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If you are preparing for your board exams, understanding the CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus is the first and most important step. The Physics syllabus for Class 12 helps you focus on what to study and how to manage your time better. Whether you’re aiming for top marks in board exams or preparing for competitive tests like JEE Exam and NEET Exam, knowing the class 12 physics chapters in detail can give you a clear direction.
The physics class 12 syllabus 2025 and the updated class 12 physics syllabus 2025-26 include important topics like Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Magnetism, and Modern Physics. Each chapter helps build a strong foundation in core scientific concepts and problem-solving skills. If you also want to check your Chemistry syllabus class 12, you can refer to the chemistry syllabus class 12, which is equally essential for science students.
To help students and teachers stay updated, the CBSE provides the latest CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus PDF online. You can easily download the class 12 physics syllabus PDF from the official CBSE website or other trusted educational platforms. Having access to the CBSE class 12 physics syllabus PDF will help you stay on track and revise smartly throughout the academic year.
In the sections below, we will provide a complete breakdown of all chapters, marking schemes, practicals, and useful tips to make your Physics preparation stress-free and effective.
CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus 2025-26
The Physics Syllabus Class 12 CBSE 2025-26 is split into 9 parts, containing a total of 14 chapters. This syllabus is like a map for students because it shows how much each chapter is worth in marks. It helps students plan their study time better. The theory part is worth 70 marks. Here are the units and chapters included in the syllabus.
| Units | Chapters | Marks |
| Unit–I: Electrostatics | Chapter–1: Electric Charges and Fields | 16 |
| Chapter–2: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance | ||
| Unit-II: Current Electricity | Chapter–3: Current Electricity | |
| Unit-III: Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism | Chapter–4: Moving Charges and Magnetism | 17 |
| Chapter–5: Magnetism and Matter | ||
| Unit-IV: Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents | Chapter–6: Electromagnetic Induction | |
| Chapter–7: Alternating Current | ||
| Unit–V: Electromagnetic Waves | Chapter–8: Electromagnetic Waves | 18 |
| Unit–VI: Optics | Chapter–9: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments | |
| Chapter–10: Wave Optics | ||
| Unit–VII: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter | Chapter–11: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter | 12 |
| Unit–VIII: Atoms and Nuclei | Chapter–12: Atoms | |
| Chapter–13: Nuclei | ||
| Unit–IX: Electronic Devices | Chapter–14: Semiconductor Electronics: Materials, Devices and Simple Circuits | 7 |
| Total | 70 | |
Physics Syllabus Class 12 CBSE 2025-26
Unit 1: Electrostatics
Chapter 1: Electric Charges and Fields Learn about electric charges, conservation of charge, Coulomb’s law, forces between charges, superposition principle, and continuous charge distribution. Understand electric field, field due to a point charge, electric field lines, electric dipole, torque on a dipole in an electric field. Explore electric flux, Gauss’s theorem, and its applications to find the field due to various charge distributions.
Chapter 2: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance Discover electric potential, potential difference, potential due to a point charge, and a system of charges. Learn about equipotential surfaces, electrical potential energy, conductors, insulators, free and bound charges, dielectrics, and capacitors.
Unit 2: Current Electricity
Chapter 3: Current Electricity Understand electric current, drift velocity, mobility, Ohm’s law, V-I characteristics, electrical energy, power, resistivity, conductivity, temperature dependence of resistance, internal resistance of a cell, potential difference, emf, Kirchhoff’s rules, and Wheatstone bridge.
Unit 3: Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism
Chapter 4: Moving Charges and Magnetism Explore magnetic field, Oersted’s experiment, Biot-Savart law, Ampere’s law, force on a moving charge in a magnetic field, force between current-carrying conductors, and magnetic dipole moment.
Chapter 5: Magnetism and Matter Learn about bar magnets, magnetic field intensity, torque on a magnetic dipole, magnetic properties of materials, and magnetization of materials.
Unit 4: Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents
Chapter 6: Electromagnetic Induction Discover Faraday’s laws, induced EMF and current, Lenz’s law, self and mutual induction.
Chapter 7: Alternating Current Understand alternating currents, peak and RMS value, reactance, impedance, LCR series circuit, resonance, power in AC circuits, power factor, AC generator, and Transformer.
Unit 5: Electromagnetic Waves
Chapter 8: Electromagnetic Waves Learn about displacement current, electromagnetic waves, their characteristics, transverse nature, and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Also Check: CBSE Class 12 Physics Answer Key 2024 | CBSE CBSE Class 12 Physics Paper Analysis 2024
Unit 6: Optics
Chapter 9: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments Explore reflection, refraction, total internal reflection, optical fibers, spherical mirrors, lenses, lens formula, magnification, power of a lens, and optical instruments.
Chapter 10: Wave Optics Understand wave optics, Huygen’s principle, interference, diffraction, Young’s double slit experiment, and coherent sources.
Unit 7: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter
Chapter 11: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter Discover the photoelectric effect, Hertz and Lenard’s observations, Einstein’s photoelectric equation, matter waves, and de-Broglie relation.
Unit 8: Atoms and Nuclei
Chapter 12: Atoms Learn about the alpha-particle scattering experiment, Rutherford’s model, Bohr model of hydrogen atom, radius of orbit, velocity, energy of electron, and hydrogen line spectra.
Chapter 13: Nuclei Understand the composition, size of nucleus, nuclear force, mass-energy relation, mass defect, binding energy per nucleon, nuclear fission, and fusion.
Unit 9: Electronic Devices
Chapter 14: Semiconductor Electronics Explore energy bands, intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, p-n junction, semiconductor diode, I-V characteristics, and applications of junction diode.
CBSE Syllabus for Class 12 Physics Practical
Assessment Plan for Class 12th Physics Practical: The assessment includes these parts—Two experiments (one from each section), keeping a record of practical work [experiments and activities], one activity from either section, projects exploring investigations, and discussions on experiments and activities. Marks are assigned to each part individually, totaling to 30 marks for all sections together. The mark distribution for each section is shown in the table below:
List of Experiments for Class 12 Physics Practical: Section A
- Measuring Wires’ Resistivity: We’ll create a graph showing the relationship between how much power flows through wires and the voltage. This helps us understand their resistance.
- Finding Resistance: Using a meter bridge, we can figure out how much resistance a specific wire or a standard resistor has.
- Testing Resistance Arrangements: Using the meter bridge, we’ll check if resistors are connected in a row (series) or side by side (parallel) to see if they follow certain rules.
- Galvanometer Investigation: We’ll determine a galvanometer’s resistance using the half-deflection method and figure out its quality.
- Transforming Galvanometer: We can change a galvanometer into a voltmeter to measure different voltages and ensure it works accurately.
- Transforming Galvanometer into an Ammeter: Alternatively, we can convert the galvanometer into an ammeter to measure various currents accurately.
- Checking Mains Frequency: We’ll use a sonometer to find out the frequency of the electricity supplied to our homes.
List of Experiments for Class 12 Physics Practical: Section B
- Testing different values of u to find v for a curved mirror and determine its focal length.
- Using a convex lens to calculate the focal length of a convex mirror.
- Plotting graphs between u and v or 1/u and 1/v to find the focal length of a convex lens.
- Employing a convex lens to measure the focal length of a convex mirror.
- Using graphs between the angle of incidence and angle of deviation to find the minimum deviation angle for a prism.
- Determining the refractive index of a glass slab using a traveling microscope.
- Using a convex lens and a plane mirror to calculate the refractive index of a liquid.
- Utilizing a concave mirror and a plane mirror to find the refractive index of a liquid.
- Drawing the I-V characteristic curve for a p-n junction in both forward and reverse bias.
CBSE Syllabus for Class 12 Physics Practical: Activities Assigned
- Test the resistance and impedance of an inductor, whether it has an iron core or not.
- Use a multimeter to measure resistance, voltage (AC/DC), current (AC), and ensure continuity in a circuit.
- Create a basic household circuit using three bulbs, three on/off switches, a fuse, and a power source.
- Assemble the parts of a given electrical circuit.
- Explore how potential drop changes with wire length when a constant current flows.
- Draw an open circuit with a battery, resistor/rheostat, key, ammeter, and voltmeter. Identify incorrectly connected components, correct the circuit, and update the circuit diagram accordingly.
CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus 2025-26 FAQs
How many chapters are there in physics class 12 2025 2026?
As of 2025-26, the Physics Class 12 syllabus typically contains around 10 to 14 chapters.
Is CBSE 2025-26 Class 12 syllabus released?
The CBSE 2025-26 Class 12 syllabus has been released.
Which physics portion of class 12 state 2025-26 is deleted?
The CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus for 2025-26 has removed certain topics from chapters like Electric Charges and Fields, Current Electricity, Magnetism and Matter, Alternating Current, Wave Optics, and more. They've also taken out some practice exercises from these chapters.
Is 12th physics paper hard?
Physics tests are often harder than chemistry or math exams because they include more questions about real-world applications and experiments.
