Physics

In this unit you will learn to describe motion precisely, the way physicists and engineers do. You will start with the language of kinematics: scalars and vectors, position, distance and displacement, speed and velocity, and acceleration, along with careful use of significant digits. You will read and build position-time, velocity-time and acceleration-time graphs, using slopes and areas to move between them, and you will derive the five equations of uniformly accelerated motion from a velocity-time graph. You will use them to solve one-dimensional problems, including stopping distances on winter roads and free fall, and you will plan and analyse your own motion inquiry with linearization and error analysis.

Then the unit moves into two dimensions: compass directions such as [N 30° E], vector scale diagrams, components, river-crossing and crosswind problems, and projectile motion for objects launched horizontally and at an angle (airtime, maximum height and range). Finally you will see how speedometers, radar, lidar, accelerometers and GPS use kinematics, and assess the social and environmental impact of technologies such as speed cameras, GPS tracking and truck speed limiters.

Remember from earlier grades: in Grade 9 you connected rate of change to slope, and in Grade 9 science you met speed and GPS trilateration; in Grade 10 math you learned trigonometry and solving quadratic equations. You will need a scientific calculator in degree mode. Every lesson has worked examples, diagrams, a hands-on activity, lots of practice and a short quiz. The Forces unit that follows explains why objects accelerate, and the Work, Energy and Power unit looks at motion through energy.

Curriculum: The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science (2008, revised), Physics, Grade 11, University Preparation (SPH3U), strand B. Kinematics: B1.1–B1.2 (technology, society and the environment), B2.1–B2.9 (developing skills of investigation and communication) and B3.1–B3.3 (understanding basic concepts). Scientific investigation skills and career exploration (strand A) are woven through the lessons.

Why does a puck stop, a skydiver stop speeding up, or a car need longer to stop on ice? This unit answers with dynamics: the study of how forces change motion. You will name the common forces and draw free-body diagrams, follow how Galileo and Newton replaced Aristotle's ideas with the idea of inertia, and use Newton's three laws to explain and calculate motion in one dimension. You will relate mass, gravitational field strength and weight (Fg = mg), measure and use coefficients of static and kinetic friction, analyse free fall, air resistance and terminal velocity, and solve problems with connected objects and pulleys. You will also plan your own forces inquiry, analyse technologies such as anti-lock brakes and roller coasters, and assess safety technologies such as crumple zones, airbags and winter tires.

This unit builds on the Kinematics unit (velocity, acceleration and the kinematics equations) and leads into Work, Energy and Power, and later into dynamics in two dimensions in SPH4U. Use g = 9.8 N/kg throughout.

In this unit you will learn how physicists keep track of energy. You will start with the forms of energy and the law of conservation of energy, then define work precisely (W = FΔd) and learn when a force does positive, negative or zero work. From work you will derive kinetic energy (Ek = ½mv²) and the work–energy theorem, and you will store energy as gravitational potential energy (Eg = mgh). You will use conservation of energy to predict speeds and heights for falling objects, pendulums, roller coasters and toboggans, first without friction and then with the thermal energy friction produces, and you will test conservation in your own ramp or pendulum investigation. Next come power (P = ΔE ÷ Δt), including an investigation that measures your own power on the stairs, and efficiency, with Sankey diagrams and the link between efficiency and thermal energy. You will compare the input energy, useful output and efficiency of hydroelectric, natural gas, nuclear, wind and solar generation and analyse how thermal stations can be made more efficient. The unit ends with E = mc², which joins conservation of mass and conservation of energy into one law.

Remember from earlier grades: in Grade 8 you calculated work and the efficiency of machines; in Grade 9 you calculated electrical power, energy in kilowatt-hours and efficiency, drew Sankey diagrams and compared Ontario's sources of electrical energy. This unit also uses Newton's laws and free-body diagrams from the Forces unit and the equations of motion from the Kinematics unit. Heat calculations (Q = mcΔT, latent heat), heating curves, fission, fusion and radioactivity are in the companion unit, Thermal and Nuclear Energy. You will need a scientific calculator; we use g = 9.8 N/kg. Every lesson has worked examples, a hands-on activity, lots of practice and a short quiz. These ideas continue in SPH4U (Grade 12 Physics), where work, energy and momentum are extended to two dimensions.

Curriculum: The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science (2008, revised), Physics, Grade 11, University Preparation (SPH3U), strand D. Energy and Society: D2.1 to D2.8, D3.1 to D3.5, and D1.1 and D1.2 as they apply to generating stations. The scientific investigation skills of strand A (A1.1, A1.4, A1.5, A1.6, A1.8, A1.10, A1.12, A1.13) and career exploration (A2.1, A2.2) are woven through the lessons. Expectations D2.9 to D2.11 and D3.6 to D3.12 are taught in Thermal and Nuclear Energy.

In this unit you will learn how energy moves as heat and what happens inside the nucleus of an atom. In the first half you will use the kinetic molecular theory to tell temperature, thermal energy and heat apart, explain conduction, convection and radiation, and calculate heat with Q = mcΔT (specific heat capacity) and Q = mL (latent heat). You will measure specific heat capacity by mixing, draw and analyse heating and cooling curves, and see how refrigerators and heat pumps, including ground-source (geothermal) heat pumps, move heat from cold to warm.

In the second half you will study isotopes (including hydrogen, deuterium and tritium), alpha, beta and gamma radiation and how to stay safe around them, half-life, and nuclear fission and fusion. You will follow the energy through a CANDU nuclear generating station using the laws of thermodynamics, and weigh the benefits and risks of nuclear, thermal and geothermal technologies, from medical isotopes to the long-term management of used nuclear fuel.

The sibling unit Work, Energy and Power covers work, kinetic and gravitational potential energy, conservation of energy, power, efficiency and E = mc². This unit prepares you for SPH4U and for thermochemistry in SCH4U.

In this unit you will learn how waves carry energy from place to place without carrying matter along with them. You will describe mechanical waves (transverse and longitudinal) using amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period, and use the universal wave equation v = fλ. You will investigate what happens when waves meet a boundary or overlap: reflection, transmission, interference, standing waves and beats. Then you will focus on sound: how it is produced and heard, why its speed depends on the medium and on temperature, how loudness is measured in decibels, how air columns and strings resonate, and why a passing siren changes pitch (the Doppler effect). Finally you will apply these ideas to musical instruments, concert halls, noise-cancelling headphones, wave-energy buoys, noise hazards, tsunami warning, and the echolocation of bats and whales.

Remember from earlier grades: in Grade 4 you learned that sound comes from vibrations and that pitch and loudness describe sounds. In Grade 10 (Light and Geometric Optics) you described light as a wave with a wavelength, frequency and amplitude and used v = fλ for light. This unit applies those ideas to mechanical waves, which need a medium. You will need a scientific calculator. Every lesson has worked examples, a safe hands-on activity, plenty of practice and a short quiz.

Curriculum: The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science (2008, revised), Physics, Grade 11, University Preparation (SPH3U), strand E. Waves and Sound: E1.1 and E1.2 (relating science to technology, society and the environment), E2.1 to E2.7 (developing skills of investigation and communication) and E3.1 to E3.6 (understanding basic concepts). Strand A expectations (scientific investigation skills and career exploration) are woven through the lessons. Related units in this course: Work, Energy and Power and Electricity and Magnetism.

In this unit you will go much deeper into electricity than in Grade 9, and connect it to magnetism. You will start with precise definitions of charge, current, potential difference, power and energy, and the difference between conventional current and electron flow. You will use Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's current and voltage laws to analyse series, parallel and mixed circuits, then design, build and test your own mixed DC circuits (real or simulated) and compare predictions with measurements.

Next you will map magnetic fields of permanent magnets and electromagnets, discover Oersted's principle, and use the right-hand rules (and left-hand rules for electron flow) to find the direction of fields and forces. The motor principle explains electric motors and speakers, and you will build and refine your own simple motor. Faraday's law and Lenz's law explain how generators make electricity, how transformers step voltage up and down, and why Ontario's grid sends electrical energy as high-voltage AC. You will learn the safety precautions for household circuits and high-voltage lines, analyse the social and economic impact of electromagnetic technologies such as MRI, maglev trains and red-light cameras, and evaluate the efficiency and environmental impact of electricity production.

Remember from Grade 9: circuit symbols, ammeters and voltmeters, Ohm's law, simple series and parallel circuits, power and kilowatt-hours, and Ontario's energy sources. This unit builds on all of them.

Safety first: investigations use only single AA or D cells, small magnets or free simulations. Never experiment with wall outlets, and keep strong magnets away from young children.

Curriculum expectations covered: F1.1, F1.2, F2.1 to F2.8 and F3.1 to F3.9 (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2008, SPH3U Strand F), with scientific investigation skills from Strand A woven in. Related SPH3U units: Waves and Sound and Work, Energy and Power.