Canada · Ontario Curriculum Expectations
Grade 12 Physics
An intensive exploration of the fundamental laws governing the universe from the motion of planets to the behavior of subatomic particles. This course emphasizes mathematical modeling, experimental validation, and the transition from classical to modern physical theories.
01Dynamics and Kinematics in Three Dimensions
Extending classical mechanics to complex systems involving projectile motion, circular motion, and universal gravitation.
Students will differentiate between scalar and vector quantities and apply vector addition/subtraction in three dimensions.
Students will practice resolving vectors into components and performing vector operations algebraically and graphically.
Students will analyze the motion of objects launched horizontally, considering horizontal and vertical independence.
Students will analyze the motion of objects launched at an angle, calculating range, height, and time of flight.
Students will investigate uniform circular motion, centripetal acceleration, and the forces involved.
Students will apply principles of circular motion to analyze banked curves and situations with changing speed.
Students will explore the inverse square law and calculate gravitational forces between objects.
Students will analyze the motion of satellites and planets, applying gravitational principles to orbital parameters.
Students will investigate gravitational fields, potential energy, and escape velocity.
Students will analyze the effects of friction and air resistance on motion, including terminal velocity.
Students will explore different frames of reference and analyze relative motion in two dimensions.
Students will explore simple harmonic motion, including pendulums and mass-spring systems.
02Energy, Momentum, and Collisions
An analysis of conservation laws and the transfer of energy and momentum in elastic and inelastic systems.
Students will explore the relationship between force and time during collisions and the concept of impulse.
Students will apply the law of conservation of momentum to analyze elastic and inelastic collisions in one dimension.
Students will apply the law of conservation of momentum to analyze elastic and inelastic collisions in two dimensions.
Students will define work done by a force and relate it to changes in kinetic energy.
Students will explore gravitational potential energy and apply the conservation of mechanical energy.
Students will explore elastic potential energy in springs and apply the conservation of mechanical energy.
Students will define power as the rate of doing work and analyze the efficiency of energy transformations.
Students will extend energy and momentum concepts to rotational motion, including conservation of angular momentum.
Students will analyze collisions where both linear and angular momentum are conserved.
Students will locate the center of mass for various objects and analyze its role in stability.
Students will interpret energy diagrams to understand stable and unstable equilibrium and potential wells.
Students will analyze situations where non-conservative forces like friction cause mechanical energy loss.
03Electric and Magnetic Fields
Investigating the properties of fields and the interaction between electricity and magnetism.
Students will investigate the nature of electric charge and calculate electrostatic forces between point charges.
Students will define electric fields, map field lines, and calculate field strength due to point charges and simple distributions.
Students will explore electric potential, potential difference, and the potential energy of charges in an electric field.
Students will investigate the function of capacitors, their capacitance, and the role of dielectric materials.
Students will define electric current, resistance, and apply Ohm's Law to simple circuits.
Students will analyze the characteristics of series and parallel circuits, calculating equivalent resistance, current, and voltage.
Students will explore the sources of magnetic fields, specifically from current-carrying wires and solenoids.
Students will investigate the forces exerted on moving charges and current-carrying wires in magnetic fields.
Students will investigate how changing magnetic flux induces an electromotive force (EMF) and current.
Students will apply Lenz's Law to determine the direction of induced currents and explore eddy currents.
Students will explore the nature of electromagnetic waves, their spectrum, and properties.
Students will analyze alternating current (AC) circuits and the operation of transformers.
04The Wave Nature of Light
Exploring the wave model of light through phenomena such as interference, diffraction, and polarization.
Students will review fundamental wave properties and the principle of superposition, leading to interference.
Students will investigate the evidence for the wave nature of light using Young's double-slit experiment.
Students will explore diffraction gratings and their application in spectroscopy, including concepts of resolution.
Students will analyze interference phenomena in thin films, such as soap bubbles and anti-reflective coatings.
Students will examine the polarization of light and its applications, including polarizing filters.
Students will investigate the bending of light as it passes between different media, applying Snell's Law.
Students will explore total internal reflection and its critical role in fiber optic communication.
Students will investigate the phenomenon of dispersion and how it leads to the formation of rainbows.
Students will use ray tracing to locate images formed by spherical mirrors and thin lenses.
Students will apply the mirror and lens equations to quantitatively determine image properties.
Students will explore the principles behind common optical instruments like telescopes and microscopes.
Students will differentiate between temperature and heat, and explore thermal expansion of materials.
Students will investigate conduction, convection, and radiation as modes of heat transfer.
Students will apply the first law of thermodynamics to relate heat, work, and internal energy changes in systems.
Students will explore the second law of thermodynamics, entropy, and its implications for natural processes.
Students will analyze the operation and efficiency of heat engines and refrigerators.
Students will define pressure in fluids and apply Pascal's principle to hydraulic systems.
Students will investigate buoyancy and apply Archimedes' principle to floating and submerged objects.
Students will describe fluid flow, differentiate between laminar and turbulent flow, and apply the continuity equation.
Students will apply Bernoulli's principle to analyze fluid dynamics in various applications, including aerodynamics.
Students will investigate viscosity and its effects on fluid flow and resistance.
Students will examine Einstein's postulates and their implications for space and time.
Students will investigate the relativistic effects of time dilation and length contraction.
Students will explore Einstein's famous equation and its implications for mass-energy conversion.
Students will investigate blackbody radiation and Planck's revolutionary idea of energy quantization.