Physics Practicals for Edexcel PS and GCSE

Tips for Practical Exam Questions

• Independent Variable: The variable you change.
• Dependent Variable: The variable you measure as it changes.
• Control Variables: Variables kept constant to ensure accuracy.
• Equipment: Always specify the equipment used for each measurement.
• Accuracy: Discuss reducing errors, e.g., avoiding parallax error.
• Repeat Measurements: Take multiple readings to calculate a mean.
• Bullet Points: Recommended for clarity in exams.

Physics 1: Newton’s Second Law

• Experiment Setup:
  • Use a trolley on a track with masses attached.
  • Measure acceleration with light gates or a stop clock.
• Key Points:
  • Change force by removing masses, keep total mass constant.
  • Plot force against acceleration to confirm a proportional relationship.

Physics 2: Waves

• Ripple Tank:
  • Project wave images onto a screen, measure wavelength with a ruler.
  • Use a strobe light to make waves appear stationary.
  • Frequency changes affect wavelength but not wave speed unless water depth changes.
• Oscillator on a String:
  • Vary frequency to form a stationary wave.
  • Use string length and frequency to calculate wave speed.

Physics 3: Refraction

• Method:
  • Shine light into a glass block, measure angles of incidence and refraction.
  • Use a semicircular block to plot sin(i) vs. sin(r) for refractive index.

Physics 4: Infrared Absorption

• Leslie Cube:
  • Use different surface materials to measure emitted infrared.
• Additional Experiment:
  • Wrap boiling tubes with materials, measure temperature change.

Physics 5: Circuits

• Resistance of Wire:
  • Use constantan wire to study resistance vs. length.
  • Setup with crocodile clips, measure with ammeter and voltmeter.
  • Plot resistance against length, expect a proportional relationship.

Physics 6: Density

• Regular Objects:
  • Measure mass and dimensions, calculate volume and density.
• Irregular Objects:
  • Use displacement method to find volume, calculate density.

Physics 7: Properties of Water (SHC and SLH)

• Specific Heat Capacity (SHC):
  • Heat water, measure temperature change, calculate SHC.
• Specific Latent Heat (SLH):
  • Melt ice with electric heater, calculate energy input, derive SLH.

Physics 8: Springs

• Spring Constant:
  • Measure extension of a spring with added masses.
  • Plot force against extension to find spring constant, verify Hooke’s Law.

• Further Resources:
  • Refer to Mansbury Science channel for video demonstrations.