Getting your head around dense scientific terminology requires focused, individual guidance. Working with a Year 11 Physics tutor in Sydney who knows the syllabus well means those gaps get caught early, before they cost marks.
Year 11 Physics continues where Year 10 left off, with a much deeper expectation around formulas. A new Physics 11–12 Syllabus (2025) starts with Year 11 in 2027, and across every topic, students are expected to understand what a formula is saying, and use it well.
What a formula is actually saying
The habit that costs the most marks is plug and play: finding a formula with the right letters, putting numbers in, and hoping. It works on easy questions and falls apart on anything harder.
A formula is a statement about how the world works. Reading it that way turns it from the first or last step of a problem into a tool for thinking.
Example: what v² = u² + 2as tells you about stopping a car
For a car braking to a stop, v = 0, so the stopping distance is s = u² ÷ 2a (using the size of the deceleration). The speed is squared. With the same braking, a car going twice as fast needs four times the distance to stop.
A student who sees that has understood the formula. A student who only substitutes numbers will get the answer to one question and miss the idea behind all of them.
Worked example: a car travelling at 20 m/s brakes to a stop over 40 m. What is its deceleration, and how long does it take?
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| List what you know | u = 20 m/s, v = 0, s = 40 m. Unknown: a, then t |
| Choose the formula that links them | v² = u² + 2as, because it has no t in it |
| Rearrange before substituting | a = (v² − u²) ÷ 2s |
| Substitute, with units | a = (0 − 400) ÷ 80 = −5 m/s² |
| Use the answer as a new tool | v = u + at gives 0 = 20 − 5t, so t = 4 s |
| Sense check | A deceleration of 5 m/s² over 4 seconds is believable for firm braking |
How we build formula understanding in an online session
Every student starts with a free 30-minute intro session, where the tutor learns how your child is feeling about school, the marks they’ve been getting and want to get, what they’re working towards, and the rhythm of their week.
Sessions run on Google Meet with a shared digital whiteboard. For every formula, the tutor and your child work out what each term means, what happens if one changes, and only then use it to solve a problem.
How to set out a Physics problem for full marks
- List what’s known and what’s being asked, with units.
- Choose the formula that links them, and say why.
- Rearrange the formula before putting numbers in.
- Convert units first: metres, kilograms, seconds.
- Give the answer with units and the right sign.
- Sense check: is that a believable size?