Physics
- Learning Area:
- Science
- Year(s):
- 2021 - 2022
- Technology Requirements:
- A laptop is essential for this course
- Entry Recommendations:
This subject is open entry. Students who have enjoyed physics topics in junior science and/or are planning to do physics in year 12 are strongly advised to take this subject.
- Course Outline:
Investigate implication of electricity and magnetism
Students will investigate both through experiments and research to allow them to gain an understanding of electricity and magnetism in everyday life.
Concepts will include:
Static Electricity: positive and negative charge, conductors and insulators, uniform and non-uniform charge distributions, earthing, electrical discharge in air, separation of charge by friction, charging by contact.
Direct Current Electricity: voltage, current, resistance, power, series circuits and simple parallel circuits, circuit diagrams,
Magnetism: magnetic field directions (bar magnets, the earth’s magnetic field, magnetic fields due to currents in straight wires and solenoids); electromagnets;
Wave behaviour for everyday life.
Students will investigate both through experiments and research to allow them to show understanding of light and sound.
Concepts will include
Waves: longitudinal waves, transverse waves, period, wavelength, frequency, amplitude, speed, diffraction around a barrier
Light: reflection at a plane surface, reflection and refraction at a straight boundary, dispersion of white light through a triangular prism, total internal reflection, speed of light in different media
There will be one NCEA internal assessment.
- Where Does It Lead:
This course would fit well alongside any other year 11 science. This could lead to completing study in senior Physics at Lincoln High School. Relevant careers could include Science, Engineering, Electrician, Research and Development, Geology, Meteorology. Students who are looking at careers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields are recommended to consider taking more than two semesters of science such as 11BIO, 11CHE, 11PHY, 11SCI, 11AHS, 11SCB, 11AMS or 11FSC. For NCEA Level 2 Speciality Sciences, a total of 8 Science credits are recommended with 4 credits of those being at least Merit level in the specialty subject area.
- For further information see:
- Mr Grieve
In Year 9 students start the first year of their two year junior programme. Year 9 consists of two semesters (half year-long) with a combination of compulsory courses and option courses chosen by the students.
In Year 9 students will take 12 semester (half-year) courses that include:
a) Compulsory Courses - 2 semesters of Health & PE, Mathematics, Science, and one Semester of English and Social Studies. (the reverse happens in Year 10, the second year of the junior programme).
b) Option Courses - Four semesters of option courses (note: students choose 5 option courses in Year 10, the second year of the junior programme).
Year 10 students study five compulsory courses (English, Mathematics, Health & Physical Education, Science and Social Sciences) and six semester (half year) options (see individual course details). You can choose to do one semester course from a subject area eg: Drama - Part 1 or take two semester courses from a subject area, which is equivalent to a whole year course eg: Drama Part - 1 and Drama - Part 2. Pathways for all course at all levels are summarised on the Course Planning Chart.
A few Year 10 semester two courses require you to complete semester one first, before doing semester two.
Students won't be gaining Level 1 NCEA in Year 11. There will be up to one internal NCEA assessment per semester course, giving students the opportunity to gain approximately 45 credits but not the 80 needed for Level 1 NCEA. Some assessments maybe at Level 2 NCEA. These internal assessments will expose students to the way different subject areas assess NCEA in preparation for Year 12 and the completion of Level 2 NCEA.
Year 12 students study six year-long courses (see individual course details and Course Planning Chart). There are no compulsory courses, however, English and Mathematics are strongly recommended.
Students have the option of studying five courses. In such cases, students will be placed in the Independent Learning Project (ILP001) course, in addition to their five courses, so that they can be mentored and have their progress monitored.
Year 13 students study five year-long courses (see individual course details and Course Planning Chart) and have an Independent Study (IST). A sixth course can be selected in place of IST. Students have the option of studying four courses. In such cases, students will be placed in the Independent Learning Project (ILP001) course, in addition to their four courses, so that they can be mentored and have their progress monitored.
For students that are intending to gain University Entrance it is strongly recommended that they select at least four University Entrance approved courses. Refer to individual course details to check if a course is a University Entrance approved subject
Year 13 (IST) is independent, unsupervised learning that can take place at school or at home. Students are responsible for managing their work during this time.