Himachal Pradesh

Public Service Commission

No.4-45/2023-PSC (R-III) Dated: 15.05.2024

Syllabus for Paper-II i.e. Objective Type Subject Aptitude Test (SAT) for recruitment to the
posts of Assistant Mining Inspector, Class-III (on contract basis) in the Directorate of Industries,
H.P. The SAT shall be of 02 hours duration having 100 marks as follows:-

Physics & Chemistry of 10+2 level (100 marks) (50+50 marks)

1. ELECTROSTATICS: Electric Charges; Conservation of charge, Coulomb’s law, force

between two point charges, forces between multiple charges; superposition principle and
continuous charge distribution, Electric field, electric field due to a point charge, electric field
lines, electric dipole, electric field due to a dipole; torque on a dipole in uniform electric field,
Electric flux, statement of Gauss’s theorem and its applications to find field due to infinitely long
straight wire, uniformly charged infinite plans sheet and uniformly charged thin spherical shell
(field inside and outside), Electric potential, potential difference, electric potential due to a point
charge, a dipole and system of charges; equipotential surfaces, electrical potential energy of a
system of two point charges and of electric dipole in an electrostatic field, Conductors and
insulators, free charges and bound charges inside a conductor; Dielectrics and electric
polarization, capacitor and capacitance, combination of capacitors in series and in parallel,
capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with and without dielectric medium between the plates;
energy stored in a capacitor. Van de Graaff generator.

2. CURRENT ELECTRICITY: Electric current, the flow of electric charges in a metallic

conductor, drift velocity and mobility, and their relation with electric current; Ohm’s law,
electrical resistance, V-I characteristics, (linear and non-linear) electrical energy and power,
electrical resistivity and conductivity, Carbon resistors, colour code for carbon resistors; series
and parallel combinations of resistors; temperature dependence of resistance, Internal resistance
of a cell, Potential difference and emf of a cell, the combination of cells in series and parallel,
Kirchhoff’s laws and simple applications, Wheatstone bridge, Metre bridge, Potentiometer-
principle and its applications to measure potential difference, and for comparing emf of two
cells; measurement of internal resistance of a cell.

3. MAGNETIC EFFECT OF CURRENT AND MAGNETISM: Concept of the magnetic field,

Oersted’sexperiment, Biot-Savartlaw, and its application to current carrying circular loop,
Ampere’s law and its applications to infinitely long straight wire, straight and tropical solenoids.
Force on a moving charge in uniform magnetic and electric fields Cyclotron, Force on a moving
charge in uniform magnetic and electric fields Cyclotron, Force on a current-carrying conductor
in a uniform magnetic field, Force between two parallel current-carrying conductors-definition
of ampere. Torque experienced by a current loop in the uniform magnetic field; moving coil
galvanometer-its current sensitivity and conversion to ammeter and voltmeter, Current loop as a
magnetic dipole and its magnetic dipole moment; Magnetic dipole moment of a revolving
 electron; Magnetic field intensity due to a magnetic dipole (bar magnet) along its axis and
perpendicular to its axis. Torque on a magnetic dipole (bar magnet) in a uniform magnetic field;
bar magnet as an equivalent solenoid, magnetic field lines; Earth’s magnetic field and magnetic
elements; Para-, dia- and ferro-magnetic substances with examples, Electromagnets and factors
affecting their strengths permanent magnets.

4. ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTIONS AND ALTERNATING CURRENT:

Electromagnetic induction, Faraday’s laws, Induced emf and current, Lenz’s law, Eddy currents,
Self and mutual inductance, Need for displacement current, Alternating currents, peak and RMS
value of alternating current/voltage, reactance and impedance; LC oscillations, (qualitative
treatment only), LCR series circuit, resonance; Power in AC circuits, wattles current, AC
generator and transformer.

5. ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES: Electromagnetic waves and their characteristics (qualitative

ideas only); Transverse nature of electromagnetic waves, Electromagnetic spectrum (radio-
waves, microwaves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) including elementary
facts about their uses.

6. OPTICS: Reflections of light, spherical mirrors, mirror formula. Refraction of light total internal
reflection and its applications, optical fibers, refraction at spherical surfaces, lenses, thin lens
formula, lens-maker’s formula. Magnification, power of a lens, the combination of thin lenses in
contact, Refraction and dispersion of light through a prism, scattering of light to explain blue
colour of the sky and reddish appearance of the sun at sunrise and sunset, Optical instruments –
Human eye, image formation and accommodation, correction of eye defects (myopia,
hypermetropia, presbyopia and astigmatism) using lenses. Microscopes and astronomical
telescopes (reflection and refraction) and their magnifying powers, Wave Optics – Wave front
and Huygen’s principle; reflection and refraction of plane wave at a plane surgace using
wavefronts. Reflection and refraction using Huygen’s principle, Interference- Young’s double
slit experiment and expression for fringe width, coherent sources, and sustained interference of
light. Diffraction due to a single slit, width of central maximum, Resolving power of
microscopes and astronomical telescopes. Polarisation, plane polarized light, Brewster’s Law;
uses of plane Polarized light and Polaroid.

7. DUAL NATURE OF MATTER AND RADIATION: Dual nature of radiation. Photoelectric

effect, Hertzand Lenard’s observation; Einstein’s photoelectric equation-particle nature of light,
Matter waves–wave nature of particles, de-Broglie relation, Davisson Germer experiment.

8. ATOMIC AND NUCLEI: Alpha-particle scattering experiment, Rutherford’s model of atom;

Bohr model, energy levels, hydrogen spectrum, Composition and size of nucleus, atomic masses,
isotopes, isobars, isotones, Radioactivity- alpha, beta, and gamma particles/rays and their
properties; radioactive decay law, Mass-energy relation, mass defect, the binding energy per
nucleon and its variation with mass number, nuclear fission and fusion.
9. ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Semiconductors; Semiconductor diode, -I-V characteristics in
forward and reverse bias, diode asa rectifier; I-V characteristics of LED, photodiode, solar cell,
and Zener diode; Zener diode as a voltage regulator, Junction transistor, transistor action,
characteristics of transistor; transistors an amplifier (common emitter configuration) and
oscillator. Logic gates (OR, AND, NOT, NAND, and NOR): Transistor as a switch.

10. COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS: Elements of communication systems (block diagram only);

bandwidth of signals (speech, TV and digital data); bandwidth of transmission medium,
Propagation of electromagnetic waves in the atmosphere, sky and space wave propagation. Need
for modulation, Production and detection of an amplitude-modulated wave.

11. SOLID STATE:Classification of Solids based on different binding forces: molecular, ionic
covalent and metallicsolids, amorphous and crystalline solids (elementary idea), unit cell in two-
dimensional andthree-dimensional lattices, calculation of density of unit cell,packing in solids,
voids, number ofatomsperunitcellinacubicunit cell,pointdefects,electricaland magneticproperties.

12. SOLUTIONS:Types of solutions, expression of concentration of solutions of solids in liquids,

solubility of gases in liquids, solid solutions, colligative properties-relative lowering of vapor
pressure, elevation of B.P. depression of freezing point, osmotic pressure, determination of
molecular masses using colligative properties, abnormal molecular mass.

13. ELECTROCHEMISTRY:Redox reactions, conductance in electrolytic solutions, specific and

molar conductivity variations of conductivity with concentration, Kohlrausch’s Law, electrolysis
and laws of electrolysis (elementary idea), dry cell. Electrolytic cells and Galvanic cells; lead
accumulator, EMF of a cell standard electrode potential, Nernst equation and its application to
chemical cells, fuelcells; corrosion.

14. CHEMICAL KINETICS: Rate of a reaction (average and instantaneous), factors affecting
rates of reaction; concentration, temperature, catalyst; order and molecularity of a reaction; rate
law and specificrate constant, integrated rate equations and half life (only for zero and first order
reactions); the concept of collision theory (elementary idea, no mathematical treatment).

15. SURFACE CHEMISTRY: Adsorption-physisorption and chemisorptions factors affecting

adsorption of gases of solids; catalysis: homogenous and heterogeneous activity and selectivity :
enzyme catalysis; colloidal state: distinction between true solutions colloids and suspensions;
lyophilic, lyophobic multimolecular, and macromolecular colloids; properties of colloids;
Tyndall effect, Brownian movement, electrophoresis, coagulation; emulsion-types of emulsions.

16. GENERAL PRINCIPLES & PROCESSES OF ISOLATION OF ELEMENTS: Principles

and methods of extraction-concentration, oxidation, reduction, electrolytic method and refining;
occurrence and principles of extraction of aluminum, copper, zincand Iron.
17. P-BLOCK ELEMENTS: Group 15 Elements: General introduction, electronic configuration,
occurance oxidation states, trends in physical and chemical properties; nitrogen-preparation,
properties and uses: compounds of nitrogen; preparation, properties of ammonia and nitric acid,
oxides of nitrogen(structure only); Phosphorous-allotropic forms: compounds of phosphorous:
preparation and properties of phosphine, halides (PCl3,PCl5) and oxoacids (elementary idea
only), Group 16 Elements: General introduction, electronic configuration, oxidation states,
occurrence, trends in physical and chemical properties; dioxygen: preparation, properties
anduses; simple oxides; Ozone. Suphur-allotropic forms; compounds of sulfur: preparation,
properties and uses of sulfur dioxide : sulphuric acid : industrial process of manufacture,
properties and uses, oxoacids of sulfur (structuresonly), Group 17 Elements: General
introduction, electronic configuration, oxidation states, occurrence, trends in physical and
chemical properties; compounds of halogens: Preparation, properties and uses of chlorine and
hydrochloric acid, interhalogen compounds, oxoacids of halogens (structureonly), Group 18
Elements: General introduction, electronic configuration. Occurrence, trends in physical and
chemical properties, uses.

18. D AND F-BLOCK ELEMENTS: General introduction, electronic configuration, occurrence

and characteristics of transition metals, general trends in properties of the first-row transition
metals – metallic character, ionization enthalpy, oxidation states, ionic radii, colour, catalytic
property, magnetic properties, interstitial compounds, alloy formation. Preparation and
properties of K2Cr2O7 and KMnO4, Lanthanoids-Electronic configuration, oxidation states,
chemical reactivity and Lanthanoid contraction, Actinoids-Electronic configuration, oxidation
states.

19. COORDINATION COMPOUNDS: Coordination Compounds – introduction, ligands and

coordination number, colour, magnetic properties and shapes, IUPAC nomenclature of
mononuclear coordination compounds. Bonding; isomerism, importance of coordination
compounds (in qualitative analysis, extraction of metals and biological system).

20. SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: Tetravalency of carbon:

Shapes of simple molecules - hybridization (s and p): Classification of organic compounds
based on functional groups: and those containing halogens, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur;
Homologous series: Isomerism - structural and stereoisomerism. Nomenclature (Trivial and
IUPAC) Covalent bond fission - Homolytic and heterolytic: free radicals, carbocations, and
carbanions; stability of carbocations and free radicals, electrophiles, and nucleophiles.
Electronic displacement in a covalent bond - Inductive effect, electromeric effect, resonance,
and hyperconjugation. Common types of organic reactions:substitution, addition, elimination,
and rearrangement.

21. HYDROCARBONS: Classification, isomerism, IUPAC nomenclature, general methods of

preparation, properties, and reactions. Alkanes: Conformations: Sawhorse and Newman
projections (of ethane): Mechanism of halogenation of alkanes. Alkenes: Geometrical
isomerism: Mechanism of electrophilic addition: addition of hydrogen, halogens, water,
hydrogen halides (Markownikoffs and peroxide effect): Ozonolysis and polymerization.
 Alkynes - Acidic character: Addition of hydrogen, halogens, water, and hydrogen halides:
Polymerization. Aromatic hydrocarbons: Nomenclature, benzene structure and aromaticity:
Mechanism of electrophilic substitution: halogenation, nitration. Friedel-Craft's alkylation and
acylation, directive influence of the functional group in monosubstituted benzene.

22. HALOALKANES AND HALOARENES: Haloalkanes: Nomenclature, nature of C-X bond,

physical and chemical properties, mechanism of substitution reactions, Haloarenes: Nature of
C-X bond, electrophilic substitution reactions (directive influence of halogen for
monosubstituted compounds only), Uses and environment effects of–dichloromethane,
trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, iodoform, freons, DDT.

23. ALCOHOLS, PHENOLS AND ETHERS: Alcohols: Nomenclature, methods of preparation,

physical and chemical properties (of primary alcohols only); identification of primary,
secondary and tertiary alcohols; mechanism of dehydration, Phenols: Nomenclature, methods
of preparation, physical and chemical properties, acidic nature of phenol, electrophilic
substitution reactions, uses of phenols, Ethers: Nomenclature, methods of preparation, physical
and chemical properties, uses.

24. ALDEHYDES, KETONES AND CARBOXYLIC ACIDS: Aldehydes and Ketones:

Nomenclature, nature and structure of carbonyl group, methods of preparation,physical and
chemical properties and mechanism of nucleophilic addition, reactions of aliphatic and aromatic
aldehydes and ketones;Carboxylic Acids: Nomenclature, acidic nature, methods of preparation,
physical and chemicalproperties; synthetic uses.

25. ORGANIC COMPOUNDS CONTAINING NITROGEN: Animes: Nomenclature,

classification, structure, methods of preparation, Physical and chemical properties, uses,
identification of primary, secondary and tertiary amines, Cyanides and Isocyanides: Synthetic
applications, Diazonium Salts: Preparation, chemical reactions and importance in synthetic
organic chemistry.

26. BIOMOLECULES: Carbohydrates: Classification, (aldoses and ketoses) monosaccharides,

(glucose and fructose), oligosaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose), polysaccharides (starch,
cellulose, glycogen); importance, Proteins: Elementary idea of α-amino acids: peptide bond,
polypeptides, proteins, primarystructure, secondary structure, tertiary structures, and quaternary
structure (qualitative ideaonly), denaturation ofproteins: enzymes, Vitamins: Classification and
functions, NucleicAcids: DNA & RNA.

27. POLYMERSS: Classification: natural and synthetic polymers, polymerization methods

(addition and condensation reaction), copolymerization. Some important polymers: polythene,
nylon, polyesters, Bakelite and rubber.
28. CHEMISTRY IN EVERYDAY LIFE: Chemicals in medicines: analgesics, tranquilizers,
antiseptics, disinfectants, antimicrobials, antifertilitydrugs, antibiotics, antacids, antihistamines,
Chemicals in food : preservatives, artificial sweetening agents, Cleansing agents: soaps and
detergents, cleansing action.

Sd/-
Section Officer (R-III)
H. P. Public Service Commission