BITSAT flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

BITSAT total marks

Maximum raw score is 390, obtained from 130 questions at +3 marks each; there is no separate sectional cutoff score, only the overall normalised score matters for the merit list.

Negative marking value

Each wrong answer deducts 1 mark from the total, while an unattempted question costs nothing. Guessing is rational only when the probability of being correct exceeds one in four.

Biology option restriction

Candidates who choose Biology instead of Mathematics can be considered only for B.Pharm. admission, not for B.E. programmes, because the B.E. curriculum requires Mathematics at the qualifying level.

PCM eligibility aggregate

For B.E. and M.Sc. programmes, applicants need at least 75% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, with a minimum of 60% in each of these three subjects individually.

Projectile range formula

For launch speed u at angle θ on level ground, horizontal range R equals u squared times sine of twice theta divided by g; range is maximum at 45 degrees.

Carnot efficiency

Efficiency of a reversible engine operating between hot and cold reservoirs equals 1 minus the ratio of cold absolute temperature to hot absolute temperature, with temperatures measured in kelvin.

Parallel-plate capacitance

Capacitance equals permittivity of free space times plate area divided by plate separation (C = ε₀A/d); inserting a dielectric of constant K multiplies capacitance by K.

Lens formula and magnification

The thin lens relation 1/f = 1/v − 1/u uses the Cartesian sign convention; linear magnification m = v/u, and a negative m indicates an inverted real image.

Moment of inertia, solid sphere

A uniform solid sphere of mass M and radius R has moment of inertia (2/5)MR² about any diameter, compared with (2/3)MR² for a thin spherical shell.

Weak acid hydrogen ion concentration

For a weak monobasic acid of concentration C and dissociation constant Ka, hydrogen ion concentration approximates the square root of Ka times C, valid when dissociation is small.

Markovnikov addition rule

When HX adds to an unsymmetrical alkene, hydrogen attaches to the carbon bearing more hydrogens; with HBr and peroxide, the free-radical pathway gives the anti-Markovnikov product instead.

Ideal gas equation

Pressure times volume equals moles times the universal gas constant times absolute temperature (PV = nRT), with R approximately 8.314 joule per mole per kelvin.

Molarity definition

Molarity is the number of moles of solute dissolved per litre of solution; it changes with temperature because solution volume expands, unlike molality which uses solvent mass.

Quadratic root relations

For ax² + bx + c = 0, the sum of roots equals −b/a and the product equals c/a; these identities allow constructing equations from given roots.

Point-to-line distance

The perpendicular distance from point (x₁, y₁) to line ax + by + c = 0 equals the absolute value of ax₁ + by₁ + c divided by the square root of a² + b².

Derivative of sine

The derivative of sin x with respect to x is cos x, while the derivative of cos x is negative sin x; these underpin the chain rule for composite trigonometric functions.

Syllogism validity test

A conclusion is valid only if it holds in every Venn diagram consistent with the premises; finding one diagram where the conclusion fails is enough to reject it.

Number series reasoning

In series questions, compute successive differences or ratios; constant first differences indicate arithmetic progression, constant ratios indicate geometric progression, and alternating patterns signal interleaved series.

English synonym strategy

Substitute each option into the original sentence and test whether meaning and register remain unchanged; near-synonyms often differ in connotation, so context decides the correct choice.

Computer-based test navigation

BITSAT is delivered online with a fixed section sequence; candidates cannot return to an earlier section once it is submitted, so time allocation within each section must be planned in advance.

Score normalisation

Because BITSAT runs in multiple sessions with different paper difficulties, raw scores are statistically normalised before the merit list is prepared, so raw cutoffs vary by session.

Sectional question counts

Physics has 30 questions, Chemistry 30, Mathematics or Biology 40, English Proficiency 15 and Logical Reasoning 10, giving 130 questions in total within 180 minutes.

Prism deviation formula

For a thin prism of angle A and refractive index n, the angle of minimum deviation approximates (n − 1)A, useful for small-angle refraction problems in ray optics.

Coulomb constant value

The electrostatic constant k equals 1/(4πε₀), approximately 9 × 10⁹ newton metre squared per coulomb squared, used in force and field calculations for point charges.

pH of strong acid

For a strong monobasic acid of concentration C, hydrogen ion concentration equals C and pH equals negative logarithm of C; dilution by ten raises pH by one unit.

Free radical halogenation

Alkane halogenation proceeds by initiation, propagation and termination steps; substitution favours the more stable radical, giving tertiary over secondary over primary products in selectivity order.

Integration by parts

The rule integral of u dv equals uv minus integral of v du; choosing u by the ILATE order (inverse, logarithmic, algebraic, trigonometric, exponential) usually simplifies the integral.

Vector dot and cross product

Dot product a·b equals magnitude product times cosine of the angle and is a scalar; cross product magnitude equals magnitude product times sine and yields a perpendicular vector.

Probability addition rule

For events A and B, probability of A or B equals P(A) + P(B) − P(A and B); for mutually exclusive events the intersection term is zero.

Blood relation reasoning

Draw a family tree with gender-marked symbols and generation levels; avoid assuming gender from names or roles, since most errors come from unstated gender assumptions.

Reading comprehension approach

Locate the sentence supporting each option rather than relying on memory; the correct answer must be inferable from the passage alone, not from outside knowledge.

Time management rule

With 180 minutes for 130 questions, the average allowance is about 83 seconds per question; Mathematics and Physics consume more time, so faster sections should be completed early.