Physics

Course description

The Year 11 course develops students’ knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to the study of motion, how we describe it and what causes it. The course also examines energy in its different forms, and how we describe and measure electricity and magnetism and their interrelated effects.

The Year 12 course provides avenues for students to apply the concepts introduced in Year 11 and to motion in two dimensions, electromagnetism, the nature of light, and the atomic properties of matter.

What students learn

Year 11 course

The Year 11 course consists of four modules:

• Module 1 Kinematics
• Module 2 Dynamics
• Module 3 Waves and Thermodynamics
• Module 4 Electricity and Magnetism

Year 12 course

The Year 12 course consists of four modules:

• Module 5 Advanced Mechanics
• Module 6 Electromagnetism
• Module 7 The Nature of Light
• Module 8 From the Universe to the Atom

Course requirements

Students are provided with 15 hours of course time for depth studies in both Year 11 and Year 12. During this time students may undertake an investigation/activity that allows for the further development of one or more scientific concepts.

A depth study may be one investigation/activity or a series of investigations/activities. Depth studies may be included in one module or across several modules.

Practical investigations are an essential part of the Year 11 and Year 12 courses and must occupy a minimum of 35 hours of course time each year.