Grade 11: Physics

The BC Grade 11 Physics course is formally called Physics 11. It is designed to introduce students to the fundamental principles of physics and develop their scientific inquiry skills. The curriculum is built around Big Ideas, Core Competencies, and Curricular Competencies.

The following outline breaks down the content into the core units as they are typically presented.

Physics 11 – Course Contents Outline

Big Ideas of the Course:

• A measurement involves assigning a number to a characteristic of a phenomenon.

• Linear motion can be analyzed graphically and algebraically.

• Forces interact with matter and can cause changes in motion.

• Energy is found in different forms, is conserved, and has the ability to do work.

Unit 1: The Science of Physics & Measurement

• Key Concepts:

  • The Nature of Physics: What is physics? The scientific method.

  • The International System of Units (SI): Base units (meter, kilogram, second).

  • Scientific Notation and Metric Prefixes (kilo-, centi-, milli-, micro-, etc.).

  • Significant Figures: Rules for determining and calculating with them.

  • Accuracy, Precision, and Uncertainty in measurement.

  • Unit Analysis and Dimensional Analysis for problem-solving.

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Questioning, Predicting, Planning, and Conducting.

Unit 2: Kinematics (The Physics of Motion)

• Key Concepts:

  • Scalars vs. Vectors: Understanding the difference (e.g., distance vs. displacement, speed vs. velocity).

  • Uniform Motion (Constant Velocity):

    • Position, displacement, time, velocity.

    • Analyzing position-time and velocity-time graphs.

    • Using the equation v = d/t.

  • Acceleration:

    • Definition and units.

    • Analyzing velocity-time graphs to determine acceleration and displacement.

  • Uniform Acceleration (Kinematic Equations):

    • The Big Five kinematic equations (and their derivations).

    • Solving problems for displacement, initial/final velocity, acceleration, and time.

  • Acceleration due to Gravity (g):

    • Analyzing the motion of objects in free fall (on Earth).

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Processing and analyzing data, Evaluating, Applying and innovating.

Unit 3: Dynamics (Forces and Newton’s Laws)

• Key Concepts:

  • Introduction to Forces: Types of forces (Contact vs. Action-at-a-distance).

  • Free-Body Diagrams (FBDs): Representing forces acting on an object.

  • Newton’s Laws of Motion:

    • 1st Law (Inertia): Objects at rest stay at rest, objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by a net force.

    • 2nd Law (F=ma): The relationship between net force, mass, and acceleration.

    • 3rd Law (Action-Reaction): For every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force.

  • Applying Newton’s Laws to solve problems.

  • Specific Forces:

    • Gravity and Weight (F_g = mg).

    • Normal Force.

    • Friction: Static and Kinetic friction (F_f = μF_N).

    • Tension.

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Problem-solving, Applying and innovating.

Unit 4: Energy, Work, and Power

• Key Concepts:

  • Work: Definition, calculation (W = Fd cosθ), and units (Joules).

  • Energy:

    • Kinetic Energy (KE = ½mv²).

    • Gravitational Potential Energy (PE_g = mgh).

  • The Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

  • Work-Energy Theorem: The work done on an object is equal to its change in kinetic energy.

  • Power: Definition, calculation (P = W/t), and units (Watts).

  • Efficiency of systems.

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Evaluating, Applying and innovating.

Unit 5: Waves and Sound

• Key Concepts:

  • Properties of Mechanical Waves: Transverse vs. Longitudinal waves.

  • Wave Characteristics: Crest, trough, compression, rarefaction, amplitude, wavelength (λ), frequency (f), period (T), and wave speed (v = fλ).

  • Sound as a Longitudinal Wave:

    • Pitch (frequency) and Loudness (amplitude).

    • The speed of sound in different media.

  • Wave Phenomena:

    • Reflection, Refraction, Diffraction, Interference, and Resonance.

  • The Doppler Effect (Qualitative understanding).

  • Standing Waves and Harmonics (introductory level, often on strings).

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Communicating, Processing and analyzing data.

Additional Potential Topics (Varies by School/Teacher)

Some teachers may have time to include one of the following units, often as a bridge to Physics 12:

• 2D Motion/Projectiles: Extending kinematics to two dimensions.

• Circular Motion & Centripetal Force: Basic concepts of objects moving in circles.

• Electrostatics: Basic properties of electric charge, Coulomb’s Law, and electric fields.

Curricular Competencies (The “Doing” of Science)

Throughout all units, students will be expected to develop these skills:

• Questioning and Predicting

• Planning and Conducting

• Processing and Analyzing Data and Information

• Evaluating

• Applying and Innovating

• Communicating

This outline provides a solid foundation for what a student can expect to learn in BC’s Physics 11 course. The emphasis is on building a strong conceptual understanding and developing the problem-solving and analytical skills essential for success in Physics 12 and beyond.