physics core practicals

edexcel practicals

relationship between force, mass and acceleration practical

1. prop up one end of ramp. Place a trolley on ramp. Set up light gates. Keep ramp height the same for the investigation.

2. Put card on the top of the trolley.

3. Weigh the mass of the trolley.

4. Put a mass on the end of the string.

5. Release trolley from top of ramp and write down speed from the dater logger as it passes through the light gate. Record the tie it takes for the trolley to go from one light to the other.

6. Put a mass on the trolley. Keep the masses on the end of the string the same. Repeat step 5.

7. Repeat step 5 with other masses.

   8. The steps above are for finding how MASS OF TROLLEY AFFECTS ACCERLERATION. If you want to find the effect of force on acceleration, keep the masses the same

   9. Do this by putting all masses on the trolley and with each repeat of the investigation, transfer mass to end of string.

Measuring the speed, frequency and wavelength of a wave in a solid practical

1.Set up a ripple tank with a dipper on one side. Put a ruler along the side of the tank above the water level.

2.Vary the voltage of the motor until you get waves with a wavelength about as half as long as the ripple tank.

3.Count how many waves are formed in 10 seconds

4.Look at the waves against the ruler. Use markings to estimate wavelength of wave. Use wavelength and frequency to calculate speed.

OR

5.Mark 2 points on the same edge of the ripple tank as ruler. Measure distance of points. Use stopwatch to find how long it takes a wave to go from one mark to the other. Use this information to calculate speed of wave.

Measuring the speed, frequency and wavelength of a wave in a solid.

1. Suspend a metal rod horizontally using clamp stands and rubber bands.

2. Hit one end of rod with a hammer. Hold a smartphone with a frequency app near rod and note down peak frequency.

3. Measure the length of the rod and write it down. The wavelength will be twice the length of the rod.

4. Use the frequency and wavelength to calculate the speed of sound in the rod.

Refraction practical

1. Place a piece of paper on the desk. Set up power supply, ray box and single slit so that you can shine a single ray of light across the paper on your desk.

2. Place a rectangular glass block on the paper. Draw around the block.

3. Shine a ray of light into block. Use small crosses to mark where the rays of light go.

4. Take the block off the paper. Use ruler to join the crosses to show path of light and extend lines so they meet the outline of the block. Join the points where the light entered and left the block to show where it travelled inside the block

5. Measure the angles of incidence and refraction.

6. Repeat step 2-5 with the ray entering the block at different angles.

7. Move the ray box so that the light ray reaches the interface at the right angles. Note what happens to the light as it enters and leaves the block.

investigating how the nature of a surface area affcts the amont of thermal energy radiated or abosrbed

1. Cover 4 or more boiling tubes in different coloured materials. Matt black, shiny black, matt white, shiny white.

2. Pour the same volume of hot water from a kettle into each tube.

3. Insert a bung with a thermometer into each tube. Measure the temperature of the water in each tube and start timer.

4. Record the temperature of water every 2 minuets for 20 minuets

5. results are shiny black retains most heat and matt white loses most heat.

Relationship between potential difference, current and resistance for a resistor practical

1. Set up circuit with an ammeter and a voltmeter in parallel with a resistor. Use a power pack that can provide different potential differences.

2. Set power pack to lowest voltage and swith on. Write down the readings on ammeter and voltmeter.

3. Repeat step 2 for five different voltage settings, up to max 6V

4. Plot the current against the potential difference on a graph and work out resistance.

densities of solids pratical

1.weigh the mass of the solid

2.stand a displacement can on the bench with its spout over a bowl. Fill it with water until the water just starts to come out of the spout.

3. Hold a measuring cylinder under the spout and carefully drop object into can. I object floats push down until all of it is under water.

4. Stand the measuring cylinder on the bench and read the volume of water you have collected.

densities of liquids practical

1.Put an empty beaker on a balance, and set the balance to zero.

2.Use a measuring cylinder to measure 50cm³ of a liquid and then pour it into the beaker. Write down the reading on the balance. This is the mass of 50 cm³ of the liquid.

determining the specific heat capacity

1. Put a boiling tube full of crushed ice into a heatproof beaker. Put a thermometer in the ice and note the temperature.

2. Put the the beaker onto a tripod and gauze. Pour hot water from a kettle into the beaker, and keep it warm using Bunsen burner

3. Measure the temperature of the ice every minute and record your results in a table. Stop taking readings three minutes after all the ice has melted.

4. Note the times at which the ice starts to melt and when it appears to be completely melted.

investigating the extension and work done when applying forces toa spring

1. Set up apparatus as shown in photo. The zero on the ruler should be level with the bottom of the unstretched spring.

2. Measure the length of spring with no weights hanging on it and write it down.

3. Hang a 1 newton weight on the spring. Record the extension of the spring.

4. Repeat step 3 until the found the extension of the spring with 10 different masses.

5. Repeat step 1-4 for a different spring.

6. Use your results to calculate the spring constant.