Last 15 Year Question Papers and Keys of GATE PH-Physics

GATE – Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is an examination jointly conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and seven Indian Institutes of Technology on behalf of MHRD along with Government of India to test the comprehensive understanding of the candidates in various undergraduate subjects related to Science.

GATE Qualification is mandatory for seeking admission to Master’s programs in Engineering/ Architecture/ Technology and Doctoral programs in relevant branches of Science, in the institutions supported by the MHRD and other Government agencies.

The score obtained by the students are valid for Three Years from the announcement of the results and they are accepted across 900+ institutes across India.

The points to be known about GATE PH exam are:

• The exam is conducted ONLINE and it is a duration of 3 hours. The questions are divided into three sections: General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and Subject-specific part.
• Number of questions are 65 totaling to 100 marks. Question types: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions of 1 mark and 2-marks respectively. Negative marking for a wrong answer for MCQ but not for NAT Questions.

Syllabus of GATE 2020 Physics:

• Section 1: Mathematical Physics

Linear vector space; vector calculus; elements of complex analysis: Cauchy-Riemann conditions, Laplace transforms, Fourier analysis; elementary ideas about tensors, Levi-Civita and Christoffel symbols.

• Section 2: Classical Mechanics

D’Alemberts principle,  Lagranges equation of motion, rigid body motion; small oscillations, Hamilton’s formalisms; Poisson bracket; Lorentz transformations, relativistic kinematics, mass‐energy equivalence.

• Section 3: Electromagnetic Theory

Dielectrics and conductors; Maxwell’s equations; scalar and vector potentials; Coulomb and Lorentz gauges; Poynting vector, Poynting theorem, energy and momentum of electromagnetic waves; radiation from a moving charge.

• Section 4: Quantum Mechanics

Postulates of quantum mechanics; particle in a box, transmission through one dimensional potential barriers, hydrogen atom; linear vectors and operators in Hilbert space; time independent perturbation theory; elementary scattering theory.

• Section 5: Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

Laws of thermodynamics; macrostates and microstates; phase space; Bose‐Einstein condensation; first and second order phase transitions, phase equilibria, critical point.

• Section 6: Atomic and Molecular Physics

Spectra of one‐ and many‐electron atoms; Zeeman and Stark effects; electric dipole transitions and selection rules; Franck‐Condon principle; Raman effect; NMR, ESR, X-ray spectra; lasers: Einstein coefficients, population inversion.

• Section 7: Solid State Physics & Electronics

Elements of crystallography; bonding in solids; free electron theory; band theory of solids: nearly free electron and tight binding models; Semiconductor devices, Field Effect Transistors; operational amplifiers, regulated power supplies.

• Section 8: Nuclear and Particle Physics

Nuclear radii and charge distributions, nuclear binding energy, Electric and magnetic moments; nuclear force and two nucleon problem; alpha decay, beta‐decay, electromagnetic transitions in nuclei; Rutherford scattering, conservation laws; elementary particles, photons, baryons, mesons and leptons; quark model.

For the complete syllabus, click on GATE PH Syllabus 2020

GATE Physics Question Papers and Keys- Last 25 Years