Senior Physics – NSW
The current syllabus in NSW is different in content and sequence to the Australian Curriculum however there is overlap with the national curriculum.
These are example schedules to demonstrate the content of the meriSTEM online course and how it maps to your syllabus.
Year 11, Modules 1 & 2
| NSW Stage 6 Syllabus | meriSTEM Module | Sub-topic | Australian Curriculum Physics Science Understandings |
|---|---|---|---|
| (revision) | Science Skills | Revision sub-topics as needed | |
| Module 1: Kinematics | Mechanics | 1. Motion | ACSPH053, 54, 60, 63 |
| Module 2: Dynamics | Mechanics | 2. Forces , 3. Momentum, 4. Energy and work | ACSPH053, 54, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66 |
Year 11, Modules 3 & 4
| NSW Stage 6 Syllabus | NSW module sub-topic | meriSTEM Module | Sub-topic | Australian Curriculum Physics Science Understandings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Module 3: Waves and thermodynamics | Waves topics | Waves and Optics | 1. Introduction, 1.2 Wave properties 2. Wave behaviour (including sound waves) 3. Refraction 4. Light , 5. Optics | 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, |
| Thermodynamics | Thermal physics | 1. Temperature 2. Heat 3. Heat transport | 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 | |
| Module 4: Electricity and magnetism | Electrostatics | Electromagnetism | 1. Introduction to electromagnetism, 2. Electric fields, 3. Coulomb’s law | 102, 103, 104, 105 |
| Electric circuits | Electrical physics | All [1. What are circuits? 2. Charge and current 3. Energy in a circuit 4. Voltage and current 5. Power 6. Resistance and Ohm’s Law 7. Circuit analysis] | 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 | |
| Magnetism | Electromagnetism | 4. Magnetism, 5. Magnetic fields | 106 |
Year 12, Modules 5 & 6
| NSW Stage 6 Syllabus | meriSTEM Module | Sub-topic | Australian Curriculum Physics Science Understandings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module 5: Advanced Mechanics | Gravity and Motion | All [1.Introduction, 2. Gravity in space and on earth, 3. Projectile motion, 3. Uniform Circular Motion, 4. Fields and energy, 5. Space old and new] | ACSPH087, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 100, 101, |
| Module 6: Electromagnetism | Electromagnetism | 6. Magnetic forces , 7. Induction (Applications of the motor affect) | ACSPH109, 110, 108,111 |
Year 12, Modules 7 & 8
| NSW Stage 6 Syllabus | NSW Sub-topic | meriSTEM Module | Sub-topic | Australian Curriculum Physics Science Understandings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Module 7: The Nature of Light | 1. Electromagnetic Spectrum | Electromagnetism | 8. EM waves | 112, 113 |
| Quantum Mechanics | 3. Atoms and spectra | 138, 139 | ||
| 2. Light: Wave Model | Waves and Optics | 3. Refraction, 5.Optics | 73, 75, 76 | |
| Quantum Mechanics | 1. Double Slit experiment | 135, 140 | ||
| 3. Light: Quantum Model | 2. Origins of quantum mechanics, 4. Quantum mechanics describes everything | 136, 137, 139, 140 | ||
| 4. Light and Special Relativity | Special Relativity | 4. The postulates of special relativity 5. Time dilation, 6. Relativity of simultaneity, 7. Length contraction, 8. Concluding remarks on postulates , 12. Relativistic momentum | 130, 131,132, 129, 133, 134 | |
| Module 8: From the Universe to the atom | 1. Origins of the elements | Cosmology | ||
| 2. Structure of the atom | Nuclear Physics | 1. Nuclear composition, 2. Nuclear stability, 3. Unstable nuclei and decay processes | 26, 27 | |
| 3. Quantum Mechanical nature of the atom | Quantum Mechanics | 3. Atoms and atomic spectra, 4.Quantum mechanics describes everything | 123, 135 – 140 | |
| 4. Properties of the nucleus | Nuclear Physics | 4. Nuclear halflives, 5. Nuclear energies and masses, 6. Nuclear reactions, 7. Nuclear power, 8. Binding energy, 9. Ionising radiation | 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 | |
| 5. Deep inside the atom | The Standard Model | 1. Introduction to sub-atomic particles, 2. Reactions, 3.Cosmology and the standard model | 141- 147 |