Courses

Quebec · Secondary 5

Physics, Secondary 5

  • 553-504

Quebec’s Secondary 5 science course, from Kinematics to Geometric optics.

Learn thisPractice test
Units
4
Lessons
13
Skills
42
Provincial exam
None
Official curriculum
Progression des apprentissages au secondaire

Unit by unit

Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.

Unit 1 · 9 skills

Kinematics

Speed, velocity and reference frames

  • Constant speed, distance and time

    I can apply v = d/delta-t to relate constant speed, distance, and time, and choose a suitable reference frame.

    1.1

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  • Displacement, velocity and time

    I can apply delta-d = v x delta-t and distinguish displacement from distance travelled.

    1.2

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Acceleration

Free fall, inclined planes and projectiles

The official wording · 9 outcomes
1.1
Applies the mathematical relationship between constant speed, distance and time (v = d/
1.2
Applies the mathematical relationship between position with respect to the point of origin (displacement), velocity and time
1.3
Applies the mathematical relationship between acceleration, change in velocity and time (a =
1.4
Applies the mathematical relationship between acceleration, the distance travelled and the time
1.5
Determines the average velocity of an object
1.6
Determines the instantaneous velocity of an object
1.7
Determines the position, displacement, average velocity, instantaneous velocity or acceleration of a free-falling body
1.8
Determines the position, displacement, average velocity, instantaneous velocity or acceleration of a body on an inclined plane
1.9
Explains the motion of a projectile (combination of uniform rectilinear motion and uniformly accelerated rectilinear motion)

Key ideas

  1. For constant speed, v = d/delta-t.

  2. Acceleration a = delta-v/delta-t (change in velocity per unit time).

  3. Free fall is uniformly accelerated with a = g approx 9.8 m/s^2 downward.

  4. A reference frame fixes the origin and direction for the measurement.

  5. Units are m/s^2. A negative value means slowing (or accelerating in the negative direction).

Watch out for

  • 'Speed and velocity are identical' — velocity also carries direction.
  • 'Acceleration means going fast' — it means changing velocity.
  • 'Heavier objects fall faster' — ignoring air resistance, all fall at g.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 2 · 14 skills

Dynamics

Work, mass and weight

Gravitational and effective force

  • Effective force

    I can define and determine the effective force as the component parallel to the direction of travel.

    2.4

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  • Gravitational force on a slope

    I can determine the component of gravitational force parallel to a body's displacement, such as on an inclined plane.

    2.5

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Newton's laws of motion

Friction, constraints and force vectors

The official wording · 14 outcomes
2.1
Applies the mathematical relationship between work, effective force and distance travelled (W = F
2.2
Describes qualitatively the relationship between mass and weight
2.3
Applies the mathematical relationship between mass and weight (Fg = mg)
2.4
Defines effective force as the component of the applied force parallel to the direction of travel
2.5
Determines the component of gravitational force parallel to the displacement of a body
2.6
Describes qualitatively the law of inertia (Newton
2.7
Applies the mathematical relationship between the force acting on a body, mass and acceleration (F = ma)
2.8
Describes qualitatively the law of action-reaction (Newton
2.9
Explains a phenomenon or how a technical object works, using Newton
2.10
Explains the possible effects of a frictional force (slows down, stops or impedes the motion of a body)
2.11
Names the factors that can affect the force of friction in a given situation
2.12
Determines the value of the force of friction in a given situation (force of friction = applied force - net force)
2.13
Describes the constraints to which different technical objects are subject: tension, compression, torsion, deflection, shearing
2.14
Determines the magnitude and direction of the vector associated with the resultant force of a system of forces

Key ideas

  1. Work W = F x delta-d, where F is the force in the direction of motion.

  2. The effective force is the part of the applied force along the direction of motion.

  3. An object stays at rest or in uniform motion unless a net force acts on it.

  4. Friction opposes relative motion between surfaces.

  5. Work is measured in joules (J); no motion means no work.

Watch out for

  • 'Any applied force does work' — only the component along the displacement does.
  • 'The whole applied force moves the object' — only the parallel component does.
  • 'A moving object needs a constant force to keep moving' — with no friction it continues on its own.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 3 · 10 skills

Transformation of energy

Conservation of energy and efficiency

Potential and kinetic energy

Power

The official wording · 10 outcomes
3.1
Explains qualitatively the law of conservation of energy
3.2
Applies the law of conservation of energy in different contexts
3.3
Defines the energy efficiency of a device or system as the proportion of energy consumed that is transformed into effective work
3.4
Applies the mathematical relationship between potential energy, mass, gravitational acceleration and the distance travelled (Ep = mgh)
3.5
Applies the mathematical relationship between kinetic energy, mass and speed (Ek =
3.6
Applies the mathematical relationship between work and energy (W =
3.7
Analyzes quantitatively a transformation of mechanical energy in a given situation
3.8
Applies the mathematical relationship between elastic potential energy, the force constant and the change in length in a given situation
3.9
Applies the mathematical relationship between electrical energy consumed, the power of an electrical appliance and the amount of time it is in operation (E = P
3.10
Applies the mathematical relationship between power, work and time (P = W/

Key ideas

  1. Energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

  2. Ep = mgh: mass x gravitational field strength x height.

  3. E = P x delta-t: energy consumed equals power times time.

  4. Forms include chemical, thermal, mechanical, and radiant energy.

  5. Potential energy is stored energy due to position in a gravitational field.

Watch out for

  • 'Energy is used up' — it is transformed, not destroyed.
  • 'Potential energy depends on the path taken' — it depends only on height.
  • 'Power and energy are the same' — power is the rate of using energy.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 4 · 9 skills

Geometric optics

Reflection of light

Refraction of light

Lenses, mirrors and the eye

The official wording · 9 outcomes
4.1
Determines the angle of reflection of a light ray on the surface of a plane mirror
4.2
Distinguishes diffuse reflection from specular reflection in various situations
4.3
Explains qualitatively and quantitatively a phenomenon using the Law of Reflection
4.4
Defines the index of refraction of a medium as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in that medium (n = c/v)
4.5
Explains qualitatively and quantitatively a phenomenon using the Law of Refraction
4.6
Explains the phenomenon of total internal reflection (e.g. mirage, fibre optics)
4.7
Determines the focal point of concave and convex lenses
4.8
Explains the distinction between a real image and a virtual image
4.9
Applies the mathematical relationships that make it possible to determine the position, orientation and height of an object or its image in the case of mirrors or lenses

Key ideas

  1. Angle of reflection = angle of incidence, both measured from the normal.

  2. n = c/v: the ratio of light's speed in a vacuum to its speed in the medium.

  3. Convex (converging) lenses bring parallel rays to a focal point; concave (diverging) lenses spread them.

  4. The normal is the line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence.

  5. A larger index means light travels slower and bends more.

Watch out for

  • 'Angles are measured from the mirror surface' — they are measured from the normal.
  • 'Light speeds up in glass' — it slows down; that is why n is greater than 1.
  • 'Concave and convex lenses both converge light' — concave lenses diverge it.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Which course?

Quebec has 2 science courses for Secondary 5. Here they are side by side.

What a university, college or program asks for is theirs to say: check its admission page, and your school’s course guide.

The official curriculum

This page follows Quebec’s own curriculum for Physics, Secondary 5.

PhysicsProgression des apprentissages au secondaire · quebec.ca · Read August 7, 2026

Study it in MapleMind

MapleMind teaches Physics, Secondary 5 one skill at a time. Each skill gets a short lesson, practice as you go and a check worth up to three stars. It remembers where you stopped.

Mathematics, Secondary 3 in the MapleMind app on a tablet: its units, Unit 1 open, and the skills done so far with their starsMathematics, Secondary 3 in the MapleMind app on a phone: its units, Unit 1 open, and the skills done so far with their stars
Pictured: Mathematics, Secondary 3, another Quebec course, partway through Unit 1.

Practise it

Course Companion

Your year in one workbook

A fun way to keep Physics, Secondary 5 organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.

Pages
31
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Price
$4.99
See the Course Companion

Questions about Physics, Secondary 5

What is Physics, Secondary 5?

Quebec’s Secondary 5 science course: 4 units and 42 skills, from Kinematics to Geometric optics.

What units are in Physics, Secondary 5?

1. Kinematics, 2. Dynamics, 3. Transformation of energy and 4. Geometric optics.

Is there a provincial exam for Physics, Secondary 5?

No. Quebec gives no provincial exam for Physics, Secondary 5.

Can MapleMind help with Physics, Secondary 5?

Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Physics, Secondary 5, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.

Before this course

Get ready for Physics, Secondary 5

Practise every skill of Physics, Secondary 5 in MapleMind, free with daily limits.