About the subject
What Engineering Physics is for
The course takes the physics studied at +2 and turns it toward what engineers use. Oscillation and acoustics explain vibration and ultrasound, heat transfer explains insulation and cooling, and optics, the largest chapter, leads to lasers and fibre optics, the backbone of modern communication networks.
The second half is electricity and magnetism: electric fields and capacitors, electromagnetic induction, then Maxwell's equations and electromagnetic waves, ending with photons, matter waves and the Schrodinger equation. For BEI and Computer students this is the physical foundation of electronics; for Civil students it supports materials and instrumentation.
To provide students a concept and sound knowledge of physics with the emphasis in present day applications to apply them in relevant fields. The background of physics corresponding to proficiency certificate level is assumed.
IOE's course objective for ENSH 102
- Taught to
- BCE, Semester 2 (Year I, Part II), as ENSH 152, BCT, Semester 1 (Year I, Part I) and BEI, Semester 1 (Year I, Part I)
- Weekly
- 4 lecture, 1 tutorial, 2 practical hours
- Marks
- Theory 40 internal + 60 final (3-hour exam); practical 25 internal; 125 in total
Where the marks are
ENSH 102 chapters, hours and final exam marks
IOE's evaluation scheme for the 60-mark final, printed in the ENSH 152 version of the syllabus with the same outline. IOE notes there may be minor deviation.
Scroll the table sideways for hours, marks and share.
Full syllabus
The complete ENSH 102 outline, with how to study each chapter
All 8 chapters and 23 topics as IOE lists them, each with ICE's advice on approaching it.
1Oscillation6 hours
The physical pendulum and damped and forced oscillation. The differential equations from Mathematics I appear here directly.
- 1.1 Physical pendulum
- Bar pendulum
- Interchangeability of point of suspension and point of oscillation
- Minimum time period in case of physical pendulum
- Torsion pendulum
- 1.2 Damped and forced oscillation
- Damped harmonic oscillator
- Difference between free and damped oscillator
- Energy in damped oscillation
- Relaxation time
- Forced oscillation and resonance
- Sharpness of resonance
- Quality factor
2Acoustics3 hours
A short chapter on acoustics and ultrasound.
- 2.1 Introduction
- Threshold of hearing and loudness
- Reverberation and reverberation time
- Absorption coefficient
- Sabine's law
- Conditions for good acoustics
- 2.2 Ultrasound
- Production (Piezoelectric) of ultrasound and its applications
- Test of structure and materials
- Medical uses
3Heat and Thermodynamics8 hours
Heat, thermodynamics and heat and mass transfer. Keep units consistent; most errors in this chapter are unit errors.
- 3.1 Quantity of heat
- Calorific value of foods and fuels
- Bomb calorimeter
- Specific heat of solid: Dulong-Petit law, Einstein’s law
- 3.2 Nature of heat
- Degree of freedom
- Maxwell’s law of equipartition of energy
- Atomicity of gases
- Vander-Waal’s equation of real gases
- Critical constants
- 3.3 Thermodynamics
- Laws of thermodynamics
- Clapeyron latent heat equation
- Entropy and Third law of thermodynamics
- Negative energy
- Maxwell’s thermodynamic relations
- Gibb’s free energy and phase transitions
- 3.4 Heat and mass transfer
- Fourier’s law of thermal conductivity
- Use of thermal conductivity in building sciences
- Thermal resistance
- Types of convection
- Law of diffusion
- Relation between Stefan’s law and Newton’s law of Cooling
- Pyrheliometer and Pyrometer
4Optics17 hours
Optics is the largest chapter, 17 of 60 lecture hours and 17 of 60 marks: geometrical optics, interference, diffraction, polarisation, lasers and fibre optics. Interference and diffraction share the same path-difference reasoning, so learn that once.
- 4.1 Geometrical optics
- Lens separation
- Chromatism in lens combination
- 4.2 Interference
- Interference in thin films (Reflected and transmitted light)
- Fringes produced by a wedge-shaped thin film
- Newton's rings (Both reflected and transmitted case)
- Determination of wavelength of light and refractive index of liquid by using Newton’s rings.
- 4.3 Diffraction
- Introduction: Fresnel and Fraunhoffer’s diffraction
- Fraunhoffer’s diffraction at single slit
- Intensity distribution in the diffraction pattern due to a single slit
- Multiple slits, diffraction grating
- X-ray diffraction, X-rays in material testing
- 4.4 Polarization
- Introduction: double refraction, Nichol prism (Construction and uses)
- Retardation plate (Quarter and half wave plates), plane, elliptical and circular polarized light (Theoretical and mathematical explanation)
- Optical activity, specific rotation
- 4.5 Laser
- Introduction: Laser and ordinary light, properties of laser
- Induced absorption, spontaneous and stimulated emission, active medium, population inversion, metastable state
- Pumping (Types: Optical, electrical, chemical and thermal)
- He-Ne laser, semiconductor laser
- Uses of laser
- 4.6 Fiber optics
- Introduction: Propagation of light wave
- Types of optical fiber: Step index and graded index
- Fiber transmission- Single and multimode, self-focusing, acceptance angle and numerical aperture
- Applications
5Electrostatics8 hours
Electric field, potential and capacitors. Gauss's law and symmetry make most field problems short.
- 5.1 Electric field
- Electric field due to an electric dipole (Along axial line and equatorial line)
- Electric dipole in an external electric field
- Electric field due to linear electric quadrupole (Along axial line)
- Electric field: A ring of charge, circular ring and disc of charge
- 5.2 Electric potential
- Potential due to electric dipole
- Potential due to linear quadrupole
- potential due to continuous charge distribution, potential due to ring of charge and disc of charge
- 5.3 Capacitors
- Cylindrical capacitor
- Charging and discharging of capacitor
- Capacitor with dielectrics: dielectrics and Gauss law
- High intensity electrostatic fields: Uses and hazards (Xerography, inkjet, precipitation)
6Electromagnetism6 hours
Electromagnetic induction and eddy currents.
- 6.1 Electromagnetic induction
- Faraday’s laws
- Induction and energy transformation
- Induced electric field
- Self-induction and mutual induction
- LR circuit
- Energy stored in a magnetic field and energy density
- Induced magnetic field: Modified Ampere’s law and displacement current
- 6.2 Eddy current
- Introduction
- Applications: Induction cooker, electric guitar, metal detector and Eddy current breaking
- Cyclotron and Synchrotron
7Electromagnetic Waves6 hours
Maxwell's equations and their applications. This chapter uses the vector calculus from Mathematics II, so it helps to revise gradient, divergence and curl.
- 7.1 Maxwell’s equations
- Differential and integral forms
- Conversion of Maxwell’s equations from integral form to differential form and differential form to integral form
- Maxwell’s equations in different media
- 7.2 Applications
- Wave equations: Non conducting and conducting medium and free space
- Plane solution of wave equations, amplitude of electromagnetic waves, speed of electromagnetic waves, ratio of electric and magnetic fields
- Continuity equation
- Energy transfer and Poynting vector, radiation pressure
8Photon and Matter Waves6 hours
Quantum physics and the Schrodinger wave equation, the most abstract chapter. Focus on the particle in a box and the physical meaning of the wave function.
- 8.1 Quantum physics
- Inadequacy of classical mechanics and rise of quantum mechanics, quantization of energy
- Group velocity and phase velocity, electrons and matter waves
- de-Broglie wavelength, its applications
- Heisenberg uncertainty principle and its applications
- Wave functions and its significance
- 8.2 Schrodinger wave equation
- Time dependent and independent equation
- Probability distribution
- One dimensional infinite potential well, particle in a box
- Barrier tunneling (Reflection and transmission coefficient)
Laboratory
The ENSH 102 practical
The practical is two hours a week with thirteen experiments listed, among them the compound pendulum, Newton's rings, the wedge method and diffraction grating for wavelength, Lee's method for thermal conductivity, the LCR series resonance curve and the growth and decay of current in an LR circuit. Record readings carefully in the lab itself; the calculation is quick once the data is right.
- To determine the acceleration due to gravity and radius of gyration of the given metal bar using bar pendulum
- To determine the modulus of elasticity of the given material and moment of inertia of the circular disc about the wire as an axis passing through its center and perpendicular to its plane by using torsional pendulum
- To determine the coefficient of thermal conductivity of a bad conductor by Lee’s method
- To determine the mechanical equivalent of heat by given method
- To determine the wavelength of the sodium light using Newton’s rings
- To determine the wavelength of sodium light using wedge-shaped method
- To determine the wavelength of LASER light using diffraction grating and hence determine the particle size of lycopodium powder
- To determine the focal length of two lenses when they are separated by some finite distance
- To determine the chromatic aberration of a convex lens between red and blue colors
- To determine the capacitance of the given capacitor by the method of charging and discharging through resistor
- To plot the graph between frequency and current in LCR series circuit and hence determine the quality factor of the circuit
- To study the growth and decay of current in LR circuit then determine the self-inductance of the given inductor
- To determine the dielectric constant of the given material
Before and after
How Engineering Physics connects to other courses
Leads to
The electricity chapters lead into circuits and machines, electromagnetics in Semester 4, and for BEI, propagation and antennas in Semester 5.
Reference books
Books IOE lists for ENSH 102
- Halliday, D., Resnick, R., Walker, J. (2021). Fundamentals of physics. John Wiley & Sons.
- Pokharel, B., Bhattarai, B.K., Paudel, M.D. (2023). Fundamentals of engineering physics. Benchmark Education Support.
- Brij Lal, Subrahmanyam, N. (2012). A text book of optics. S. Chand Publishing.
- Vasudeva, A.S. (2010). Modern engineering physics. S. Chand Publishing.
- Caur, R.K., Gupta, S.L. (2012). Engineering physics. Dhanpat Rai Publications.
- Brij Lal, Subrahmanyam, N. (2011). Waves and oscillations. Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
- Brij Lal, Subrahmanyam, N. (2012). Heat, thermodynamics and statistical physics. S. Chand Publishing.
- Avadhanulu, M.N., Kshirsagar, P.G., Murthy, T.V.S.A. (2018). A textbook of engineering physics. S. Chand Publishing.
Quick answers
Engineering Physics questions
Is Engineering Physics the same for Civil and Computer Engineering?
The outline is the same. Computer and BEI take it as ENSH 102 in Semester 1; Civil takes it as ENSH 152 in Semester 2.
Which chapter of Engineering Physics carries the most marks?
Optics, with 17 of the 60 final marks in IOE's scheme, followed by electrostatics with 9 and heat and thermodynamics with 7.
How many practicals are in IOE Engineering Physics?
The syllabus lists thirteen experiments, covering mechanics, heat, optics and electrical circuits.
How many credits and marks is ENSH 102 Engineering Physics?
4 credits and 125 marks: 40 internal and 60 in a 3-hour IOE final for theory, plus 25 marks of practical assessed internally. It is taught 4 lecture, 1 tutorial and 2 practical hours a week.
Source
Checked against IOE
The outline, references and marks are IOE's own, from the ENSH 102 syllabus PDF and IOE's curriculum structure. The study advice is ICE's. If IOE revises the course, its syllabus is what counts. IOE's BCT curriculum page.
