Physics – Mechanics, Waves and Thermodynamics is a part of the UPSC Prelims Science & Technology syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 11 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.