Required Practicals

Possible methods and skills gained

The new practical programme

• 10 required pracs not assessed but may be on the exam (paper 3) 10 hours

• Other pracs used to develop skills and help understanding of concepts 30/10 hours

• Investigation, assessed 10 hours• Gp4 project not assessed

Required

Suggested

2.1 Motion

Methods Skills

Ball drop Use of interface

Card drop linearizing

Picket fence Graph plotting

Video analysis Use of video

simulations

3.1 Thermal concepts

Methods Skills

Method of mixtures (no need for graph)

Use of thermometer/sensor

Electrical method (kettle) Data handling and uncertainties

Lat ht of steam apparatus

3.2 Modelling a Gas

Method Skills

Boyles law (with syringe and P sensor) Use of sensors

Charles law (with thin tube) Graphing

Pressure law (with P law apparatus) Uncertainties

Adiabatic gas law apparatus simulations

4.1 Travelling Waves

Method Skills

Pipe and audacity Use of audacity

Traditional pipes and tuning fork Careful adjustment

Pipes and oscilloscope Use of oscilloscope

Two microphone method Use of interface

4.4 Wave behaviour

Method Skills

Glass block and ray lamp Use of spectrometer

Minimum deviation Analysis of digital photographs

Algodoo Use of algodoo

5.2 Heating effect of electric current

Method Skills

Using resistance meters to measure resistance

Use of meters

Nichrome wire (many gauges) soldering

Resistivity paper (strips)

5.3 Electric Cells

Method Skills

Standard E and r method with ammeter voltmeter and variable R

Use of meters and variable resistor

Investigating cells? Linearization and graphing

Discharge of cell

7.1 Discrete energy & radioactivity

Method SkillsBeer foam decay Using log graphs

Simulation linearization

Flipping coins Video analysis

9.3 Interference (AHL)

Method Skills

Traditional set up Use of optical bench

Double slits and laser Use of laser

Hair and laser

11.2 Power generation and transmission

Method Skills

Measuring input and output with interface or oscilloscope

Soldering

Use of interface

Use of oscilloscope

11.3 Capacitance

Method Skills

Any ideas?

Sample question 1

• The speed of sound in air, v, was measured at temperatures near 0°C. The graph shows the data and the line of best-fit. The error bars for temperature are too small to be shown.

Sample question 2

• A student uses an electronic timer in an attempt to estimate the acceleration of free fall g. She measures the time t taken for a small metal ball to fall through a height h of 0.50 m. The percentage uncertainty in the measurement of time is 0.3 % and the percentage uncertainty height is 0.6 %.

• Using h=1/2gt2 calculate the expected percentage uncertainty in the value of g

• State and explain how the student could obtain a more reliable value for g

Sample question 3

• In an experiment to measure the specific heat capacity of a metal, a piece of metal is placed inside a container of boiling water at 100 C °. The metal is then transferred into a calorimeter containing water at a temperature of 10 C °. The final equilibrium temperature of the water was measured. One source of error in this experiment is that a small mass of boiling water will be transferred to the calorimeter along with the metal.

• Suggest the effect of the error on the measured value of the specific heat capacity of the metal

• State one other source of error for this experiment.