Australia · ACARA Content Descriptions
Year 11 Physics
A comprehensive exploration of the fundamental laws governing motion, energy, and matter. Students develop mathematical modeling skills and experimental techniques to analyze complex physical systems from the subatomic to the macroscopic scale.
Kinematics and the Geometry of Motion
An investigation into how objects move in one and two dimensions using vectors and graphical analysis. Students model displacement, velocity, and acceleration to predict the future state of a system.
Defining the fundamental parameters of motion and using vector addition to resolve complex movement into components.
Analyzing objects moving under the influence of gravity and the independence of horizontal and vertical components.
Dynamics and the Drivers of Change
An analysis of forces and their role in changing the motion of objects. Students apply Newton's Laws to solve real world engineering challenges involving friction, tension, and gravity.
Examining the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration in both static and dynamic systems.
Investigating the transformation of energy within closed systems and the efficiency of mechanical work.
Studying the conservation of momentum and the relationship between force and time during impact events.
Thermodynamics and Kinetic Theory
Exploring the microscopic behavior of matter and how it manifests as heat, temperature, and pressure. Students model energy transfer in thermal systems.
Understanding the internal energy of substances and the energy required to change their thermal state.
Analyzing the energy transitions that occur during melting, boiling, and sublimation without a change in temperature.
Waves and the Propagation of Energy
A study of mechanical waves and their behavior across different media. Students investigate sound, light, and the mathematical properties of wave motion.
Examining reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference as fundamental characteristics of all waves.
Analyzing the properties of longitudinal waves and the physics of music and resonance.
Using geometric optics to predict the behavior of light in lenses and mirrors.
Electricity and Circuitry
Exploring the flow of charge and the laws governing electrical circuits. Students build and analyze complex series and parallel networks.
Defining the relationship between electrical potential, charge flow, and the opposition to that flow.
Investigating the conversion of electrical energy into other forms and the mechanisms used to protect circuits.
Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity
An introduction to the subatomic world, exploring the forces within the nucleus and the applications of ionizing radiation.
Investigating the composition of the nucleus and the stability of different atomic configurations.
Analyzing alpha, beta, and gamma radiation and their interactions with matter.