Uniform and accelerated motion (distance–time and velocity–time graphs)
A car drives at a steady speed or speeds up. The graphs for distance, speed and acceleration are drawn live.
Physics – grade 11
Introductory phase E1/E2 “Mechanics”. Topic areas E.1–E.3 are mandatory. The core curriculum only names course half-years; assigning them to grade 11 is an assumption (G9).
Unit E.1Motion and its description
Mandatory topic area. Investigating uniform and uniformly accelerated motion, representing it in t-s, t-v and t-a diagrams and describing it with equations of motion, e.g. free fall.
E.1.1Investigation of motion
Measuring motion and evaluating the data.
E.1.2t-s, t-v and t-a diagrams
Representing and interpreting motion in diagrams.
Uniform and accelerated motion (distance–time and velocity–time graphs)
A car drives at a steady speed or speeds up. The graphs for distance, speed and acceleration are drawn live.
E.1.3Uniform motion
Defining velocity and measuring it experimentally.
Uniform and accelerated motion (distance–time and velocity–time graphs)
A car drives at a steady speed or speeds up. The graphs for distance, speed and acceleration are drawn live.
E.1.4Uniformly accelerated motion without initial velocity and initial position
Acceleration, average vs. instantaneous velocity; free fall including determining g.
Uniform and accelerated motion (distance–time and velocity–time graphs)
A car drives at a steady speed or speeds up. The graphs for distance, speed and acceleration are drawn live.
Free fall
A ball falls on Earth, the Moon or Mars and gets faster every second. In a vacuum even a feather keeps up.
E.1.5Idealisation
Point mass and neglect of friction as model assumptions.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
E.1.6Time–position and time–velocity laws and their relationship
Deriving and linking the laws of motion from diagrams.
Uniform and accelerated motion (distance–time and velocity–time graphs)
A car drives at a steady speed or speeds up. The graphs for distance, speed and acceleration are drawn live.
Unit E.2Newton's laws and conservation laws
Mandatory topic area. Newton's three laws and conservation of energy and momentum, applied to elastic and inelastic collisions.
E.2.1Newton's three laws
Law of inertia, F = m·a, action–reaction principle and inertial frames.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
E.2.2Energy and conservation of energy
Kinetic and potential energy, conservation in frictionless closed systems.
Conservation of energy (roller coaster)
A car rides a roller coaster: energy bars show how potential and kinetic energy turn into each other.
E.2.3Momentum and conservation of momentum
Elastic and inelastic collisions, recoil and momentum as a conserved quantity.
Elastic and inelastic collisions
Two gliders collide on an air track. Before and after are compared to see what stays the same.
Unit E.3Horizontal projectile motion and circular motion
Mandatory topic area. Superposing motions (horizontal projectile) and describing uniform circular motion with linear and angular velocity and centripetal force.
E.3.1Reference frames, superposition principle
Representing horizontal projectile motion as a superposition of two motions.
Horizontal and oblique projectile motion
Which launch angle goes furthest? On Earth it is 45°, and on the Moon the same ball flies six times as far.
E.3.2Linear and angular velocity in circular motion
Defining and comparing both velocities.
Circular motion and centripetal force
A ball swings round on a string, a car drives through a bend. Which force keeps them on a circular path?
E.3.3Circular motion
Centripetal force as the cause, e.g. when cornering; fictitious forces.
Circular motion and centripetal force
A ball swings round on a string, a car drives through a bend. Which force keeps them on a circular path?
Unit E.4Further types of motion
Optional topic area. Oblique projectile motion, motion with friction and numerical simulation of motion.
E.4.1Oblique projectile motion
Describing trajectories for oblique launch.
Horizontal and oblique projectile motion
Which launch angle goes furthest? On Earth it is 45°, and on the Moon the same ball flies six times as far.
E.4.2Friction
Motion with friction; free fall with air resistance and terminal velocity.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
E.4.3Numerical simulation
Calculating motion step by step with difference quotients (e.g. spreadsheet).
No separate simulation is planned for this.
Unit E.5Gravitation
Optional topic area. Gravitational field and law of gravitation, planetary motion and Kepler's laws.
E.5.1Mass attraction
Gravitational field, law of gravitation and weight.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
E.5.2Planetary motion
Kepler's laws and the development of the astronomical world view.
Planetary orbits and Kepler’s laws
Too fast and the planet flies off, never to return. A little slower and it traces an ellipse around the Sun, exactly as Kepler's laws say.
Unit E.6Foundations of thermodynamics
Optional topic area. Internal energy, reversible and irreversible processes, laws of thermodynamics and entropy.
E.6.1Thermal energy as internal energy
Concept of internal energy and its historical background.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
E.6.2Reversible and irreversible processes
Distinguishing reversible and irreversible processes.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
E.6.3First and second law of thermodynamics
Conservation of energy and the direction of heat processes.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
E.6.4Entropy generation and efficiency
Entropy as a measure of the direction of natural processes; limits of efficiency.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
Unit E.7Rotational motion
Optional topic area. Torque, angular momentum as a conserved quantity and moment of inertia with applications.
E.7.1Torque
Effect of forces on rotatable bodies.
Law of the lever
How can a child lift an adult on a seesaw? With the longer arm. Wheelbarrows and bottle openers use the same trick.
E.7.2Angular momentum
Angular momentum as a conserved quantity; precession.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
E.7.3Moment of inertia
Applications such as a pirouette.
No separate simulation is planned for this.
The summaries describe the curriculum in our own words. The original text is authoritative. Original text (German): Kerncurriculum, Gymnasium, Physics, grade 11