Sweden Compulsory School Physics Syllabus

Physics

Physics explores the world around us, from the smallest particles to the universe itself. It uses observations and experiments to discover fundamental principles, expressed mathematically in models and theories. The goal is for students to develop a scientific approach, understand physics' role in society (technology, medicine, sustainable development), and participate in public discourse on related ethical issues. Students learn scientific working methods: formulating questions, conducting experiments, processing data, and critically evaluating results. They also learn to analyze and solve problems using concepts and models, with and without mathematics, and to communicate using scientific language.

Years 1-3 (Science Studies)

Seasons of the year in nature: Earth, Sun, and Moon movements. Moon phases. Constellations and night sky. Seasonal changes and life cycles. Local plants and animals, categorization, and common species names. Simple food chains.

Body and health: Food, sleep, hygiene, exercise, and social relations. Body parts and their functions. Senses (light, sound, temperature, taste, smell).

Force and motion: Gravity and friction (swings, slides). Balance, center of gravity, and equilibrium (balancing, seesaws).

Materials and substances: Material properties and categorization (appearance, magnetism, conductivity, buoyancy). Historical use and development of materials. Everyday objects and recycling. Water in different forms and transitions (evaporation, boiling, condensation, melting, solidification). Air properties. Simple solutions and mixtures, and separation methods (evaporation, filtering).

Narratives about nature and science: Fiction, myths, and art. Historical scientific narratives and cultural explanations of nature.

Methods and ways of working: Simple field studies and observations. Simple scientific studies. Documentation using text, pictures, and digital tools.

Years 4-6

Physics in nature and society: Energy indestructibility and flows. Energy sources and environmental impact. Energy use in society. Simple meteorological phenomena and their causes (wind). Observing weather through measurements.

Physics and everyday life: Energy flow between objects with different temperatures. Influencing energy flow (clothing, thermos, insulation). Electrical circuits with batteries, connections, and everyday applications (torches). Magnet properties and uses. Forces and motion in everyday life (cycling). Sound production, transmission, and perception. Light distribution, light and shadow, size, and perception.

Physics and world views: Historical and contemporary discoveries in physics and their impact. Cultural descriptions and explanations of nature. Solar system planets and their motion. Day, night, months, years, and seasons. Man in space and satellite use. Measuring time (sundials to atomic clocks).

Physics, its methods and ways of working: Simple systematic studies (planning, execution, evaluation). Measurements and instruments (clocks, tape measures, scales). Documentation using tables, pictures, written reports, and digital tools. Interpreting information related to physics (articles, films).

Years 7-9

Physics in nature and society: Energy flows from sun through nature and society. Energy storage. Energy quality and its environmental impact. Electricity production, distribution, and use. Historical and current energy supply and use, and future possibilities and limitations. Weather phenomena and their causes. Physics in meteorology and weather forecasts. Models for Earth's radiation balance, greenhouse effect, and climate change. Particle radiation and electromagnetic radiation, their impact on organisms, and their use in technology (healthcare, information technology). Particle models for describing properties and phase transitions, pressure, volume, density, and temperature. Particle motion and distribution of matter. Current societal issues involving physics.

Physics and everyday life: Forces, motion, and changes in motion (traffic safety). Levers and gears in tools and devices. Sound production, transmission, recording, properties, and health impact. Light propagation, reflection, and refraction. Color perception. Relationship between voltage, current, resistance, and power in electrical circuits. Relationship between electricity and magnetism and its applications.

Physics and world views: Historical and contemporary discoveries and their influence on world views. Impact of discoveries on technology, environment, society, and living conditions. Current research areas (elementary particle physics, nanotechnology). Scientific theories about the universe's origins. Universe development, atom occurrence, star development. Universe structure (planets, solar systems, galaxies), their movements, and distances. Usefulness, limitations, validity, and variability of physics theories and models.

Physics, its methods and ways of working: Systematic studies and simulations in modeling. Formulating questions, planning, execution, and evaluation. Measurements, instruments, and their combination for measuring magnitudes (speed, pressure, power). Electrical sensors for measuring environmental properties. Relationship between physics studies and development of concepts, models, and theories. Documentation using tables, diagrams, pictures, written reports, and digital tools. Critical examination of information and arguments from different sources and social discussions.