The morning shift of 6 April 2026. Below is the Physics section question by question, the chapter split, where the hundred marks sat, how tough it was, and the official paper and answer key from NTA.
The shift
| Date | 6 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Shift | Shift 1 — 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM IST |
| Paper | Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) |
| Whole paper | 75 questions, 300 marks, 180 minutes |
| Physics | Q26 to Q50 — Section A 20 MCQ (80 marks), Section B 5 numeric (20 marks) |
| Marking | +4 right, −1 wrong, nothing for a blank |
Physics, question by question
| Q | What it asked | Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Density of a cylinder from three measurements — percentage error | Units and Measurements |
| 27 | Potential energy given as a formula — dimensions of the constants | Units and Measurements |
| 28 | Raindrop falling a kilometre — work done by the resistive force | Work, Energy and Power |
| 29 | Two blocks on an accelerating cube — coefficient of friction | Laws of Motion |
| 30 | Lift hanging from a wire — largest safe acceleration | Mechanical Properties of Solids |
| 31 | Spinning sphere brought to rest — torque and number of turns | Rotational Motion |
| 32 | Incline leading into a vertical loop — release height | Work, Energy and Power |
| 33 | Three masses at the corners of a triangle — centre of mass | Centre of Mass |
| 34 | Two joined wires stretching equally — length of the second | Mechanical Properties of Solids |
| 35 | Two joined vessels, one heated — the final pressure | Kinetic Theory of Gases |
| 36 | Two points with different path differences — ratio of intensities | Wave Optics |
| 37 | SHM — time to move from the extreme to a given point | Oscillations |
| 38 | Half ring of charge — electric field at its centre | Electric Charges and Fields |
| 39 | LED in a circuit — smallest safe series resistance | Semiconductor Electronics |
| 40 | Point source of waves — detector moved on the same sphere | Electromagnetic Waves |
| 41 | Single spherical refracting surface — magnification | Ray Optics |
| 42 | Magnetic energy inside a small cube at a loop’s centre | Moving Charges and Magnetism |
| 43 | Inductor with resistance across a battery — two instantaneous voltages | Electromagnetic Induction |
| 44 | Momenta of the first two photons of the Balmer series | Atoms |
| 45 | Series LCR circuit — the power factor | Alternating Current |
| 46 numeric | Heat produced in one resistor of a network | Current Electricity |
| 47 numeric | Optically active solution between polariser and analyser | Wave Optics |
| 48 numeric | Lithium bombarded by protons — energy released | Nuclei |
| 49 numeric | Work done moving a charge through a varying field | Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance |
| 50 numeric | Gas compressed isothermally — work done on it | Thermodynamics |
Chapter by chapter
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Properties of Solids | 2 | 8 |
| Units and Measurements | 2 | 8 |
| Wave Optics | 2 | 8 |
| Work, Energy and Power | 2 | 8 |
| Alternating Current | 1 | 4 |
| Atoms | 1 | 4 |
| Centre of Mass | 1 | 4 |
| Current Electricity | 1 | 4 |
| Electric Charges and Fields | 1 | 4 |
| Electromagnetic Induction | 1 | 4 |
| Electromagnetic Waves | 1 | 4 |
| Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance | 1 | 4 |
| Kinetic Theory of Gases | 1 | 4 |
| Laws of Motion | 1 | 4 |
| Moving Charges and Magnetism | 1 | 4 |
| Nuclei | 1 | 4 |
| Oscillations | 1 | 4 |
| Ray Optics | 1 | 4 |
| Rotational Motion | 1 | 4 |
| Semiconductor Electronics | 1 | 4 |
| Thermodynamics | 1 | 4 |
All 19 shifts of JEE Main 2026, counted together chapter by chapter: JEE Main Physics important chapters.
Twenty-one chapters, and only three of them came up twice.
Where the 100 marks sat
| Part of Physics | Questions | Marks | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrodynamics | 7 | 28 | 28% |
| Mechanics | 6 | 24 | 24% |
| Properties of Matter and Heat | 4 | 16 | 16% |
| Optics | 3 | 12 | 12% |
| Modern Physics and Electronics | 3 | 12 | 12% |
| Units, Dimensions and Measurement | 2 | 8 | 8% |
Exactly the same split as 2 April Shift 2 and 5 April Shift 2. Over six shifts this 28 – 24 – 16 shape has now appeared three times, which makes it the safest thing to plan revision around.
How tough it was
| Level | Questions | Share | Which ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight recall or one step | 8 | 32% | 26, 27, 35, 37, 40, 44, 45, 50 |
| Two or three steps | 12 | 48% | 28, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 38, 39, 41, 43, 47, 48 |
| Long or awkward | 5 | 20% | 29, 32, 42, 46, 49 |
The two blocks on the accelerating cube was the hardest single question of the session so far: a pulley, a pseudo force and friction, all in one figure. Anyone who sat on it lost five minutes for four marks.
All 25 Physics questions, solved
Q1 · Units and Measurement · on the pattern of Q26
The density of a uniform cylinder is found by measuring its mass m, length l and diameter d. The measured values are m = 50.0 ± 0.1 g, l = 10.00 ± 0.01 mm and d = 5.00 ± 0.01 mm. The percentage error in the calculated density is ______ %.
Answer 0.7 %
Where it goes wrong Forgetting the factor of 2 on the diameter. It appears squared in the volume, so its error counts double and here it is the biggest single contribution.
Q2 · Units and Dimensions · on the pattern of Q27
The potential energy of a particle changes with the distance x from a fixed origin as V = Ax2/(x3 + B), where A and B are constants. The dimensions of AB are ______.
Answer [M L6 T−2]
Where it goes wrong Going straight for A. Always read off the added constant first; it is given to you free by the rule that only like quantities add.
Q3 · Work, Energy and Power · on the pattern of Q28
A raindrop of mass 2 g starts from rest at a height of 2 km and reaches the ground at 6 m/s. The work done on it by the resistive force of the air is ______ J. (g = 10 m/s2)
Answer about −39.96 J
Where it goes wrong Giving the answer as positive. Resistance always opposes the motion, so its work is negative.
Q4 · Laws of Motion · on the pattern of Q29
A block P of mass 2 kg lies on the frictionless top face of a cube, and a block Q of mass 1 kg is pressed against the vertical side face, where the coefficient of friction is μ. They are joined by a light thread running over a frictionless pulley fixed at the top edge. The cube is pushed horizontally with an acceleration of 2g/3 and both blocks stay still relative to it. The smallest value of μ is ______. (g = 10 m/s2)
Answer 0.5
Where it goes wrong Assuming friction acts upward. Here the tension is larger than the weight, so friction has to hold Q down, not up.
Q5 · Mechanical Properties of Solids · on the pattern of Q30
A lift of mass 1500 kg hangs from a steel wire of radius 5 mm. The greatest stress the wire can take is 3 × 108 N/m2. The largest upward acceleration the lift can have is ______ m/s2. (g = 10 m/s2, π = 3.14)
Answer about 5.7 m/s2
Where it goes wrong Using T = ma and leaving out the weight. The wire has to hold the lift up as well as accelerate it.
Q6 · Rotational Motion · on the pattern of Q31
A solid sphere of radius 5 cm and mass 4 kg spins about an axis through its centre at 600 rpm. A constant torque brings it to rest in 20 s. The torque applied and the number of turns it makes before stopping are ______.
Answer 0.004π N·m, about 0.0126 N·m, and 100 turns
Where it goes wrong Leaving the speed in rpm. Torque needs rad/s, though for counting the turns the rpm figure is actually the quicker route.
Q7 · Work, Energy and Power · on the pattern of Q32
A smooth inclined track ends in a vertical circular loop of radius R. A small body is released from a height h. At the highest point of the loop it presses on the track with a force equal to twice its own weight. If h = αR, the value of α is ______.
Answer 3.5
Where it goes wrong Forgetting that the top of the loop is 2R high, not R. The radius is only half the way up.
Q8 · Centre of Mass · on the pattern of Q33
Three masses sit at the corners of a triangle: 1 kg at (0, 0), 2 kg at (4, 0) and 3 kg at (2, 6), all in metres. The centre of mass of the three is at ______.
Answer (7/3, 3) m, about (2.33, 3)
Where it goes wrong Taking the plain average of the three corners. That is the centroid, which only matches the centre of mass when the three masses are equal.
Q9 · Mechanical Properties of Solids · on the pattern of Q34
Two wires A and B of equal cross-section but different materials are joined end to end. The ratio of the Young’s modulus of A to that of B is 5 : 2. When the joined wire is put under tension, the elongations of A and B turn out to be equal. If A is 3.5 m long, the length of B is ______ m.
Answer 1.4 m
Where it goes wrong Turning the modulus ratio the wrong way up. The stiffer wire needs to be shorter to stretch by the same amount.
Q10 · Kinetic Theory of Gases · on the pattern of Q35
Two closed vessels of the same volume are joined by a narrow tube. Both hold air at 90 kPa and 400 K. The first vessel is held at 400 K while the second is raised to 600 K. The final pressure in the vessels is ______ kPa.
Answer 108 kPa
Where it goes wrong Taking the average of the two temperatures. The gas moves from the hot vessel into the cold one, and only the mole count is conserved.
Q11 · Wave Optics · on the pattern of Q36
In an interference experiment the path difference between the two waves at a point A on the screen is λ/4, and at another point B it is λ/3. The ratio of the intensities at A and B is ______.
Answer 2 : 1
Where it goes wrong Putting the whole phase inside the cosine instead of half of it. The half is what links intensity to path difference for two sources.
Q12 · Oscillations · on the pattern of Q37
A particle performs simple harmonic motion of amplitude A and time period 6 s. The time it takes to move from x = A to x = A/2 is ______ s.
Answer 1 s
Where it goes wrong Starting from x = A with a sine. From the extreme the motion is a cosine; the sine starts from the centre.
Q13 · Electric Charges and Fields · on the pattern of Q38
A thin half ring of radius 20 cm carries a charge Q spread evenly along it. The electric field at the centre of the half ring is 90 V/m. The value of Q is about ______ nC. (1/4πε0 = 9 × 109 N·m2/C2, π = 3.14)
Answer about 0.63 nC
Where it goes wrong Expecting zero, as for a full ring. Half a ring has nothing to cancel the perpendicular components, so the field does not vanish.
Q14 · Semiconductor Electronics · on the pattern of Q39
An LED is rated at a maximum power of 3 mW and drops 2 V across itself when lit. It is connected through a series resistor RS to a 5 V supply. The smallest safe value of RS is ______ kΩ.
Answer 2 kΩ
Where it goes wrong Dividing the full 5 V by the current. The LED keeps its own 2 V whatever happens, so only the rest falls across the resistor.
Q15 · Electromagnetic Waves · on the pattern of Q40
A point source emits electromagnetic waves in free space. A detector at a distance L measures an intensity I0. The detector is moved to another point on the same spherical surface, so that the angle between the two positions, measured at the source, is 60°. The intensity measured now is ______.
Answer I0, exactly the same
Where it goes wrong Applying Malus’s law and multiplying by cos260°. That is for polarisers, and nothing here is polarising anything.
Q16 · Ray Optics · on the pattern of Q41
A single spherical refracting surface of radius R separates air from a medium of refractive index 1.5. A point object is placed in the air at a distance 3R from the surface, on the side from which the surface bulges away. The magnification of the image is ______.
Answer −2, that is inverted and twice the size
Where it goes wrong Using m = v/u as for a lens. A single refracting surface carries the two refractive indices in its magnification formula.
Q17 · Moving Charges and Magnetism · on the pattern of Q42
A small cube of side 2 mm sits at the centre of a circular loop of radius 20 cm carrying a current of 4 A. The magnetic energy stored inside the cube is α × 10−14 J. The value of α is about ______. (μ0 = 4π × 10−7 T·m/A, π = 3.14)
Answer about 50.3
Where it goes wrong Using the side of the cube instead of its volume. The energy density is per cubic metre, so the side has to be cubed.
Q18 · Electromagnetic Induction · on the pattern of Q43
An inductor of 20 mH with a resistance of 50 Ω is connected through a switch to a battery of emf 2.0 V. After the switch is closed, the ratio of the instantaneous voltage across the inductance when the current is 10 mA to that when it is 20 mA is ______.
Answer 3 : 2
Where it goes wrong Reaching for the exponential growth formula. The current is given at each instant, so the loop equation settles it in one line.
Q19 · Atoms · on the pattern of Q44
The ratio of the momenta of the photons of the 1st and the 2nd lines of the Balmer series of hydrogen is α : β. The possible values of α and β are ______.
Answer 20 and 27
Where it goes wrong Starting the Balmer series at 2 to 1. The series is named for where the electron lands, and Balmer lands on n = 2.
Q20 · Alternating Current · on the pattern of Q45
A series LCR circuit is driven at a frequency where the resistance is 60 Ω, the inductive reactance is 30 Ω and the capacitive reactance is 110 Ω. The power factor of the circuit is ______.
Answer 0.6
Where it goes wrong Adding the two reactances instead of subtracting. They act in opposite directions, so one is taken off the other.
Q21 · Current Electricity · numeric · on the pattern of Q46
A 12 V battery of negligible internal resistance drives current through a 2 Ω resistor in series with a parallel pair of 6 Ω and 3 Ω resistors. The heat produced in the 6 Ω resistor in 50 s is ______ J.
Answer 300 J
Where it goes wrong Using the full 3 A in the 6 Ω resistor. The current splits at the junction, and the larger resistance takes the smaller share.
Q22 · Wave Optics · numeric · on the pattern of Q47
Unpolarised light of intensity I0 passes through a polariser, then through an optically active solution, and finally reaches an analyser whose axis is parallel to the polariser’s. The light leaving the analyser has intensity I0/4. The angle through which the solution turns the plane of polarisation is ______ degrees.
Answer 45°
Where it goes wrong Forgetting the first halving. The solution does not reduce the intensity at all; only the polariser and the analyser do.
Q23 · Nuclei · numeric · on the pattern of Q48
A 7Li nucleus is struck by a proton and turns into two 4He nuclei. The energy released in one such reaction is about ______ MeV. [mass of 7Li = 7.0183 u, mass of 4He = 4.004 u, mass of proton = 1.008 u, 1 u = 931 MeV/c2]
Answer about 17.0 MeV
Where it goes wrong Using one helium nucleus instead of two. Balancing the nucleons before anything else prevents it.
Q24 · Electrostatic Potential · numeric · on the pattern of Q49
A charge of 2 C moves from the point (0, −1, −2) to the point (3, 2, 1) in an electric field E = 2xi + 3y2j + 4k N/C. The work done in moving the charge is ______ J.
Answer 60 J
Where it goes wrong Worrying about the path taken. The field is conservative, so only the two end points matter.
Q25 · Thermodynamics · numeric · on the pattern of Q50
A gas is compressed isothermally to one quarter of its initial volume of 4 litre by applying the needed pressure. The bulk modulus of the gas is 2 × 105 N/m2. The magnitude of the work done on the gas is about ______ J.
Answer about 1.11 × 103 J
Where it goes wrong Using W = PΔV. The pressure is climbing all through the compression, so the logarithm is needed.
The official paper and answer key
Both are NTA’s own files, opened straight from the government store. Nothing here is a copy.
Official question paper →Official answer key →
Nearby shifts: 5 April Shift 1 · 5 April Shift 2.
All shifts, date by date: JEE Main Previous Years Papers.
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