Course Title: Physics
Grade: 11
Course Type: University
Ministry Course Code: SPH3U
Credit Value: 1.0
Prerequisite: Grade 10 Science, Academic
Developed From: Science, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, Revised (2008); Growing Success (2010)
Course Description
This course develops students’ understanding of the basic concepts of physics. Students will explore kinematics, with an emphasis on linear motion; different kinds of forces; energy transformations; the properties of mechanical waves and sound; and electricity and magnetism. They will enhance their scientific investigation skills as they test laws of physics. In addition, they will analyze the interrelationships between physics and technology, and consider the impact of technological applications of physics on society and the environment.
Overall Curriculum Expectations
A1. Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration
1. Demonstrate scientific investigation skills (related to both inquiry and research) in the four areas of skills (initiating and planning, performing and recording, analyzing and interpreting, and communicating);
2. Identify and describe careers related to the fields of science under study, and describe the contributions of scientists, including Canadians, to those fields.
B. Kinematics
1. Analyze technologies that apply concepts related to kinematics, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact;
2. Investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, uniform and non-uniform linear motion, and solve related problems;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of uniform and non-uniform linear motion, in one and two dimensions.
C. Forces
1. Analyze and propose improvements to technologies that apply concepts related to dynamics and Newton’s laws, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact;
2. Investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, net force, acceleration, and mass, and solve related problems;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between changes in velocity and unbalanced forces in one dimension.
D. Energy and Society
1. Analyze technologies that apply principles of and concepts related to energy transformations, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact;
2. Investigate energy transformations and the law of conservation of energy, and solve related problems;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of work, efficiency, power, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, nuclear energy, and thermal energy and its transfer (heat).
E. Waves and Sound
1. Analyze how mechanical waves and sound affect technology, structures, society, and the environment, and assess ways of reducing their negative effects;
2. Investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, the properties of mechanical waves and sound, and solve related problems;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the properties of mechanical waves and sound and of the principles underlying their production, transmission, interaction, and reception.
F. Electricity and Magnetism
1. Analyze the social, economic, and environmental impact of electrical energy production and technologies related to electromagnetism, and propose ways to improve the sustainability of electrical energy production;
2. Investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, magnetic fields and electric circuits, and solve related problems;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the properties of magnetic fields, the principles of current and electron flow, and the operation of selected technologies that use these properties and principles to produce and transmit electrical energy.
Course Content
| Unit Titles and Descriptions | Time and Sequence |
| Kinematics Students will demonstrate an understanding of uniform and non-uniform linear motion, in one and two dimensions. They will investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, uniform and non-uniform motion, and solve related problems. They will analyze technologies that apply concepts related to kinematics and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact. |
25 hours |
| Forces Students will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between changes in velocity and unbalanced forces in one dimension. They will investigate qualitatively and quantitatively net force, acceleration, and mass; and solve related problems. They will analyze and propose improvements to technologies that apply concepts related to dynamics and Newton’s laws and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact. |
20 hours |
| Energy and Society Students will demonstrate an understanding of work, efficiency, power, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, nuclear energy, and thermal energy and its transfer as heat. They will investigate energy transformations and the law of conservation of energy and solve related problems. They will analyze technologies that apply principles of, and concepts related to energy transformations, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact. |
20 hours |
| Waves and Sound Students will demonstrate an understanding of the properties of mechanical waves and sound and of the principles underlying their production, transmission, interaction, and reception. They will investigate the properties of mechanical waves and sound and solve related problems. They will analyze how mechanical waves and sound affect technology, structures, society, and the environment, and assess ways of reducing their negative side effects. |
22 hours |
| Electricity and Magnetism Students will demonstrate an understanding of the properties of magnetic fields, the principles of current and electron flow, and the operation of selected technologies that use the properties and principles to produce and transmit electrical energy. They will investigate magnetic fields and electric circuits and solve related problems. They will analyze the social, economic and environmental impact of electrical energy production and technologies related to electromagnetism and propose ways to improve the sustainability of electrical energy production. |
23 hours |
| Final Exam | |
| Total | 110 hours |