Grades 7-9 Module 3: Physics of Forces and Energy: Mechanics, Fluids, Light, and Electricity

About Course

Available from January 15, 2027:

Module 3 – Physics of Forces and Energy: Mechanics, Fluids, Light, and Electricity

How do forces change motion? How can the same principles explain a falling object, a floating ship, an electric circuit, a beam of light, and a sound wave?

In this five-week science module, students build a connected understanding of mechanics, energy, fluids, electricity, light, and sound. They apply Newton’s laws, vectors, work, kinetic and potential energy, pressure, buoyancy, and conservation principles to real situations. Through quantitative investigations, they measure friction, energy loss, heat transfer, current, voltage, resistance, electrical power, refraction, magnification, and the speed of sound.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for homeschool students in Grades 7-9.

No previous science course is required. Core explanations are accessible to younger students, while optional Going Further readings and research questions give older or more advanced learners additional depth.

How the course works

The module contains 15 classes which can be taken at any pace; three classes per week yield a well paced five week course.

Each class includes:

a short instructor video;
a complete handout with structured reading-and-work lesson;
questions and journal activities;
a clear Words to Know glossary;
an optional Going Further reading;
opportunities to practise observation, measurement, explanation, and fair testing.

Most classes take approximately 45-55 minutes. Students complete hands-on experiments and investigation each week, using commonly accessible materials (no special science kits are required).

Founding Family pricing:

The discounted rate applies for registrations within 2 weeks of the enrolment opening date.

Certificates

Every student who completes the module receives a certificate of completion.

Students who complete this module together with any two additional Stream 1 science modules will also receive a certificate recognizing the completion of a full academic year of science study.

Course Content

Forces and Motion
Newton's three laws, mass distinguished from weight, and universal gravitation calculated for real masses. Forces treated as vectors, resolved into components and added to find a net force. Measuring force and motion directly, including static and kinetic friction, in a designed test.

Class 1

nergy and Its Conservation
Work, kinetic energy and its dependence on the square of speed, and gravitational and elastic potential energy. Conservation of mechanical energy used to find an unknown speed or height in a single line. Measuring the fraction of energy retained from release and return heights, and accounting for dissipation.

Fluids: Density, Pressure, and Buoyancy
Density, pressure as force per unit area, and pressure increasing with depth. Buoyancy as the weight of displaced fluid, the condition for floating, and convection as the engine behind many natural systems. Surface tension and cohesion, investigated experimentally.

Chemical and Electrical Energy
Chemical energy stored in bonds, combustion, and conversion between calories and joules. Current, voltage, and resistance; Ohm's law; series and parallel resistance; electrical power, the kilowatt-hour, and the cost of energy. Calorimetry and circuit measurement, producing quantitative results.

Light and Sound
Reflection, refraction, total internal reflection and fibre optics, lenses, and magnification. The electromagnetic spectrum related by wave speed, frequency, and wavelength, with visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, cellular and Wi-Fi signals, and natural cosmic radiation. Sound as a pressure wave, pitch and musical notes, loudness, the decibel as a ratio scale, and the speed of sound in various substances.

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