The Grade X Science syllabus is divided into two compulsory parts - Part A: Theory and Part B: Practical. Each unit carries separate marks, and together they form a 3-hour examination of 100 marks.
Total Marks: 100Time: 3 HoursAll theory and practical units are compulsory.
Instructions: This syllabus is divided into two parts - a theoretical component and a practical component. All parts are compulsory, and separate marks are indicated with each unit as given below.
Overall focus: understanding core concepts in Chemistry, Physics and Biology, and applying them through experiments, observations and real-life examples.
Unit 1 : Chemical Substances, World of Living (35 Marks)
35 Marks
Chemical reactions
Concept of a chemical equation and a balanced chemical equation, and what information a balanced equation gives.
Different types of chemical reactions: combination, decomposition, displacement, double displacement, precipitation, neutralisation, oxidation and reduction.
Acids, bases and salts
Definitions in terms of furnishing H⁺ and OH⁻ ions.
General properties, common examples and everyday uses.
Idea of the pH scale (without logarithmic detail) and the importance of pH in daily life.
Preparation and uses of sodium hydroxide, bleaching powder, baking soda, washing soda and Plaster of Paris.
Metals and non-metals
Typical properties of metals and non-metals.
Reactivity series and its use.
Formation and properties of ionic compounds.
Basic metallurgical processes in outline.
Corrosion and simple methods of prevention.
Carbon compounds
Covalent bonding in carbon compounds and the versatile nature of carbon.
Homologous series and its characteristics.
Naming of carbon compounds with functional groups - halogens, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, alkanes and alkynes.
Difference between saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons.
Main chemical properties of carbon compounds: combustion, oxidation, addition and substitution reactions.
Ethanol and ethanoic acid - key properties and uses; basic idea of soaps and detergents.
Periodic classification of elements
Need for classifying elements.
Modern Periodic Table and its broad features.
Gradation in properties - valency, atomic number, metallic and non-metallic character.
Life processes
What we mean by a ‘living being’.
Basic ideas of nutrition, respiration, transport and excretion in plants and animals.
Control and co-ordination in animals and plants
Tropic movements in plants with simple examples.
Introductory idea of plant hormones.
Control and co-ordination in animals: nervous system; voluntary, involuntary and reflex actions.
Chemical coordination through animal hormones.
Reproduction
Modes of reproduction in plants and animals - asexual and sexual.
Reproductive health - need for and methods of family planning.
Safe sex and awareness of HIV / AIDS.
Issues related to child bearing and women's health.
Heredity and evolution
Basic idea of heredity.
Mendel’s contribution and simple laws of inheritance of traits.
Brief introduction to sex determination.
Basic concepts of evolution in outline.
Grade X · Science · Part A - Theory · Unit 2
Unit 2 : Effects of Current (15 Marks)
15 Marks
Electric current and circuits
Electric current, potential difference and relationship between them.
Ohm’s Law and its application.
Resistance and resistivity; factors on which resistance of a conductor depends.
Series and parallel combinations of resistors and simple uses in daily life.
Heating effect of electric current and its applications.
Electric power and the relation between P, V, I and R.
Magnetic effects of current and domestic circuits
Magnetic field and field lines.
Field due to a current-carrying conductor, coil and solenoid.
Force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field; Fleming’s Left Hand Rule.
Electromagnetic induction - induced potential difference and induced current; Fleming’s Right Hand Rule.
Direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC); frequency of AC.
Advantages of AC over DC in transmission and use.
Basic idea of a domestic electric circuit in a house.
Grade X · Science · Part A - Theory · Unit 3
Unit 3 : Natural Phenomena (10 Marks)
10 Marks
Light - reflection and refraction
Reflection of light by curved (spherical) mirrors - images formed, centre of curvature, principal axis, principal focus and focal length.
Mirror formula and magnification (derivations not required).
Refraction of light and the laws of refraction; refractive index.
Refraction of light by spherical lenses and image formation.
Lens formula and magnification (derivations not required).
Power of a lens.
Working of the human eye, common defects of vision and their correction.
Uses of spherical mirrors and lenses in everyday life.
Refraction of light through a prism and dispersion of white light.
Scattering of light and a few simple applications from daily life (such as colour of the sky, reddening of the sun at sunrise and sunset).
Grade X · Science · Part A - Theory · Unit 4
Unit 4 : Natural Resources (10 Marks)
10 Marks
Sources of energy
Different forms of energy in nature.
Conventional and non-conventional sources of energy - fossil fuels, solar energy, biogas, wind, water (hydro and tidal) and nuclear energy.
Difference between renewable and non-renewable sources.
Conservation and management of resources
Management of natural resources and the idea of conservation and judicious use.
Forest and wildlife conservation; issues around coal and petroleum conservation.
Examples of people’s participation for conserving natural resources.
Regional environment and water
Large dams - main advantages and limitations, and possible alternatives.
Water harvesting and local methods.
Sustainability of natural resources in a region.
Our environment
Eco-system and its basic components.
Environmental problems including ozone layer depletion, waste production and their broad solutions.
Biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances and their impact.
Grade X · Science · Part B - Practical · Unit 1
Unit 1 : Science (Practical) - Part B (30 Marks)
30 Marks
Acids, bases and chemical reactions
Find the pH of the following samples using pH paper or universal indicator: dilute hydrochloric acid, dilute NaOH solution, dilute ethanoic acid solution, lemon juice, water and dilute sodium bicarbonate solution.
Study properties of acids and bases (HCl and NaOH) by their reaction with: blue and red litmus solutions, zinc metal and solid sodium carbonate.
Perform and observe the following and classify each as combination, decomposition, displacement or double displacement reaction.
Action of water on quicklime.
Effect of heat on ferrous sulphate crystals.
Iron nails placed in copper sulphate solution.
Reaction between sodium sulphate and barium chloride solutions.
Reactivity series and electrical measurements
Observe the action of Zn, Fe, Cu and Al metals on aqueous solutions of ZnSO₄, FeSO₄, CuSO₄ and Al₂(SO₄)₃ and arrange the metals in decreasing order of reactivity.
Study how current (I) depends on potential difference (V) across a resistor, determine its resistance and plot a V-I graph.
Determine equivalent resistance of two resistors in series.
Determine equivalent resistance of two resistors in parallel.
Biology experiments
Prepare a temporary mount of a leaf peel to show stomata.
Show experimentally that light is necessary for photosynthesis.
Show experimentally that carbon dioxide is released during respiration.
