The JEE Main Physics Syllabus 2026 covers 20 comprehensive units spanning Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetism, Optics, and Modern Physics, as prescribed by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Whether you are starting your preparation or doing a final revision, this page gives you the complete, official JEE Main Physics syllabus 2026, unit by unit, along with a free downloadable PDF, high-weightage topic analysis, and expert preparation tips.

Physics is worth 100 marks in JEE Main 2026 (25 questions). Use this page as your single reference for everything - syllabus, strategy, books, and FAQs.

JEE Main 2026 Physics – Exam at a Glance

JEE Main Physics Syllabus 2026 – All 20 Units (Complete Breakdown)

Below is the complete JEE Main Physics Syllabus 2026, unit by unit, as prescribed by the National Testing Agency (NTA). All topics listed are examinable in Paper 1. Topics marked High Weightage appear most frequently in previous year papers.

Unit 1: Units and Measurements  [Medium Weightage]

•     Units of measurements, System of units, SI Units

•     Fundamental and derived units

•     Least count, significant figures

•     Errors in measurements: systematic and random errors

•     Dimensions of physical quantities

•     Dimensional analysis and its applications

Unit 2: Kinematics  [High Weightage]

•     Frame of reference, motion in a straight line

•     Speed and velocity, uniform and non-uniform motion

•     Average speed and instantaneous velocity

•     Uniformly accelerated motion, velocity-time and position-time graphs

•     Relations for uniformly accelerated motion

•     Relative velocity

•     Motion in a plane, projectile motion

•     Uniform circular motion

Unit 3: Laws of Motion  [High Weightage]

•     Force and inertia, Newton's first law of motion

•     Momentum, Newton's second law of motion, impulse

•     Newton's third law of motion

•     Law of conservation of linear momentum and its applications

•     Equilibrium of concurrent forces

•     Static and kinetic friction, laws of friction, rolling friction

•     Dynamics of uniform circular motion, centripetal force

•     Vehicle on a level circular road; vehicle on a banked road

Unit 4: Work, Energy and Power  [High Weightage]

•     Work done by a constant force and a variable force

•     Kinetic and potential energies, work-energy theorem, power

•     Potential energy of a spring

•     Conservation of mechanical energy

•     Conservative and non-conservative forces

•     Motion in a vertical circle

•     Elastic and inelastic collisions in one and two dimensions

Unit 5: Rotational Motion  [High Weightage]

•     Centre of mass of a two-particle system and a rigid body

•     Torque, angular momentum

•     Conservation of angular momentum and its applications

•     Moment of inertia, radius of gyration

•     Values of moments of inertia for simple geometrical objects

•     Parallel and perpendicular axes theorems

•     Equilibrium of rigid bodies, equations of rotational motion

Unit 6: Gravitation  [Medium Weightage]

•     The universal law of gravitation

•     Acceleration due to gravity and its variation with altitude and depth

•     Kepler's laws of planetary motion

•     Gravitational potential energy and gravitational potential

•     Escape velocity

•     Motion of a satellite: orbital velocity, time period and energy

Unit 7: Properties of Solids and Liquids  [High Weightage]

•     Elastic behaviour, stress-strain relationship, Hooke's Law

•     Young's modulus, bulk modulus and modulus of rigidity

•     Pressure due to a fluid column, Pascal's law and its applications

•     Viscosity, Stoke's law, terminal velocity

•     Streamline and turbulent flow, critical velocity

•     Bernoulli's principle and its applications

•     Surface energy and surface tension, angle of contact, capillary rise

•     Heat, temperature, thermal expansion, specific heat capacity, calorimetry

•     Change of state, latent heat

•     Heat transfer: conduction, convection and radiation

Unit 8: Thermodynamics  [High Weightage]

•     Thermal equilibrium and the concept of temperature

•     Zeroth law of thermodynamics

•     Heat, work and internal energy

•     First law of thermodynamics

•     Isothermal and adiabatic processes

•     Second law of thermodynamics: reversible and irreversible processes

Unit 9: Kinetic Theory of Gases  [Medium Weightage]

•     Equation of state of a perfect gas, work done on compressing a gas

•     Kinetic theory of gases: assumptions, concept of pressure

•     Kinetic interpretation of temperature, RMS speed of gas molecules

•     Degrees of freedom, law of equipartition of energy

•     Applications to specific heat capacities of gases

•     Mean free path, Avogadro's number

Unit 10: Oscillations and Waves  [High Weightage]

•     Periodic motion: time period, frequency, displacement as a function of time

•     Simple harmonic motion (SHM) and its equation, phase

•     Oscillations of a spring — restoring force and force constant

•     Energy in SHM: kinetic and potential energies

•     Simple pendulum — derivation of expression for time period

•     Wave motion, longitudinal and transverse waves, speed of travelling wave

•     Displacement relation for a progressive wave

•     Principle of superposition of waves, reflection of waves

•     Standing waves in strings and organ pipes, fundamental mode and harmonics

•     Beats

Unit 11: Electrostatics  [High Weightage]

•     Conservation of charge, Coulomb's law, forces between multiple charges

•     Superposition principle and continuous charge distribution

•     Electric field due to a point charge, electric field lines

•     Electric dipole, electric field due to a dipole, torque on a dipole in uniform field

•     Electric flux, Gauss's law and its applications

•     Electric potential, equipotential surfaces, electrical potential energy

•     Conductors and insulators, dielectrics and electric polarization

•     Capacitors and capacitance — series and parallel combinations

•     Parallel plate capacitor with and without dielectric medium, energy stored

Unit 12: Current Electricity  [High Weightage]

•     Drift velocity, mobility and their relation with electric current

•     Ohm's law, electrical resistance, I-V characteristics

•     Electrical resistivity and conductivity, temperature dependence of resistance

•     Series and parallel combinations of resistors, electrical energy and power

•     Internal resistance, potential difference and EMF of a cell

•     Combination of cells in series and parallel

•     Kirchhoff's laws and their applications

•     Wheatstone bridge, Metre Bridge

Unit 13: Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism  [High Weightage]

•     Biot-Savart law and application to current-carrying circular loop

•     Ampere's law — applications to infinitely long wire and solenoid

•     Force on a moving charge in uniform magnetic and electric fields

•     Force on a current-carrying conductor in a uniform magnetic field

•     Force between two parallel current-carrying conductors — definition of ampere

•     Torque on a current loop in a uniform magnetic field

•     Moving coil galvanometer, conversion to ammeter and voltmeter

•     Bar magnet as an equivalent solenoid, magnetic field lines

•     Torque on a magnetic dipole in a uniform magnetic field

•     Para-, dia- and ferromagnetic substances; effect of temperature on magnetic properties

Unit 14: Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents  [High Weightage]

•     Faraday's law, induced emf and current

•     Lenz's law, eddy currents

•     Self and mutual inductance

•     Alternating currents: peak and RMS values of current/voltage

•     Reactance and impedance, LCR series circuit, resonance

•     Power in AC circuits, wattless current

•     AC generator and transformer

Unit 15: Electromagnetic Waves  [Medium Weightage]

•     Displacement current

•     Electromagnetic waves and their characteristics

•     Transverse nature of electromagnetic waves

•     Electromagnetic spectrum: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible, UV, X-rays, Gamma rays

•     Applications of electromagnetic waves

Unit 16: Optics  [High Weightage]

•     Reflection of light, spherical mirrors, mirror formula

•     Refraction of light at plane and spherical surfaces

•     Thin lens formula and lens maker's formula

•     Total internal reflection and its applications

•     Magnification, power of a lens, combination of thin lenses in contact

•     Refraction of light through a prism

•     Microscope and astronomical telescope (reflecting and refracting) — magnifying powers

•     Wave optics: wavefront and Huygens' principle

•     Young's double-slit experiment, fringe width, coherent sources

•     Diffraction due to a single slit, width of central maximum

•     Polarization: plane-polarized light, Brewster's law, uses of Polaroid

Unit 17: Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation  [High Weightage]

•     Dual nature of radiation, photoelectric effect

•     Hertz and Lenard's observations

•     Einstein's photoelectric equation, particle nature of light

•     Matter waves: wave nature of particle, de Broglie relation

Unit 18: Atoms and Nuclei  [High Weightage]

•     Alpha-particle scattering experiment, Rutherford's model of atom

•     Bohr model, energy levels, hydrogen spectrum

•     Composition and size of nucleus, atomic masses

•     Mass-energy relation (E = mc²), mass defect

•     Binding energy per nucleon and its variation with mass number

•     Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion

Unit 19: Electronic Devices  [High Weightage]

•     Semiconductors, semiconductor diode: I-V characteristics in forward and reverse bias

•     Diode as a rectifier

•     I-V characteristics of LED, photodiode, solar cell

•     Zener diode as a voltage regulator

•     Logic gates: OR, AND, NOT, NAND, NOR

Unit 20: Experimental Skills  [Medium Weightage]

•     Vernier calipers — internal/external diameter and depth of a vessel

•     Screw gauge — thickness/diameter of thin sheet/wire

•     Simple pendulum — dissipation of energy by plotting amplitude vs time graph

•     Metre scale — mass of an object by principle of moments

•     Young's modulus of elasticity of the material of a metallic wire

•     Surface tension of water by capillary rise and effect of detergents

•     Coefficient of viscosity by measuring terminal velocity

•     Speed of sound in air at room temperature using a resonance tube

•     Specific heat capacity of a solid and a liquid by method of mixtures

•     Resistivity of the material of a given wire using a metre bridge

•     Resistance of a given wire using Ohm's law

•     Resistance and figure of merit of a galvanometer by half deflection method

•     Focal lengths: convex mirror, concave mirror, and convex lens (parallax method)

•     Plot of angle of deviation vs angle of incidence for a triangular prism

•     Refractive index of a glass slab using a travelling microscope

•     Characteristic curves of a p-n junction diode in forward and reverse bias

•     Characteristic curves of a Zener diode — reverse breakdown voltage

•     Identification of diode, LED, resistor, capacitor from a mixed collection

Most Important Topics in JEE Main Physics 2026

Based on analysis of the last 10 years of JEE Main papers, these units consistently carry the highest number of questions. Prioritise them in your study schedule.

How to Prepare JEE Main Physics Syllabus 2026 — Step-by-Step Strategy

Use this structured study plan to cover the full JEE Main Physics syllabus efficiently, whether you have 6 months or 6 weeks remaining.

7-Step Preparation Plan

1. Start with NCERT Physics (Parts I & II)

NCERT is non-negotiable. Most Unit 20 (Experimental Skills) and Modern Physics questions are directly NCERT-based. Read every solved example, exercise, and activity before picking up any reference book.

2. Prioritise High-Weightage Units First

Units 11 (Electrostatics), 12 (Current Electricity), 14 (EMI & AC), and 16 (Optics) can together fetch 30–40 marks. Complete these four units before anything else.

3. Build Unit-wise Formula Sheets

Maintain a formula sheet per unit including formulae, sign conventions, and common mistakes. Revise it every week. Pay special attention to optics sign conventions and electrostatic potential.

4. Understand Concepts — Don't Just Memorise

JEE Main tests application over rote learning. Fully understand derivations — SHM energy, Gauss's law, LC oscillations — rather than memorising the end result.

5. Solve 10 Years of Previous Year Papers

NTA regularly repeats concept types. Analyse every mistake topic-by-topic. You will notice clear patterns in Optics (mirror formula), Electrostatics (Gauss's law), and Modern Physics (Einstein's equation).

6. Attempt Full-Length Mock Tests Under Exam Conditions

Start full mocks at least 3 months before the exam. Target Physics completion in under 50 minutes. Practise skipping difficult MCQs and returning to them after attempting Numerical questions.

7. Focused Revision in the Final 2 Weeks

Only revise formula sheets and solve 1–2 previous year papers daily. Do not start any new topic after this point.

Frequently Asked Questions — JEE Main Physics Syllabus 2026

Is the JEE Main Physics Syllabus 2026 the same as 2025?

Yes. NTA has not announced any changes. The 2026 syllabus follows the same 20-unit structure. Always cross-check with the official NTA notification at jeemain.nta.nic.in before the exam.

Which is the most important chapter in JEE Main Physics 2026?

Electrostatics (Unit 11), Current Electricity (Unit 12), EMI & AC Circuits (Unit 14), and Optics (Unit 16) are the highest-scoring chapters. Together they can account for 30–40 marks.

Is Class 11 or Class 12 Physics more important for JEE Main?

Both carry roughly equal weightage. Class 11 covers Mechanics and Waves (Units 1–10); Class 12 covers Electromagnetism, Optics, and Modern Physics (Units 11–20). Do not neglect either.

How many questions are asked from Physics in JEE Main 2026?

Physics has 25 questions — 20 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and 5 Numerical Value-based questions. Total marks: 100.

Is there negative marking in JEE Main Physics?

Yes, but only for MCQs. A wrong MCQ deducts 1 mark. Numerical Value questions have no negative marking — always attempt them.

How should I cover the JEE Main Physics Syllabus in 3 months?

Month 1: Master high-weightage units (Electrostatics, Optics, EMI, Laws of Motion). Month 2: Cover remaining units and start previous year papers. Month 3: Full-length mock tests, formula revision, and weak-topic reinforcement.

Is NCERT enough for JEE Main Physics?

NCERT is necessary but not sufficient. It is the mandatory foundation, especially for Experimental Skills (Unit 20) and Modern Physics. Supplement it with H.C. Verma for numericals.

Where can I download the JEE Main Physics Syllabus 2026 PDF?

You can download the complete JEE Main Physics Syllabus 2026 PDF from this page for free — no sign-up required.