Physics 11
The full BC Physics 11 course — skills & vectors, kinematics, forces, Newton’s laws, energy & heat, waves, geometric optics, special relativity, and nuclear physics — taught with original figures and worked examples.
9
units
30
lessons
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Earned by answering questions unaided — never from reading a lesson.
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1Skills, Methods & the Nature of Physics0/4 lessons · Current
2Kinematics0/4 lessons · Not started
3Forces0/3 lessons · Not started
4Newton’s Laws of Motion0/4 lessons · Not started
5Energy0/4 lessons · Not started
6Wave Motion0/2 lessons · Not started
7Light & Geometric Optics0/4 lessons · Not started
8Special Relativity0/3 lessons · Not started
9Nuclear Fission & Fusion0/2 lessons · Not started
What is Physics 11 in British Columbia?
Short answer
Physics 11 is the BC senior-science course that introduces how the physical world works quantitatively. It covers measurement and vectors, kinematics, forces and Newton’s laws, energy, wave motion and geometric optics, and finishes with an introduction to special relativity and nuclear physics. It builds the modelling and problem-solving skills Physics 12 extends.
Course overview
Physics 11 teaches you to describe motion and forces with vectors, graphs, and equations, then to reason about energy as a conserved quantity. From there you study waves and light, and meet two modern topics — special relativity and nuclear fission and fusion. The throughline is building a physical model of a situation before reaching for a formula.
What you will learn
- Work with measurement, significant figures, and vectors
- Describe motion using kinematics equations and motion graphs
- Draw free-body diagrams and apply Newton’s laws
- Analyse energy transfer and conservation
- Explain wave motion and geometric optics
- Describe the core ideas of special relativity and nuclear reactions
Who this course is for
- • BC students taking Physics 11 who want conceptual understanding, not just plug-and-chug
- • Students planning to take Physics 12
- • Anyone who finds vectors, free-body diagrams, or kinematics graphs confusing
Commonly difficult topics
- • Vectors — adding components and keeping directions consistent
- • Kinematics — reading and connecting position, velocity, and acceleration graphs
- • Forces — building correct free-body diagrams before writing equations
- • Energy — choosing a system and tracking conservation
How Dr. Shreyank Educare teaches this course
01 · Diagnose
Find the exact skill causing difficulty — not the chapter, the skill.
02 · Understand
Learn it through explanations, worked examples and visual reasoning.
03 · Practice
Work problems that adapt to how you are actually doing.
04 · Fix
A wrong answer becomes targeted remediation for the misconception behind it.
05 · Prove
Solve new, unseen problems independently before mastery is awarded.
Course curriculum
1Skills, Methods & the Nature of Physics4 topics
- — What Physics Is & How We Do It
- — Measurement, SI Units & Uncertainty
- — Unit Conversion & Dimensional Analysis
- — Scalars & Vectors
2Kinematics4 topics
- — Speed & Velocity
- — Acceleration
- — The Equations of Uniform Acceleration
- — Free Fall & Projectiles
3Forces3 topics
- — Gravity & Universal Gravitation
- — Friction
- — Hooke’s Law & Springs
4Newton’s Laws of Motion4 topics
- — Inertia & the First Law
- — The Second Law (F = ma)
- — The Third Law
- — Momentum, Impulse & Conservation
5Energy4 topics
- — Work & Power
- — Mechanical Energy & Conservation
- — Temperature, Heat & Thermal Energy
- — Specific Heat & Efficiency
6Wave Motion2 topics
- — Wave Properties
- — Wave Phenomena
7Light & Geometric Optics4 topics
- — Reflection & Plane Mirrors
- — Curved Mirrors
- — Refraction & Snell’s Law
- — Lenses & the Human Eye
8Special Relativity3 topics
- — Frames of Reference & Postulates
- — Time Dilation & Length Contraction
- — Mass–Energy Equivalence
9Nuclear Fission & Fusion2 topics
- — Radioactivity, Isotopes & Half-Life
- — Fission, Fusion & Reactors
A sample learning experience
A cyclist starts from rest and accelerates uniformly at 2.0 m/s² for 4.0 s. How fast is the cyclist moving at the end?
- 1. List what you know: initial velocity u = 0, acceleration a = 2.0 m/s², time t = 4.0 s.
- 2. Choose the kinematics equation with these variables: v = u + at.
- 3. Substitute: v = 0 + (2.0 m/s²)(4.0 s).
- 4. v = 8.0 m/s.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Physics 11 hard?
- The math is manageable, but Physics 11 asks you to model a situation before calculating. Students who slow down to draw the diagram and identify the physics usually find it far more approachable than those who jump to formulas.
- What math do I need for Physics 11?
- Algebra, rearranging equations, basic trigonometry (for vector components), and careful unit work. It pairs naturally with Pre-Calculus 11.
- How is Physics 11 different from Physics 12?
- Physics 11 introduces motion, forces, energy, waves, and optics broadly. Physics 12 goes deeper into dynamics, momentum, circular motion, fields, and electricity, assuming Physics 11 problem-solving habits.
- Do I need Physics 11 before Physics 12?
- Yes — Physics 12 builds directly on the kinematics, forces, and energy foundation from Physics 11.
- What is the best way to study Physics 11?
- Practise translating a word problem into a labelled diagram and a short list of knowns and unknowns before touching a formula. Most lost marks come from setup, not arithmetic.
Related courses
Curriculum & sources
Content source: original lessons, worked examples and diagrams created for Dr. Shreyank Educare.
Curriculum alignment: Grade 11 Physics (BC curriculum).
- Aligned with BC Ministry of Education — Physics 11 curriculum
Curriculum-aligned learning support — not an official school, ministry, or College Board course, and not a replacement for official credit.
Last updated . Authored and maintained in-house by the Dr. Shreyank Educare teaching team — see our editorial standards, methodology and source policy.