Grade 11 & 12 Physics Course Content (Ontario Curriculum)
I teach the full Ontario university-preparation physics sequence — SPH3U (Grade 11) and SPH4U (Grade 12) — the two courses that keep the door open to engineering, physics, and computer science programs at Ontario universities. Each topic is taught with real problem-solving practice, not just formulas.
Grade 11 — SPH3U (Physics, University Preparation)
Kinematics
- Motion graphs: position-time, velocity-time, acceleration-time
- Uniformly accelerated motion and the kinematics equations
- Relative motion in one dimension
Forces (Dynamics)
- Newton's Three Laws of Motion and free-body diagrams
- Friction: static and kinetic
- Applying Newton's Laws to real systems (inclines, elevators)
Energy and Society
- Work, kinetic energy, and potential energy
- Conservation of mechanical energy
- Heat transfer, specific heat, and the laws of thermodynamics
Waves and Sound
- Properties of transverse and longitudinal waves
- Sound, the Doppler effect, and resonance
- Standing waves in strings and air columns
Electricity and Magnetism
- Static electricity, Coulomb's Law, and electric force
- Series and parallel circuits, Ohm's Law
- Basic magnetism and electromagnets
Grade 12 — SPH4U (Physics, University Preparation)
Dynamics
- Relative motion and vectors in two dimensions
- Projectile motion
- Newton's Laws in two dimensions (inclines, pulleys, connected objects)
- Uniform circular motion and centripetal force
- Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and orbital motion
Energy and Momentum
- Momentum and impulse
- Conservation of momentum: elastic and inelastic collisions
- Extended work-energy theorem, including springs
Electric, Gravitational, and Magnetic Fields
- Electric fields and field lines
- Gravitational fields and field strength
- Magnetic fields, the motor effect, and electromagnetic induction
The Wave Nature of Light
- Reflection and refraction, Snell's Law
- Interference and diffraction
- Polarization of light
Modern Physics
- The photoelectric effect and wave-particle duality
- Atomic models and energy levels
- Radioactive decay, half-life, and mass-energy equivalence
- Introduction to special relativity