Practicals you need to know
This page is intended to give an overview of the experiments you need to know. For further information about the theory behind the experiments, consult the relevant page of the site.
3.1 Motion
Techniques and procedures used to investigate the motion and collisions of objects. Apparatus may include trolleys, air-track gliders, ticker timers, light gates, data-loggers and video techniques.
Techniques and procedures used to determine the acceleration of free fall using trapdoor and electromagnet arrangement or light gates and timer PAG1, Determining g in the laboratory.
3.2 Forces in action
Techniques and procedures used to determine terminal velocity in fluids.
3.4 Materials
Techniques and procedures used to investigate force–extension characteristics for arrangements which may include springs, rubber bands, polythene strips.
Techniques and procedures used to determine the Young modulus for a metal PAG2
Module 4.2 Energy, power and resistance
Techniques and procedures used to investigate the electrical characteristics for a range of ohmic and non-ohmic components.
Techniques and procedures used to determine the resistivity of a metal.
4.3 Electrical circuits
(ii) techniques and procedures used to investigate potential divider circuits which may include a sensor such as a thermistor or an LDR
(ii) techniques and procedures used to determine the internal resistance of a chemical cell or other source of e.m.f.
4.4 Waves
Techniques and procedures used to use an oscilloscope to determine the frequency
Techniques and procedures used to demonstrate wave effects using a ripple tank
Techniques and procedures used to observe polarising effects using microwaves and light
Techniques and procedures used to investigate refraction and total internal reflection of light using ray boxes, including transparent rectangular and semi-circular blocks
(ii) techniques and procedures used for superposition experiments using sound, light and microwaves
(ii) techniques and procedures used to determine the wavelength of light using (1) a double-slit, and
(2) a diffraction grating.
(ii) techniques and procedures used to determine the speed of sound in air by formation of stationary waves in a resonance tube
4.5 Quantum Physics
Experiment to determining Planck's constant
Experiment to demonstrate photo electric effect
5.1 Thermal Physics
(ii) techniques and procedures used for an electrical method to determine the specific heat capacity of a metal block and a liquid
(ii) techniques and procedures used for an electrical method to determine the specific latent heat of a solid and a liquid.
(ii) techniques and procedures used to investigate PV = constant (Boyle’s law) and P/T = constant
5.2 Circular motion
techniques and procedures used to investigate circular motion using a whirling bung.
5.3 Oscillations
techniques and procedures used to determine the period/frequency of simple harmonic oscillations
6.1 Capacitors
techniques and procedures used to investigate capacitors in both series and parallel combinations using ammeters and voltmeters.
techniques and procedures to investigate the charge and the discharge of a capacitor using both meters and data-loggers
6.3 Electromagnetism
techniques and procedures used to determine the uniform magnetic flux density between the poles of a magnet using a current-carrying wire and digital balance
techniques and procedures used to investigate magnetic flux using search coils
techniques and procedures used to investigate transformers.
6.4 Radioactivity
techniques and procedures used to investigate the absorption of α-particles, β-particles and γ-rays by appropriate materials
techniques and procedures used to determine the half-life of an isotope such as protactinium