SPH3U practice exam: Grade 11 Physics questions and exam rules

The daily Grade 11 Physics (SPH3U) paper has 8 original questions worth 25 to 35 marks. It is practice for kinematics, forces, work, energy and power, waves and DC circuits. Its momentum, light and photoelectric effect questions belong to SPH4U, and its particle physics and materials questions go beyond both courses, so skip those.

How the SPH3U exam counts in 2026-27

In Grade 11 science in Ontario, your final mark is now 65% classroom work, a 25% written exam, and 10% attendance and participation, with the exam written in your board's exam period. The prerequisite for SPH3U is Grade 10 academic science. These figures come from the Ministry of Education's September 2026 update to Growing Success.

What's on the SPH3U exam: the strands

• Kinematics: displacement, velocity and acceleration, and motion graphs.
• Forces: Newton's laws, friction and net force.
• Energy and society: work, energy, power and efficiency, and energy technologies.
• Waves and sound: wave properties, sound, resonance and interference.
• Electricity and magnetism: circuits, magnetic fields and electromagnetic induction.
• Scientific investigation skills and career exploration run through every unit.

SPH3U practice exam questions with answers

We wrote these for this page, one from each main strand. Use g = 9.8 m/s².

1. Kinematics. A cyclist speeds up steadily from 4.0 m/s to 10 m/s in 3.0 s. Find her acceleration and the distance covered. Answer: a = (10 − 4.0) ÷ 3.0 = 2.0 m/s². With steady acceleration, the average velocity is (4.0 + 10) ÷ 2 = 7.0 m/s, so d = 7.0 × 3.0 = 21 m. The kinematics (SUVAT) calculator checks these.

2. Forces. A 20 kg box is pushed across a floor with an 80 N horizontal force. The coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.25. Find its acceleration. Answer: friction = μmg = 0.25 × 20 × 9.8 = 49 N, so the net force is 80 − 49 = 31 N and a = 31 ÷ 20 = 1.55 m/s². Always find the net force first. Try a question from our Laws of Motion course, then press Mark.

3. Energy and power. A 50 kg student climbs stairs 3.0 m high in 4.0 s. How much work does she do against gravity, and what is her power? Answer: W = mgh = 50 × 9.8 × 3.0 = 1,470 J, and P = W ÷ t = 1,470 ÷ 4.0 ≈ 370 W. The Work and Power Calculator checks these.

4. Waves and sound. A tuning fork of 440 Hz is held over a tube closed at one end. Sound travels at 343 m/s. What is the shortest air column that resonates? Answer: λ = v ÷ f = 343 ÷ 440 = 0.780 m. A closed tube first resonates when its length is a quarter of a wavelength, so L = 0.780 ÷ 4 ≈ 0.195 m.

5. Circuits. A 4.0 Ω and a 12 Ω resistor are connected in parallel to a 9.0 V battery. Find the total resistance and the current from the battery. Answer: 1/R = 1/4.0 + 1/12 = 4/12, so R = 3.0 Ω and I = 9.0 ÷ 3.0 = 3.0 A. The parallel total is always less than the smallest resistor. Build it in the Circuit Builder.

Use the daily paper as a practice exam

1. Open today's SPH3U paper and work to the suggested time, 35 to 45 minutes.
2. Skip the momentum, light, photoelectric, particle and materials questions.
3. Write the equation, the numbers with units, and the answer with its unit.
4. Mark it and note which strand each lost mark belongs to.

Common SPH3U mistakes

• Using the applied force instead of the net force in F = ma.
• Forgetting friction acts against the motion.
• Adding parallel resistances directly.
• Using a half wavelength for a closed tube: its first resonance is a quarter wavelength.
• Leaving out units or significant figures.

Read next

Canada · Grade 11SCH3U Practice Exam: Grade 11 Chemistry Questions, AnswersAn SCH3U practice exam: free Grade 11 Chemistry questions on trends, bonding, yield, solutions and gases with answers, and how the 2026-27 exam counts.