Physics 11 Outline

Why Study Physics?

Physics is relevant to a wide range of human concerns and achievements. Technological change that stems from an understanding of physics is often accompanied by extensive social change, to which each of us must adapt. Just think of life without cell phones, the Internet, debit cards or Miley Cyrus. None of those inventions were around when I was in high school just a few years ago. Moreover, the concepts of physics have a profound effect on the way we think about our universe, our societies, and ourselves. Physics is also essential to academic studies and career training in the fields of science, technology, and medicine.

The senior secondary physics courses aim to bolster and develop, as part of general education, a scientific way of thinking about nature and a basic knowledge of scientific ideas. Oh, and my goal is to have some fun doing all this – without twerking. Welcome to physics class!

Topics Covered

Motion - description, analysis leading to prediction

• graphical methods and other mathy things
• vectors and scalars
• vector addition and subtraction via diagram and trig (right angles only)
• 1-D uniform motion
• 1-D accelerated motion
• 2-D projectile motion - vertical, horizontal and angle

TIME: Sep + Oct

Force - affect motion of objects

• contact forces - factors that affect magnitude and direction
• normal
• friction
• tension
• elastic
• “applied” forces
• gravity
• mass vs weight
• free-body diagrams including inclined planes
• Newton’s laws of motion
• balanced and unbalanced forces in systems (more than one object)
• elevator problems
• inclined plane problems
• angled forces

TIME: Nov + Dec

Energy - has different forms, is conserved, and has the ability to do work

• Conservation of Energy - review mech. kinetic and grav. potential
• elastic potential
• “heat”
• work-energy equivalence
• power and efficiency (mechanical and electrical)

simple machines

• lever
• ramp
• pulley
• screw
• wedge
• wheel and axle
• hydraulics
• mechanical advantage
• ideal vs real

Time: Jan + Feb

Electrical kinetic energy - DC circuits

• review Ohm’s law
• Kirchoff’s Laws
• conservation of energy
• conservation of charge
• terminal voltage vs EMF
• power distribution, household circuits/safety (how not to die)

TIME: Mar +Apr

Waves - transfer energy but not matter - focus on sound

• generation and propagation
• universal wave equation
• transverse
• longitudinal
• linear
• circular
• reflection
• refraction
• diffraction
• interference and superposition
• pitch
• volume
• speed
• resonance
• frequency
• harmonics
• fundamental
• beats

TIME: May

Assessment and Evaluation

Evaluation is based on:

• tests ( about 7 unit tests plus a final exam)
• problem assignments
• labs
• projects
• quizzes
• in class final exam

The Class Mark will be based on:

• 80% tests
• 20% lab work and a few quizzes (most quizzes, as well as problem assignments, will be formative (for practice) and not summative (for marks)).

The Final Mark will be based on:

• 80% Class Mark
• 20% Final Exam Mark

Students will be informed of their cumulative class mark throughout the year. For example, the mark they will be shown in the second term will not be a second term only mark, but will be their current overall class mark for the entire year.

Problem Solving is an important skill that will be further developed in Physics 11. Clear criteria for organizing solutions to problems will be provided, and it is expected that you will reference these criteria when submitting work for evaluation (labs, assignments, quizzes, and tests).

Lab Reports: Lab reports will sometimes require a formal write-up, and at other times labs will be an informal activity; but in either case, labs are an important and essential component of your learning in this course. Some labs will be done on the computer and handed in via Google Classroom.

Quizzes will be used mainly as a formative assessment. They will carry little or no weight in the overall grade, but are an invaluable opportunity for learning. They will guide your learning by revealing what you understand now, and what you will need to study in more detail. They will help guide my instruction as well. The most important assessments in this course will be the formative ones.

Regular Homework from worksheets is expected to be done for the next class, as it is essential that you practice the applications of newly learned concepts as soon as possible. There will be an opportunity each class to ask questions about the homework.

Problem Assignments will be given prior to the unit tests. These can be considered pretests, but will be evaluated. Like quizzes, they will carry little (or no) overall weight, but are yet another opportunity for formative assessment.

Tests will be based upon the course learning outcomes. There will be two or three major unit tests each term, and if you do a good job of assignments, quizzes and labs, you can expect to do well on tests.

Replacement Tests: There will be an opportunity for students to write replacement tests (or retests). If you choose to do a retest, that mark will be used, not the original mark (this means you could actually lose marks if you don’t prepare for the retest). Retest opportunities will only be offered to those students who have not missed any prior tests, and who have completed the problem sets. Retesting is a privilege and not a right. Please do not abuse it.

Additional help: I will be available during Focus Blocks and after school by appointment on most days in room 234.

Equipment: A scientific calculator is essential for this course, and should be brought to every class. (Graphing calculators are unnecessary but ok). Also paper, pencils, erasers and a ruler should be brought to each class.