Year 11 · Units 1 and 2
WACE Physics, Year 11 (Units 1 and 2)
Physics ATAR Units 1 and 2 split cleanly into mechanics (Unit 1) and waves-plus-electricity (Unit 2), and the two halves reward genuinely different strengths. Unit 1's motion, forces and momentum content is heavily mathematical and builds directly on Mathematics Methods' functions and later calculus — students taking both together tend to find the connections reinforcing. Unit 2's waves, nuclear physics and circuits content is more conceptual and model-based. A student who's strong in one half and weaker in the other isn't unusual; it's worth identifying which is which early rather than assuming a flat level of difficulty across the whole year.
Unit 1
Motion, forces, momentum and energy — the mathematically heaviest content in the course.
Measurement and uncertainty
Applying formal measurement uncertainty and data analysis techniques to experimental physics.
Scalars and vectors
Distinguishing scalar and vector quantities and performing vector addition and resolution.
Displacement, velocity and acceleration
Analysing linear motion using displacement, velocity and acceleration, including from graphs.
Equations of motion and free fall
Applying the equations of motion to constant-acceleration problems, including free fall.
Projectile motion
Analysing projectile motion by treating horizontal and vertical motion independently.
Where students get stuck: Forgetting that horizontal and vertical motion in a projectile are independent of each other. Students who try to solve a projectile problem with one combined equation, instead of separating the two directions first, consistently get stuck.
Newton's laws of motion
Applying Newton's three laws to explain and predict how objects move, at ATAR-course mathematical rigour.
Friction and inclined planes
Solving force problems involving friction, inclined planes and multiple connected objects.
Momentum and impulse
Applying momentum and impulse to collisions and other force-over-time situations.
Work, energy and power
Calculating work, energy and power, and applying the conservation of energy to mechanical systems.
Thermal energy and heat transfer
Applying thermal energy concepts and heat transfer calculations.
Unit 2
Waves, nuclear physics and electricity — more conceptual and model-based.
How waves work
Establishing the fundamental properties and behaviour common to all waves.
Reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference
Explaining wave behaviour through reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference.
Sound waves
Applying wave principles specifically to sound.
Light and the electromagnetic spectrum
Explaining light's properties and its place within the electromagnetic spectrum.
Isotopes and radioactivity
Explaining nuclear structure, isotopes and the basics of radioactivity.
Nuclear decay and half-life
Writing nuclear decay equations and applying the concept of half-life.
Fission and fusion
Explaining fission and fusion and the mass-energy relationship underlying them.
Electric charge, current and voltage
Establishing the fundamental relationships between electric charge, current and voltage.
Resistance and Ohm's law
Applying Ohm's law and calculating resistance in circuits.
Electric circuits and household electricity
Analysing electric circuits and applying power calculations to real household electricity contexts.
How it is assessed
- Unit 1 and Unit 2 are entirely school-assessed — there is no external exam in Year 11.
- A satisfactory result in both units is required to move on to Unit 3 and Unit 4 in Year 12.
- Reporting is against the WACE unit grade for each unit, not an ATAR score — the ATAR is calculated from Year 12 results only.
Common questions
- Has this syllabus changed recently?
- WACE senior secondary syllabuses are reviewed by SCSA on a rolling basis rather than all at once — there's no single blanket revision date the way there is for the P-10 curriculum. Check senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au for the current syllabus version of this specific course before relying on unit content for assessment planning.
- Does Physics require Mathematics Methods to be taken alongside it?
- It's not a formal prerequisite, but Unit 1 in particular assumes real comfort with algebra, graphing and rearranging formulas — the kind of fluency Methods builds. A student taking Physics without also taking an ATAR maths course tends to find the mathematical demands, not the physics concepts, the bigger obstacle.
- My child is strong in the Unit 1 mechanics but finding Unit 2 harder. Is that unusual?
- Not at all — the two units reward genuinely different strengths. Unit 1 is heavily mathematical and procedural; Unit 2's waves and nuclear content is more about building and reasoning from a correct mental model. Being strong in one and weaker in the other is common, not a sign of a broader problem.
Related year levels
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Start learning for freeWritten from the current WACE course syllabus. Requirements change — check SCSA for the official syllabus.