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 of upper secondary (G9: grade 11). Dynamics including kinematics is taught here, in at most half of the time; fields, oscillations and waves, and quantum physics already start here and continue in the qualification phase. Content beyond the basic level is compulsory at the higher level. The numbers are our own.
Unit MMechanics: dynamics including kinematics
Describing motion, force and inertia, friction, conservation of energy and momentum.
M.1Kinematics
Position, time, velocity and acceleration, uniform and uniformly accelerated motion, free fall and horizontal projection.
Free fall
A ball falls on Earth, the Moon or Mars and gets faster every second. In a vacuum even a feather keeps up.
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.
M.2Dynamics
Mass, force and acceleration, the principle of inertia, friction, conservation of energy and iterative prediction of real motion; circular motion can start here.
Adding and resolving forces
Two forces pull on one point. Use the parallelogram of forces to find the total force or to split a force into two.
Inclined plane
A block sits on a slope. At what angle does it start to slide? The weight is split into two parts to find out.
Conservation of energy (roller coaster)
A car rides a roller coaster: energy bars show how potential and kinetic energy turn into each other.
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?
M.3Momentum and its conservation
Momentum as a conserved quantity in collisions and interactions.
Elastic and inelastic collisions
Two gliders collide on an air track. Before and after are compared to see what stays the same.
Unit FElectric and magnetic fields
The field concept, bodies in static fields and changing electromagnetic fields.
F.1The field concept for describing interactions
Electric, magnetic and gravitational fields, charge and induced charge, field strength, field lines and equipotentials, Coulomb’s law and the law of gravitation, potential, the parallel-plate capacitor with capacitance, energy and charging and discharging, magnetic flux density.
Field lines of point charges
Two charges and the field rearranges itself. A test charge measures where the force is strongest.
Charging and discharging a capacitor
A capacitor charges through a resistor and discharges again. The graphs show how voltage and current change over time.
F.2Bodies in static fields
Charges in electric and magnetic fields, the Lorentz force and the Hall effect, circular motion with centripetal force, also in gravitational fields, measuring e/m, accelerators and mass spectrometers.
Lorentz force and fine-beam tube
Electrons fly along a glowing circular path in a magnetic field. From the radius you determine a property of the electron.
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?
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.
F.3Changing electromagnetic fields
Magnetic flux and the law of induction, inductance and self-induction, switching on and off, technical applications and LC circuits.
Electromagnetic induction
Magnet in, the needle swings. Magnet out, it swings the other way. Every generator works on the same principle.
Unit WMechanical and electromagnetic oscillations and waves
Oscillations, propagation and superposition of waves, and spectra.
W.1Mechanical and electromagnetic oscillations
Parameters, the equation of oscillation and the linear force law, damped and forced oscillations with resonance, energy comparison.
Simple pendulum
Pull a pendulum aside, let it go and measure how long one swing takes. What does it depend on? Also with large angles and damping.
Spring pendulum
A mass bounces up and down on a spring. Graphs show position, speed and energy during the oscillation.
Driven oscillation and resonance
A motor drives an oscillating wheel. If the motor hits exactly the right rhythm, the wheel swings especially strongly: resonance.
W.2Properties and propagation of waves
Wavelength, frequency and speed, Huygens’ principle, diffraction and refraction, transverse and longitudinal waves, the Doppler effect (qualitative) and polarisation.
Transverse and longitudinal waves
A wave travels through a chain of particles. Each particle only oscillates in place, across or along the direction of travel.
Doppler effect
An ambulance drives past and the siren sounds lower. The wave fronts show why. You can also listen to it.
W.3Superposition of waves
Superposition and interference at double slits, gratings and single slits, interferometers and standing waves.
Interference of two circular waves
Two circular waves overlap: in some places they reinforce each other, in others they cancel out.
Double slit and grating
Laser light passes through a double slit or a grating. A pattern of bright and dark stripes appears on the screen.
Standing waves
A wave is reflected at the end and a fixed pattern of nodes and antinodes appears, like on a guitar string.
W.4Spectra
Colours, the electromagnetic spectrum, emission and absorption spectra, discrete and continuous spectra.
Matching simulations are listed under Grade 12/13
Unit QQuantum physics and matter
Quantum objects and models of the atom.
Q.1Quantum objects
Basic aspects of quantum theory, the double slit with photons and electrons, the photoelectric effect, the de Broglie wavelength, the X-ray bremsstrahlung spectrum, Bragg reflection, the Compton effect and uncertainty.
Double slit and grating
Laser light passes through a double slit or a grating. A pattern of bright and dark stripes appears on the screen.
Q.2Models of the atom
The quantum model of the atom, orbitals and energy levels of hydrogen, line spectra, the potential well, characteristic X-rays and the Pauli principle.
Matching simulations are listed under Grade 12/13
The summaries describe the curriculum in our own words. The original text is authoritative. Original text (German): Fachanforderungen, Gymnasium, Physics, grade 11