How to score better in NEET physics ?

How to score better in NEET physics ?

                                                                                                                – Ten commandments

                                                                                                              By Dr.Binu Sasidharan

Physics and Organic chemistry are the two rate limiting steps in NEET entrance. Let’s deal with Physics today. A candidate appearing for NEET should have a fairly good idea about the question pattern and distribution of marks in NEET physics. This helps the entrance aspirant to move in the right direction.A quick glance into the physics question pattern of NEET in the last 5 years  gives us some valuable information. We considered the NEET papers from 2016 to 2020. See the tables below.

 

Let’s take the average . The number of questions from various topics ( out of 45 ) in NEET physics from 2016 – 2020.

 

 

As you can see from the chart, Mechanics and Electromagnetism accounts for the major chunk of questions asked in NEET. This is followed by Modern Physics. Thermo dynamics and optics have shown a consistent pattern with 5 questions each in all the years. Only three questions were asked from SHM and Waves. Questions from both these chapters are based on a few equations. If you are familiar with the application of these equations, it is not very difficult to score at least 2 out of the 3 questions asked from SHM and waves. Allocation of time during physics NEET preparation should be based on the above facts.

 

FAQs

   1) What are the googlies in physics?                                                                                                                                            
            a)Time trap.

Year after year , we hear the same complaint after NEET exam and other board exams in Physics.‘’Physics paper was lengthy and tricky and couldn’t finish in time.’’Problem solving in physics needs speed and accuracy.

           b) Complexities in calculations .

Some questions needs complex calculations which are time consuming. Students  may buckle under time pressure and fails to cruise through these calculations.

 

  2) Can differentiation and integration pose problems in NEET physics for a PCB only student (who hasn’t taken maths )?

The following chart summarizes the number of  physics questions in NEET ( 2016 – 2020 ) that needed differentiation / integration applications to get the answers.

The following chart summarizes the number of  physics questions in NEET ( 2016 – 2020 ) that needed differentiation / integration applications to get the answers.

 

 

So from 2016 to 2020, the average number of questions that needed differential calculus in NEET physics is only 2 . Most often it is only  basic differentiation.  Moreover at least one of the two questions will be from mechanics.

 

So  here’s is the take home message.  Those students who didn’t take mathematics won’t be at a disadvantage with NEET level physics questions. They just need to familiarize themselves with basic calculus and the questions from mechanics that need differentiation. Those questions from electromagnetism that needs a higher levels of integration ( calculus ) may be safely skipped. Of course they should be familiar with trigonometry and logarithms.

 

How to solve these puzzles ? – Ten commandments

1) Understanding the concepts – THIS IS THE FIRST STEPPING STONE.
Getting clarity in the concepts is EXTREMELY important in Physics. ( like in other subjects ). Without this step , don’t proceed.

2) Practice:
Speed and accuracy comes only by consistent practice. Once you are done with the illustrated examples given in standard textbooks (we suggest SL Arora or DC Pandey), you can proceed to solving NCERT questions and questions asked in previous NEET and AIIMS exams. ( HC Verma is undoubtedly a very good book, however for NEET level , some solved examples from HCV may be enough ; not beyond that.).Daily practice with the problems will improve your speed. Solving a good number of problems of moderate level difficulty, asked in previous years will help you to achieve the speed that is required to finish the paper in time.Solving 50 questions thoroughly, understanding the concepts and revising them a couple of times is better than solving 500 questions and leaving them there without revision.

3) Mock tests.
Mock tests conducted by your trainers under strict time controls will give you to get an idea about the speed factor and the required improvisations in your techniques. Take the mock tests seriously and get the feedback from your trainer so that you can rectify your lapses.
Strict time controls– I need to explain this little more. Test after test , you should try to minimize the time required to solve the questions. Speed without losing accuracy comes in , when you keep taking tests beating the TIME FACTOR.

4) You make your own formula book.
Maintain a book for equations and formulas and review and revise it periodically. Go through it fully once before the final exam. Formulas should be at your fingertips as formula based questions are very commonly asked in NEET.

5) Training counts. ( Reinvention of wheel is unnecessary )

There are some shortcuts and easy ways to solve certain types of problems. You may arrive at the correct answers in your own ways, but there could be easier and less time consuming methods.
Let me give an example. Way back in 1991, when I started my preparation for my AIPMT in grade 11, I came across this problem, which looked benign.
A car covered 56 meters in 7 seconds. If the final velocity of the car is 12 m/s , what is its initial velocity ?
S= 56 , t = 7, v = 12 , u = ?
Immediately I tried to solve it using the three equations of motion.

S= ut + ½ at² ,
v² = u² + 2as
v = u +at
After some struggles, I could equate two equations and found the value of ‘a’, and then got the answer, u = 4 m/s. Then my trainer reminded me that S =ut + ½ at2 is derived from the concept of average velocity, and the basic equation is S= ½ ( v+u ) t. We just need to use this base equation and can get the answer in 10 seconds. An experienced teacher will be familiar with similar nuances in the subject and will train you with easy techniques. Reinvention of wheel is wastage of time.

6) Use of dimensional analysis

This can help to filter out certain options. By checking the dimensions of the choices given, some options can be safely eliminated.

7) Elimination of ouliers 
This applies when the candidate is unable to get the answer in the normal way. If the answer choices are in numericals (say 20% , 45% , 60% and 80% ) , the extreme values may be safely eliminated ( 20 % and 80% ). These extreme values are usually outliers and the probability of such values being correct, is very remote. So one may choose between 45% and 60%.

8) Short derived equations
Short derived equations on certain typical scenarios help us to arrive at the answer quickly. Let’s see the case of a pulley mass system , where the mass moves on an inclined plane over a pulley.

 

 

The acceleration of the system a is given by the equation,

 

 

 

Is it not better to remember this equation than trying to derive it in the exam hall ?

9) Make intelligent guesses

 

 

 

 

Question: A mass of 4kg rests on a horizontal plane. The plane is gradually inclined at an angle of 15° with the horizontal; the mass just begins to slide. What is the coefficient of static friction between the block and the surface?

a)      0.9
b)      0.27
c)      1.0
d)     0.7

In the above situation, we know that mg Sinθ = fs
mg Cosθ = μs N – equation I
Also as θ increases, the self-adjusting frictional force fs increases till θ = θ_max ,
where (fs)_max = μs N – equation II

from equations I and II, we get tan θ_max = μs
or μs = tan θ_max  μs = tan 15°

From tan properties we know that tan 0 o = 0, tan 45 ° = 1. The values 0.7 and 0.9 are more inclined towards tan angles closer to 35 degrees to 45 degrees, whereas the value 0.27 is more inclined towards a tan angle less than 20 degrees. ( Here our value is tan 15 ) Hence the answer is (b). Actual reference to the tangent tables is not required in this case.

10) Use of diagrams , three dimensional visualization of the scenario , graphs and mind maps

An expert trainer can guide the aspirant to use the above methods effectively in NEET preparation.

If you can effectively put most of the commandments into practice, you can easily crack NEET.

 

GOOD LUCK TO ALL ENTRANCE ASPIRANTS.