SchoolWise
Physics I
Physics I Course Overview
Physics I is an intensive one-week program designed for motivated students preparing for Year 11 and 12 Physics. It offers a comprehensive and logically structured overview of the Mechanics component across NSW, ACT, and IB curricula, helping students understand how concepts connect more clearly.
This is not a refresher course—it's an advanced introduction to nearly all standard Mechanics content from senior Physics. It also complements related subjects like Engineering and can be followed by Physics II, which covers the remaining senior Physics topics.
Students receive a detailed course book with explanations, practice questions, and worksheets—an excellent reference throughout Years 11, 12, and beyond. We've invested heavily in this program and believe it will change how students view Physics—and Science more broadly.
⚛️ Years 10–12
📖 Course book included
👥 Small group tutorials
📝 Examinations
Prerequisites
To get the most out of this course, students should have:
Completed Year 10 or 11 Mathematics
Completed Year 10 Science or Year 11 Physics
Who Is This Course For?
This course is ideal for students preparing for senior Physics across all major curricula:
ACT Physics
ACT Engineering
HSC Physics
IB Physics SL
IB Physics HL
What You'll Learn
The course covers the complete Mechanics component of senior Physics, structured logically to build understanding:
1. Science, Modelling, and Conceptual Framework
- Epistemology
- Law, Theory, and Hypothesis
- Mathematics and Physics
- The Scientific Method
- Fundamental and Derived Units
- Uncertainties, Errors, and Error Propagation
- Analysing Data and Information
- Exponentials, Logarithms, and Linearisation
- Scientific Notation and Orders of Magnitude
- Scientific Modelling
2. Vectors and Scalars
- Coordinates and Planes
- Right Angled Triangles and Pythagoras Theorem
- Vectors, Scalars, and Representing the World
- Directed intervals, lengths, opposite and parallel vectors
- Adding vectors and multiplying a vector by a scalar
- Components and column vectors
- The dot product or scalar product
- Geometric problems
- Projections
- Applications to physical situations
3. Kinematics
- Displacement, Speed, and Velocity
- Acceleration
- Graphing position, velocity, and acceleration over time
- Kinematic (SUVAT) Equations
- Intro to Calculus and Deriving the SUVAT Equations
- Vertical Motion
- Motion in Two Dimensions
- Relative Motion and Frames of Reference
4. Dynamics
- Newton's First Law
- Newton's Second Law
- Newton's Third Law
- Forces, Friction, and Equilibrium
- Work
- Energy Changes
- Mechanical Energy and Power
- Conserved Quantities
- Conservation of Momentum
- Change in Momentum
- Momentum and Net Force
5. Projectile Motion
- Projectiles launched horizontally
- Projectiles launched obliquely
6. Circular Motion
- Angular Displacement and Angular Speed
- Centripetal Acceleration and Force
- Circular motion on banked tracks
- Work and Energy in Circular Motion
- Moving in a Vertical Circle
- Moment of Inertia
- Torque
- Newton's Three Laws of Angular and Rotational Motion
7. Classical Gravity
- Gravity and Newton's Law of Gravitation
- Satellite Motion
- Gravitational Potential Energy
- Kepler's Laws
8. Wave Mechanics
- Review of Trigonometry
- Mechanical Waves and Measuring Waves
- Simple Harmonic Motion
- Wave Interactions and Interference
- Oscillations and Damping
- Resonance and Q-Factors
- Sound as a Wave
- Sound Behaviour and Intensity
- Standing waves
- Light as a wave vs Light as a ray
- Reflection
- Refraction and Snell's Law
- Diffraction
- Polarisation
- Malus's Law
- The Doppler Effect
9. Imaging
- Converging and Diverging Mirrors
- Magnification
- Converging and Diverging Thin Lenses
- Imaging Aberrations
- Imaging Instrumentation
- Fibre Optics
- Attenuation and Dispersion
Questions?
We are always happy to answer any questions you may have. Please do not hesitate to reach out.