physics - required practicals

edexcel igcse

• 1.5 practical: investigate the motion of everyday objects such as toy cars or tennis balls.

• 1.22  practical: investigate how extension varies with applied force for helical springs, metal wires and rubber bands.

• 2.23P practical: investigate how insulating materials can be charged by friction

• 3.17 practical: investigate the refraction of light, using rectangular blocks, semi-circular blocks and triangular prisms

• 3.19 practical: investigate the refractive index of glass, using a glass block

• 3.25P practical: investigate the speed of sound in air

• 3.27P practical: investigate the frequency of a sound wave using an oscilloscope

• 4.9 practical: investigate thermal energy transfer by conduction, convection and radiation

• 5.4 practical: investigate density using direct measurements of mass and volume

• 5.11P practical: obtain a temperature–time graph to show the constant temperature during a change of state. [walkthrough]

• 5.14P practical: investigate the specific heat capacity of materials including water and some solids [walkthrough]

• 6.6 practical: investigate the magnetic field pattern for a permanent bar magnet and between two bar magnets

• 7.6 practical: investigate the penetration powers of different types of radiation using either radioactive sources or simulations.

aqa gcse

• Required practical activity 1 An investigation to determine the specific heat capacity of one or more materials. The investigation will involve linking the decrease of one energy store (or work done) to the increase in temperature and subsequent increase in thermal energy stored.

• Required practical activity 2 (physics only) investigate the effectiveness of different materials as thermal insulators and the factors that may affect the thermal insulation properties of a material.

• Required practical activity 3 Use circuit diagrams to set up and check appropriate circuits to investigate the factors affecting the resistance of electrical circuits. This should include

  • the length of a wire at constant temperature. [walkthrough]

  • combinations of resistors in series and parallel. [walkthrough]

• Required practical activity 4 use circuit diagrams to construct appropriate circuits to investigate the I–V characteristics of a variety of circuit elements, including a filament lamp, a diode and a resistor at constant temperature.

• Required practical activity 5 use appropriate apparatus to make and record the measurements needed to determine the densities of regular and irregular solid objects and liquids. Volume should be determined from the dimensions of regularly shaped objects, and by a displacement technique for irregularly shaped objects. Dimensions to be measured using appropriate apparatus such as a ruler, micrometer or Vernier callipers.

• Required practical activity 6 investigate the relationship between force and extension for a spring.

• Required practical activity 7 investigate the effect of varying the force on the acceleration of an object of constant mass, and the effect of varying the mass of an object on the acceleration produced by a constant force.

• Required practical activity 8 make observations to identify the suitability of apparatus to measure the frequency, wavelength and speed of waves in a ripple tank and waves in a solid and take appropriate measurements.

• Required practical activity 9 (physics only) investigate the reflection of light by different types of surface and the refraction of light by different substances.

• Required practical activity 10 investigate how the amount of infrared radiation absorbed or radiated by a surface depends on the nature of that surface.