Ontario Physics Curriculum

1. Grade 12 Physics Curriculum

2. Grade 11 Physics Curriculum

3. Kinematics

3.1. analyse technologies that apply concepts related to kinematics, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact;

3.2. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, uniform and non-uniform linear motion, and solve related problems;

3.3. demonstrate an understanding of uniform and non-uniform linear motion, in one and two dimensions

4. Forces

4.1. analyse and propose improvements to technologies that apply concepts related to dynamics and Newton’s laws, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact;

4.2. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, net force, acceleration, and mass, and solve related problems;

4.3. demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between changes in velocity and unbalanced forces in one dimension

5. Energy and Society

5.1. D1. analyse technologies that apply principles of and concepts related to energy transformations, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact; D2. investigate energy transformations and the law of conservation of energy, and solve related problems; D3. demonstrate an understanding of work, efficiency, power, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, nuclear energy, and thermal energy and its transfer (heat).

6. Waves and Sound

6.1. E1. analyse how mechanical waves and sound affect technology, structures, society, and the environment, and assess ways of reducing their negative effects; E2. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, the properties of mechanical waves and sound, and solve related problems; E3. demonstrate an understanding of the properties of mechanical waves and sound and of the principles underlying their production, transmission, interaction, and reception.

7. Electricity and Magnetism

7.1. F1. analyse the social, economic, and environmental impact of electrical energy production and technologies related to electromagnetism, and propose ways to improve the sustainability of electrical energy production; F2. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, magnetic fields and electric circuits, and solve related problems; F3. demonstrate an understanding of the properties of magnetic fields, the principles of current and electron flow, and the operation of selected technologies that use these properties and principles to produce and transmit electrical energy.

8. Energy and Momentum

8.1. C1. analyse, and propose ways to improve, technologies or procedures that apply principles related to energy and momentum, and assess the social and environmental impact of these technologies or procedures; C2. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, through laboratory inquiry or computer simulation, the relationship between the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum, and solve related problems; C3. demonstrate an understanding of work, energy, momentum, and the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum, in one and two dimensions.

9. Gravitational, Electric and Magnetic Fields

9.1. D1. analyse the operation of technologies that use gravitational, electric, or magnetic fields, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact; D2. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields, and solve related problems; D3. demonstrate an understanding of the concepts, properties, principles, and laws related to gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields and their interactions with matter

10. The Characteristics of Electricity

10.1. investigate, through inquiry, various aspects of electricity, including the properties of static and current electricity, and the quantitative relationships between potential difference, current, and resistance in electrical circuits;

10.2. assess some of the costs and benefits associated with the production of electrical energy from renewable and non‑renewable sources, and analyse how electrical efficiencies and savings can be achieved, through both the design of technological devices and practices in the home

10.3. demonstrate an understanding of the principles of static and current electricity.

11. Earth and Space Science

11.1. assess some of the costs, hazards, and benefits of space exploration and the contributions of Canadians to space research and technology;

11.2. investigate the characteristics and properties of a variety of celestial objects visible from Earth in the night sky;

11.3. demonstrate an understanding of the major scientific theories about the structure, formation, and evolution of the universe and its components and of the evidence that supports these theories.

12. Grade 9 Physics Curriculum

13. Grade 10 Physics Curriculum

14. Light and Geometric Optics

14.1. evaluate the effectiveness of technological devices and procedures designed to make use of light, and assess their social benefits;

14.2. investigate, through inquiry, the properties of light, and predict its behaviour, particularly with respect to reflection in plane and curved mirrors and refraction in converging lenses

14.3. demonstrate an understanding of various characteristics and properties of light, particularly with respect to reflection in mirrors and reflection and refraction in lenses.

15. Dynamics

15.1. B1. analyse technological devices that apply the principles of the dynamics of motion, and assess the technologies’ social and environmental impact; B2. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, forces involved in uniform circular motion and motion in a plane, and solve related problems; B3. demonstrate an understanding of the forces involved in uniform circular motion and motion in a plane.

16. The Wave Nature of Light

16.1. E1. analyse technologies that use the wave nature of light, and assess their impact on society and the environment; E2. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, the properties of waves and light, and solve related problems; E3. demonstrate an understanding of the properties of waves and light in relation to diffraction, refraction, interference, and polarization.

17. Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity

17.1. F1. analyse, with reference to quantum mechanics and relativity, how the introduction of new conceptual models and theories can influence and/or change scientific thought and lead to the development of new technologies; F2. investigate special relativity and quantum mechanics, and solve related problems; F3. demonstrate an understanding of the evidence that supports the basic concepts of quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of special relativity