Sri Lanka GCE Ordinary Level Science

This course covers a range of scientific concepts and principles across Biology, Chemistry and Physics. It aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the natural world and its processes. The syllabus content is structured around several competencies, each focusing on a key area of scientific inquiry.

1.0 Exploring Life and Life Processes:

• 1.1 Chemical Basis of Life: This topic introduces the major biomolecules essential for life, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Students learn about their composition, roles, and importance in biological systems. The significance of minerals, vitamins, and water is also explored.
• 1.2 Basic Unit of Life: This section delves into the concept of the cell as the fundamental unit of life. Students compare and contrast plant and animal cells, exploring their structures and the functions of various organelles. Cell growth and division, including mitosis and meiosis, are also covered.
• 1.3 Characteristics of Living Things: This topic examines the key characteristics that distinguish living organisms from non-living matter, such as cellular organization, nutrition, respiration, sensitivity, excretion, movement, reproduction, growth, and development.
• 1.4 The World of Life: This section introduces the principles of biological classification, including natural and artificial methods. Students learn about the major domains and kingdoms of life and practice using binomial nomenclature.
• 1.5 Continuity of Life - Reproduction: This topic explores the different types of reproduction, including sexual and asexual reproduction in plants and humans. Students learn about seed formation, fruit and seed dispersal, and the human menstrual cycle. Sexually transmitted diseases are also discussed.
• 1.6 Continuity of Life - Heredity: This section introduces the basic principles of heredity and genetic variation. Students learn about common hereditary characteristics and genetic disorders.

2.0 Investigating Matter and its Properties:

• 2.1 Structure of Matter: This topic explores the planetary model of the atom and electronic configuration. Students learn about the modern periodic table, isotopes, and trends in ionization energy and electronegativity.
• 2.2 Quantifying Matter: This section introduces the concept of the mole and its use in quantifying elements and compounds. Students learn about relative atomic mass, relative molecular mass, Avogadro's constant, and molar mass.
• 2.3 Chemical Bonding: This topic explores the different types of chemical bonds, including ionic and covalent bonds. Students learn how to draw Lewis structures for simple covalent compounds.
• 2.4 Chemical Reactions: This section covers various types of chemical reactions, including combination, dissociation, single displacement, and double displacement reactions. Students learn how to write balanced chemical equations and explore the reactions of metals with air, water, and dilute acids. The activity series of metals is also introduced.
• 2.5 Rate of Reaction: This topic examines the factors that influence the rate of chemical reactions, such as surface area, temperature, concentration/pressure, and catalysts.

3.0 Utilizing Energy and its Transformations:

• 3.1 Rectilinear Motion: This topic introduces the basic concepts of motion, including distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration. Students learn how to interpret displacement-time and velocity-time graphs.
• 3.2 Force and its Effects: This section explores Newton's laws of motion and the concept of momentum. Students learn how to apply these laws to solve problems related to force and motion.
• 3.3 Friction: This topic investigates the nature and uses of friction, including static friction, limiting friction, and dynamic friction. Students explore the factors that affect friction.
• 3.4 Resultant of Forces: This section introduces the concept of the resultant of forces and how to calculate the resultant of two collinear forces and two parallel forces.
• 3.5 Turning Effect of Force: This topic explores the concept of torque and the moment of a force. Students learn how to calculate the moment of a force and the moment of a couple.
• 3.6 Equilibrium of Forces: This section investigates the conditions for equilibrium under two and three forces, including parallel and non-parallel forces. Practical applications of equilibrium are also discussed.
• 3.7 Pressure and its Effects: This topic explores the principles of hydrostatics, including hydrostatic pressure, atmospheric pressure, and Archimedes' principle. Students learn about sinking, floating, and pressure transmission.
• 3.8 Work, Energy, and Power: This section introduces the concepts of mechanical energy, including kinetic energy and potential energy. The concept of power is also covered.
• 3.9 Current Electricity: This topic explores the fundamental principles and laws of current electricity, including electric current, potential difference, resistance, Ohm's law, and simple circuits.

4.0 Exploring Earth and Space:

• 4.1 Environmental Equilibrium: This topic investigates the organizational levels of the biosphere, including individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere. Population growth curves and factors affecting human population growth are also discussed.
• 4.2 Energy and Nutrient Flow: This section explores the flow of energy and nutrients through ecosystems, including food chains, food webs, and biogeochemical cycles, with a focus on the nitrogen cycle.
• 4.3 Pollution: This topic examines various types of pollution, their sources, and adverse effects on the environment and human health. Students learn about the importance of minimizing pollution.
• 4.4 Changing Life Style: This section explores the effects of changing lifestyles on the environment and human health, including urbanization, industrialization, commercialized agriculture, and increased use of materials and energy.
• 4.5 Environmental Management and Sustainable Development: This topic investigates ways to contribute to sustainable development, including poly-culture, biological pest control, organic fertilizers, reforestation, reducing footprints, waste management, and energy management.