High School Block:

Physics 111/2

This course is designed to support learners who plan on taking university or college programs in the fields of science, kinesiology, computer science, engineering, and technology. Learners can expect to participate in a variety of engaging instructional practices and group activities such as demonstrations and investigations. Learners will develop scientific literacy skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Algebra, systems thinking, and technology will be used as tools to spark curiosity and enhance their understanding of the physical universe. Topics covered during this course will include how things move (kinematics), why things move (dynamics), energy transformations, and waves.

It is strongly recommended that learners take Science 10: Science for Sustainable Societies before taking Grade 11 or 12 science courses.

In all levels of Physics 111/2, the expectation is that educators will adjust course material in breadth, depth, and scope of inquiry dependent on the level of curriculum delivery. The goal for learners is to demonstrate critical thinking and enact skills relevant and necessary to the learning area. The level 1 course is not different in the number of skill descriptors; rather, there are increased expectations in the level 1 course in terms of depth of understanding, and learner self-efficacy. Educators should provide more opportunities in the level 1 course to participate in higher-order thinking activities.

For Educators: Physics 112 Companion Document

CONTEXTS AND CONCEPTS

Kinematics and Dynamics Exploration

How and Why Things Move

  • Frame of reference
  • Vectors
  • Uniform motion
  • Uniformly accelerated motion
  • Forces
Energy and Wave Exploration

How and Why Energy Moves and Changes

  • Energy relationships with moving objects
  • Energy transformations
  • Wave action
  • Wave behaviours
Application

Application and Practice

  • Safety
  • Sustainability
  • Applied technology and inquiry
  • Physics careers
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GRADE 11

Strand: Kinematics and Dynamics

Big Idea: How and Why Things Move

Skill Descriptor: Select an appropriate frame of reference for describing motion.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Set a reference point and establish positive and negative directions for measurements and descriptions of motion
  • Describe apparent motion of an object as viewed by varied frames of reference

Skill Descriptor: Represent position, velocity, and acceleration using vectors.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Describe properties of scalar and vector quantities
  • Describe motion of an object qualitatively in terms of its position, velocity, and acceleration
  • Interpret significance of a positive or negative value as an indication of a vector’s direction
  • Represent displacement, velocity, and acceleration as vectors on diagrams

Skill Descriptor: Analyze graphically the relationship among displacement, velocity, and time for uniform motion.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Collect and represent data about uniform motion on a position-time graph
  • Create a velocity-time graph from position-time information
  • Evaluate the area under a velocity time graph to determine displacement

Skill Descriptor: Analyze algebraically the relationship among displacement, velocity, and time for uniform motion.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Derive equations for uniform motion using position-time and velocity-time graphs
  • Solve problems using the equation for uniform motion, given two of the three variables

Skill Descriptor: Analyze graphically the relationship among displacement, velocity, acceleration, and time for uniformly accelerated motion.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Collect and represent data on a position-time graph
  • Create a velocity-time graph from position-time information and compare trends
  • Evaluate the slope of line segments on a velocity-time graph to determine acceleration
  • Evaluate the area under a velocity time graph to determine displacement

Skill Descriptor: Analyze algebraically the relationship among displacement, velocity, acceleration and time for accelerated motion.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Select and justify appropriate kinematics equations for various situations
  • Solve problems using kinematics equations for accelerated motion

Skill Descriptor: Determine an approximate value of the local acceleration of gravity using technology.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Collect and display position-time and velocity-time data
  • Interpret the acceleration data

Skill Descriptor: Represent forces using vectors.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Distinguish between mass and weight
  • Design free-body diagrams, including combinations of the force of gravity (weight), normal force, frictional force, applied force, tension

Skill Descriptor: Analyze forces acting on objects experiencing uniform motion.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Explain examples of Newton’s first law in action
  • Illustrate that uniform motion happens when forces are balanced (stationary or constant velocity)
  • Solve problems using Newton’s first law of motion

Skill Descriptor: Analyze forces acting on individual objects experiencing accelerated motion

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Explain examples of Newton’s second law in action
  • Illustrate that accelerated motion happens when forces are unbalanced
  • Derive equations for net force using free-body diagrams
  • Solve problems using Newton’s second law of motion

Skill Descriptor: Analyze forces when multiple objects interact.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Explain examples of Newton’s third law in action
  • Illustrate that all forces exist in equal and opposite pairs
  • Solve problems using Newton’s third law of motion

Skill Descriptor: Solve problems that connect kinematics and dynamics concepts.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Calculate forces acting on accelerating objects, given kinematics information
  • Calculate kinematics values for accelerating objects, given dynamics information

Strand: Energy and Waves

Big Idea: How and Why Energy Moves and Changes

Skill Descriptor: Analyze the relationships between work, power, kinetic, and potential energies associated with moving objects.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Analyze the relationship among force, distance, and work
  • Analyze the relationship among work, power, and time
  • Analyze the relationship between mass, velocity, and kinetic energy
  • Analyze the relationship between mass, acceleration due to gravity, height, and gravitational energy
  • Analyze the relationship between force constant, shape change in an elastic object, and elastic energy

Skill Descriptor: Analyze energy transformations.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Identify types of energies in various situations
  • Describe how energy is conserved as it transforms
  • Solve problems that relate work done to energy transformations

Skill Descriptor: Analyze how energy is transmitted as wave action.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Compare the production and characteristics of waves
  • Apply the universal wave equation to solve problems

Skill Descriptor: Analyze behaviours of waves.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Explain examples of wave behaviours in action, such as reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference

Strand: Integrated Skills/ STSE

Big Idea: Application and Practice

Skill Descriptor: Model safety practices.

Global Competencies: CL, CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Conduct individual or collaborative investigations safely by following a plan
  • Identify behaviours that will keep own self and others safe
  • Safely use tools

Skill Descriptor: Model sustainability practices.

Global Competencies: CL, CM, CTPS, ICE, SASM, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

  • Assess and communicate risk and ethical issues associated with investigation methods
  • Conduct science experiments/field investigations while following environmentally appropriate practices
  • Identify effects of the chosen solution and/or technology on people and the environment considering criteria
  • Explain why practical solution to a scientific or technological problem requires a compromise between competing priorities

Skill Descriptor: Apply technology and inquiry skills.

Global Competencies: CL, CM, CTPS, ICE, SASM, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

  • Create testable questions and hypotheses about relationships between variables
  • Identify major variable(s) to be controlled
  • Select and use appropriate tools and methods for collecting data
  • Construct models to make testable predictions
  • Analyze patterns and trends in data
  • Explain inconsistencies in data
  • Describe specific ways to improve the quality of data
  • Communicate scientific and technological ideas and information for different audiences
  • Use appropriate scientific and technological language, conventions, and representations

Skill Descriptor: Explore physics careers.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

  • Explore physics-based careers in Canada based on own interests
  • Share how skills and concepts learned in physics may be transferable to a career path
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