Year 11 Physics

Students will differentiate between vector and scalar quantities and calculate resultant forces using graphical and trigonometric methods.

Students define and differentiate between distance, displacement, speed, and velocity, applying these concepts to solve motion problems.

Students define acceleration and apply the SUVAT equations to solve problems involving constant acceleration in one dimension.

Students explore Newton's First Law, understanding inertia and applying it to situations of balanced forces and constant velocity.

Students apply Newton's Second Law to calculate acceleration, force, and mass in various scenarios, including friction and air resistance.

Students investigate action-reaction pairs and their implications in various physical interactions, distinguishing them from balanced forces.

Students define momentum and impulse, calculating changes in momentum and relating them to force and time.

Students apply the principle of conservation of momentum to analyze elastic and inelastic collisions and explosions.

Students define and calculate work done, energy transfer, and power, applying these concepts to mechanical systems.

Students calculate gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy, applying the principle of conservation of energy to mechanical systems.

Students apply the principle of conservation of energy to various systems, identifying different forms of energy and their transformations.

Students investigate Hooke's Law, calculating spring constants and elastic potential energy stored in stretched or compressed materials.

Students distinguish between transverse and longitudinal waves, identifying their characteristics and examples.

Students apply the wave equation to calculate wave speed, frequency, and wavelength for various types of waves.

Students define and measure amplitude, period, and phase, understanding their significance in wave phenomena.

Students investigate the phenomena of reflection and refraction, applying Snell's Law and understanding critical angle.

Students explore diffraction patterns and the principles of constructive and destructive interference for both light and sound waves.

Students investigate the nature of sound waves, including their generation, propagation, and characteristics like pitch and loudness.

Students identify the different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum and their common properties.

Students investigate the generation, detection, and applications of radio waves and microwaves in communication and heating.

Students explore the properties and applications of infrared radiation and visible light, including thermal imaging and optical fibers.

Students examine the high-frequency end of the EM spectrum, focusing on their uses in medicine, security, and their associated hazards.

Students construct ray diagrams to locate images formed by plane, concave, and convex mirrors, determining their characteristics.

Students construct ray diagrams to locate images formed by converging and diverging lenses, determining their characteristics.

Students define electric charge and current, understanding the concept of conventional current flow.

Students define voltage as energy transferred per unit charge and measure it across components in a circuit.

Students define resistance, understand factors affecting it, and identify different types of resistors.

Students apply Ohm's Law to calculate unknown values and investigate the I-V characteristics of ohmic and non-ohmic components.

Students analyze the properties of series circuits, calculating total resistance, current, and voltage distribution.

Students analyze the properties of parallel circuits, calculating total resistance, current, and voltage distribution.

Students calculate electrical power and energy transferred in circuits, relating them to current, voltage, and resistance.

Students differentiate between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) and understand the characteristics of mains electricity.

Students investigate common electrical hazards and the function of safety devices like fuses, circuit breakers, and Earth wires.

Students explore the generation of static electricity, the concept of electric fields, and their interactions.

Students investigate practical applications of static electricity, such as photocopiers and paint sprayers, and its associated hazards.

Students explore the properties of permanent magnets, mapping magnetic field lines and understanding magnetic poles.

Students investigate how electric currents produce magnetic fields, focusing on the factors affecting the strength of electromagnets and solenoids.

Students explore the diverse applications of electromagnets in devices such as relays, circuit breakers, and loudspeakers.

Students investigate the motor effect, applying Fleming's Left-Hand Rule to determine the direction of force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.

Students explore the working principles of a DC motor, including the role of the commutator and factors affecting its speed and torque.

Students investigate electromagnetic induction, understanding how a changing magnetic field induces an electromotive force (EMF) and current.

Students explore the working principles of AC generators, understanding how mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.

Students describe the arrangement and motion of particles in solids, liquids, and gases, explaining state changes using the particle model.

Students define density and pressure, calculating them for solids and fluids, and exploring pressure variations with depth.

Students investigate the relationship between gas pressure, volume, and temperature using the kinetic theory of gases.

Students define internal energy as the sum of kinetic and potential energies of particles, relating it to temperature changes.

Students define and calculate specific heat capacity, applying it to problems involving temperature changes and energy transfer.

Students define and calculate latent heat, understanding the energy changes during melting, freezing, boiling, and condensation.

Students review the structure of the atom, including protons, neutrons, and electrons, and understand the concept of isotopes.

Students investigate the properties of alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, including their penetrating power and ionizing effects.

Students define half-life and apply it to calculate the age of samples in radioactive dating and to manage radioactive waste.

Students explore natural and artificial sources of radiation, and its beneficial uses in medicine, industry, and research.

Students investigate the process of nuclear fission, including chain reactions and its application in nuclear power generation.

Students explore nuclear fusion, the energy source of stars, and the challenges of harnessing it on Earth.

Students explore the components of our solar system, including planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, and their characteristics.

Students investigate the birth, life, and death of stars, from nebulae to white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes.

Students explore evidence for the Big Bang theory, including red-shift and cosmic microwave background radiation, and the concept of an expanding universe.

Students investigate the principles of orbital motion, gravitational forces, and the uses of artificial satellites.

Students explore the concepts of dark matter and dark energy and their implications for the structure and fate of the universe.