Practical Booklet 2019

iGCSE Physics Practical Booklet 2019
List of contents
Practical number Description

100 Measuring length and volume
101 Measuring short time intervals
102 Number of oscillations
103 Oscillations of a simple pendulum
104 Density of a regularly shaped object
105 Density of an irregularly shaped object.
200 Using ticker tape
202 Average speed
204 Distance along ramp
206 Speed and acceleration
210 Measuring acceleration
212 Finding acceleration from a ticker tape
214 Acceleration due to gravity
216 Measuring g
218 Terminal velocity
220 F = ma
222 a = f divided my m
224 Momentum
226 Conservation of momentum
228 Total momentum
230 Vectors
240 Hooke’s Law
242 Hooke’s Law 2
250 Equilibrium 1 – Moments
252 Equilibrium 2 – Moments and Forces
260 Locating the CoG
282 Loop the loop track and marble
284 Newton’s Cradle
290 Energy Circus
300 Heat activities
310 Recording temperature
320 Conduction and convection
330 Radiation
340 Evaporation
350 Pressure (solid)
355 Pressure (liquid)
360 Pressure (gas)
380 Specific heat capacity of water
390 Latent heat of fusion of ice
395 Dry Ice
400 Sound activities
401 Sound and oscilloscope
410 Types of waves
450 Reflection
455 Multiple reflections
460 Light through a rectangular block
465 Refractive index of semi-circular glass block
467 Refractive index of glass block
470 Total internal reflection
475 Measuring critical angle
480 Convex lens
485 Focal length
490 Dispersion
500 Electrostatics
502 Van de Graaff generator
504 Charging by induction
510 Voltage
520 Resistance
530 Current
540 Resistor combinations
550 Resistance and length
560 Resistance and thickness
570 IV graphs
580 Simple circuit
585 Potential divider
590 Series and parallel circuits
595 Combined resistance
610 B lines around bar magnets
620 B and a current-carrying wire
630 Force on a current-carrying wire
650 Electric motor
660 Efficiency of a motor
670 Electromagnetic induction
700 LED and diode
730 Logic gates
770 LDR
780 Thermistor
900 Radioactivity activity 1 – pins
905 Radioactivity activity 2 - dice
NAME ______________________________________________________
Macleans College
2019 Physics Practical
100: Measuring length and volume
Learning Objective
Use a ruler and micrometer to find a length & volume
Gear: 60 glass slides, marbles, 15 micrometers
Instructions
1. As accurately as possible measure the length width and thickness of a single glass slide with your
ruler and record in the table below:
2. Repeat using 10 glass slides (to increase the thickness)
3. Repeat step 1 using a micrometer to measure the thickness and width only
length (mm) thickness (mm) width (mm) volume (mm3)

1 Glass slide (ruler)
10 Glass slides
1 Glass slide (micrometer)
Using a ruler: values should be written to the nearest mm

Using a micrometer: values should be written to the nearest 0.01mm
4. Calculate the volume of 1 slide using all three methods above and enter it into the last column
5. Which method is most accurate?
Further Analysis
6. Use the rules: rulers are accurate to ± 1mm and micrometers are accurate to ± 0.01mm to
calculate the maximum and minimum values for each measurement.
Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum

length length thickness thickness width width volume volume
(mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm3) (mm3)
1 Glass slide
(ruler)
10 Glass slides
1 Glass slide
(micrometer)
Extension work
7. As accurately as possible, measure the diameter of a single marble and then the
length of a multiple number of marbles (e.g. 5 in a row). Calculate the volume and
record your results in a table so you can show your data in an organized way.
8. Explain and sketch how you measured the diameter using a multiple number of marbles.
Homework
Explain how you could use a length of string to accurately measure the circumference of a boiling
tube.
NAME ______________________________________________________
101: Measuring short time intervals
Learning Objective
Use and describe the use of clocks and devices, both analogue and digital, for measuring an interval of time
Gear:
15 pendulums, stopwatches, clock (in room), meter rulers
Instructions
1. Measure the length of the pendulum (from the ‘fixed end’ to the middle of the ‘bob’).
2. Time for one oscillation. This is from middle to the extreme left (or right) to the other extreme
(right or left) then back to the middle (should be moving in the same direction).
3. You have just measured the period of oscillation, T.
4. Repeat for 200mm then again for 300mm
5. Complete the table:
One oscillation
Length (m) T1(s) T2(s) T3(s) Taverage(s)
0.200 m
0.400m
6. Repeat the above exercise using 10 (continuous) oscillations instead of one.
Suggestion: Do a countdown e.g 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 … 10 -start timing at 0 when the bob is at the middle.
7. Construct a similar table as above to record the data
Conclusion
8. Which value for T is most accurate? Explain why.
Extension work
9. Try different lengths for your pendulum.
10. Do you see a pattern relating the length of the pendulum with T?
11. What is the length of a pendulum if it has a period of oscillation of 0.5s?
Homework
12. Convert 200ms into seconds
13. If a computer monitor refreshes 50 times per second what is the time between each image?
14. How long is a blink of an eye?
15. What is human reaction time?
16. Explain the best way to measure short time intervals
NAME ______________________________________________________
102: Number of oscillations vs period of a pendulum
Gear: simple pendulum, retort stand, boss head, clamp, cork with slit, metre ruler, stopwatch
Aim: To record, plot data and extrapolate information from a graph
Instructions
1. Set up a pendulum with a length of about 30 cm.
2. Record the actual length. _______________________________
3. Hold the bob about 5cm from vertical. Release.
4. Start the timer when it passes the middle position ‘b’.
5. Stop the timer when it returns to the same point (and moving in the same direction). This is one
oscillation. Record this in the t-time column and n = 1.
6. Repeat for n =2 (the bob makes two oscillations)
7. Repeat for other numbers of oscillations as shown in this table…
N (number of oscillations) t- time (s)
1
2
3
5
8
11
14
On this graph plot t (vertical axis) against N (horizontal axis).

Draw a line of best fit (best guess)
7. How does the number of oscillations

compare with the time taken?
8. Is there a pattern?
9. Is there a formula you could write to relate N
and t?
10. Can you use the formula to determine how
many oscillations would occur if T = 20 s?
N
11. Use the formula to determine T for 30
oscillations (if possible)?
Extension
12. Copy this equation and determine the
variables that affect the period of
oscillation for a simple pendulum. Some
research may be required.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
time (seconds)
NAME ______________________________________________________
103: Oscillations of a Simple Pendulum
Learning Objective: Graphing and analysing data
Gear: simple pendulum, retort stand, boss head, clamp, cork with slit, metre ruler, stopwatch
In this investigation you are to record the period of oscillation of a simple pendulum for various lengths
Instructions
1. Read through these instructions before you
begin
8. Set up the gear shown.
9. Set the length of the pendulum to 0.60 m
10. Record 10 oscillations in your table.
11. Calculate T, the period of one oscillation.
12. Repeat for a length of 0.25m
13. Repeat the above using different lengths
(between 0.25 and 0.6 cm)
14. Record the data on the table as shown
Length of Time for 10 Period T (s)

pendulum (m) oscillations (s)
0.25
0.60
8. Draw a graph of ‘Period’ (for one oscillation) vertical axis against ‘length’ on the grid.
9. Complete the numbers on the x axis so that numbers start at 0.0 on the left and have gaps no more
than every 2 cm
10. Write ‘period (s)’ on the vertical axis
11. Number from 0.0 s (bottom number) every 0.1 seconds (2 squares) up to 1.6 s near the top
12. Plot the points accurately with a small cross ‘x’
13. Connect as many crosses as possible with a simple smooth curve (it is possible that only two or
three crosses actually touch your curve)
14. Extrapolate your curve to meet the edges of the grid
15. Write a suitable heading for the graph
NAME ______________________________________________________
Length (m)
16. Does your graph suggest that the time for an oscillation is proportional to the length?
17. What did you do to make your results as accurate as possible?
18. Research the type of relationship shown by your graph
NAME ______________________________________________________
104: Density of a regularly shaped object
Learning Objective
Describe an experiment to determine the density of a regularly shaped solid and use ρ= mass / volume
Gear: Regular shaped objects that can be measured by micrometer eg metal cubes, glass slides, blocks of
wood, plastic blocks, electronic balance, micrometers
Type of material density (g cm-3)

plastic 0.7-3.9
glass 2.40
aluminium 2.70
titanium 4.50
zinc 7.14
iron 7.85
brass 8.50
copper 8.93
lead 11.34
Instructions
1. Copy the table below
density Type of
Object length/mm width/mm thickness/mm mass/g volume /cm-3
/g cm-3 material
2. Choose an object
3. Measure its length, width and thickness with a micrometer or ruler.
4. Weigh the mass with electronic balance (in g)
5. Calculate the density.
6. Compare with the density of the items listed
7. Repeat for 5-7 other objects
Extension
8. Explain how you would determine the density of a hollow pipe
NAME ______________________________________________________
105: Density of an irregularly shaped object
Learning Objective
Apply the density formula (d = m / V) and describe the determination of the density of an irregularly
shaped solid by the method of displacement
Gear: electronic balance, 100 mL measuring cylinder, small items (eg fishing sinkers or stainless steel nuts
or bolts that fit into measuring cylinder), water, rags, beakers
Type of material density (g cm-3)

plastic 0.7-3.9
glass 2.40
aluminium 2.70
titanium 4.50
zinc 7.14
iron 7.85
brass 8.50
copper 8.93
lead 11.34
uranium 18.90
gold 19.32
tungsten 19.60
Instructions
1. Complete the table below ; choose 5-8 objects to measure
2. Weigh an object using an electronic balance (in g). This is its mass
3. Half fill a measuring cylinder with water and record the water level
4. Carefully lower the object into the measuring cylinder and record the new water level
5. Subtract the new volume from the original to determine the volume of the object (1mL = 1 g cm-3)
6. Calculate the density of the object. Use ρ= m/V
7. Clean up
volume 1 volume 2 volume of density Type of

Object mass/g
(mL) (mL) object (mL) /g cm-3 material
8. Describe the displacement method in 2-3 lines

NAME ______________________________________________________
200 Using ticker tape
Learning Objective
Using a ticker tape to analyse motion
Gear: 2 wires, ticker timer, ticker tape, power supply, glue or sticky tape
Instructions:
1. Set up a power supply and ticker timer (6V or 12V ac )
2. Collect 4 x 25cm lengths of ticker tape
3. Thread a tape through the gaps of the ticker timer; check that the hammer is able to
hit the tape; check the tape does not get twisted as it passes through the gaps
4. Turn on the power supply; if necessary adjust the wing nuts so the hammer moves
up and down freely.
5. Pull the tape through with a steady speed.
6. Turn off and tape this into your book and label it ‘(i) steady speed’
7. Repeat with the other tapes but show ;
(ii) changing speed (increasing then decreasing)
(iii) increasing speed with constant acceleration
(iv) increasing speed with changing acceleration
8. For each tape describe the pattern of your dots
Extension
9. Sketch a distance- time graph and a speed- time graph for each tape
10. Describe the motion of this ticker tape
start end
___________________________________________________________________________
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...........
___________________________________________________________________________
A B C D
NAME ____________________________________________________
202: Calculating average speed (Vave)
Gear: trolley, ramp, metre ruler, stopwatch
Aim To calculate average speed

1. Set up a ramp as shown (with a very gentle slope)
2. Release a trolley from rest
3. Observe the motion. trolley
4. v initial is the starting speed and v final is the speed at the end of the ramp
How does v initial compare with v final?
5. How does the average speed, v ave compare with v final?
6. There are two ways to calculate average speed;
either v ave = distance / time
or v ave = ( v initial + v final )/ 2
Which method would you use to calculate the average speed?
7. Construct a table with 6 columns to record your data.

8. The heading for the first column is ‘slope’
9. The heading for the next three columns are t1, t2 and t3
10. The heading for the last two columns are tave (average time) and speed
11. Ensure there are units in brackets with the headings
12. Record the distance that the trolley travels down the slope_____________
13. Release the trolley from the same position each time
14. Record the time and repeat twice more
15. Calculate the average time
16. Calculate the speed using distance / average time
17. Change the slope slightly and repeat steps 13. – 16.
Questions
1. Sketch a distance-time graph, a speed-time graph and an acceleration-time graph for one of the
slopes
2. A trolley is released from rest at the top end of a 1.8 m track. It has a final speed of 3.6 m/s at the
lower end of the track.
a. What was its speed at 0.9 m from the top end of the track?
b. What was the time of travel?
c. What assumption has been made to answer the above questions?
NAME ______________________________________________________
204 Distance along a ramp
Gear: 1.2 m length ramp, small block, trolley, stopwatch, 1m ruler
Instructions
1. Set the gear as shown in the diagram

2. It needs a very gentle slope so the trolley spends 2-3 seconds in reaching the end of the ramp
3. Place the trolley at the top of the ramp (e.g. place front end at the 20cm mark)
4. Time the trolley to travel 0.2 m down the ramp. (i.e. stop when the front end reaches 0.40 m)
5. Repeat step 4 but time the trolley to travel 0.5 m down the ramp.
6. Repeat step 4 for 0.7m, 0.9m 1.0 and 1.1m.
7. Complete the table below
Distance Time /s
travelled /
m
0.2
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.0
1.1
8. Number the time axis so your longest time is near the right hand edge of the graph
9. Ensure the intervals are sensible ( e.g. each square = 0.2 second)
10. Plot distance travelled (vertical axis) against time on the graph above- draw a small cross ‘x’
11. Draw a single smooth curve
12. Write a heading for the graph
13. What conclusion can you make regarding the motion of a trolley down a gentle slope?
EXTENSION
14. Sketch a speed-time graph for the trolley rolling down the slope?
NAME ______________________________________________________
206 Speed and acceleration
Learning Objective
To calculate speed and acceleration of a rolling marble
Gear: 1.2 m length ramp or grooved ruler, marble/ squash ball, stopwatch, (1 spirit level for the class)
Instructions
1. Construct a table for your data with four columns
2. Column 1 ‘ distance/m’; Column 2 ‘ time/s’; Column 3 ‘ v ave / m/s’; Column 4 ‘ a/ms-2’
3. Place the track flat on the ground
4. Gently roll the marble on the track so that it stops before reaching the end (practice required!)
5. Repeat the above and time it
6. Record the distance travelled and time taken in a table
7. Calculate the average speed using v = d/t
8. Calculate the acceleration (in this case deceleration) using a = 2 x distance / (time squared)
9. Repeat Steps 4-8 using a different ball
10. State 5 differences between speed and acceleration (some research may be required)
NAME ______________________________________________________
210: Measuring acceleration
Gear: trolley, 1.2 ramp, ticker timer, 12 V a.c. supply, 1m ticker-tape, sticky tape, scissors
Aim: To analyse acceleration using a ticker timer.
1) The diagram shows a length

of ticker-tape fixed to a
trolley. As the trolley rolls
down the ramp it pulls the
ticker tape.
2) The ticker timer produces
exactly 50 dots each second.
Therefore the time to make
10 spaces (between dots) is
0.2s
3) Set up the apparatus as in the diagram. Use 12V ac.

4) Switch on the ticker timer and adjust the wing nut if the hammer does
not work.
5) Attach the tape to the trolley and pass the free end through the ticker
timer.
6) Check that the tape will not get twisted nor caught while the trolley
moves down the slope
7) The trolley should now be at the top of the ramp
8) Release the trolley
9) Remove the tape and cut it into sections 10 dot-spaces long. Stick these
side by side in your book (as shown here-)
10) The length of each section of tape represents the average speed of the
trolley over 0.2 s
11) Choose a ‘slow’ section of tape and measure its length. Work out the average speed of the trolley
over that section using this equation:
average speed length of section (m)

=
(m/s) time (s)
12) Choose a ‘fast’ section of tape. Use the above equation again to work out the average speed over
this section.
13) Work out the time between your slow’ and ‘fast’ sections. It is 0.2 seconds for every section. So
the above example shows 0.8 seconds.
14) Calculate the acceleration of the trolley using this equation:
acceleration = ‘fast’ speed – ‘slow’ speed (m/s)

(m/s2) time between sections (s)
15) What is acceleration?

NAME ______________________________________________________
212: To determine acceleration from a ticker tape
Gear: trolley, 1.2 ramp, ticker timer, 12 V a.c. supply, 0.5 m ticker-tape, sticky tape
Aim To determine acceleration using a ticker timer.
1. Set up the gear as shown

2. Attach a length of tape to the trolley and support it at the top of the ramp
3. Pass the free end of the tape through the gaps of the ticker timer;
Check that the hammer is able to hit the tape and leave a clear mark
Check the tape does not get twisted as it passes through the gaps
4. Turn on the power supply; if necessary adjust the wing nuts so the hammer moves
up and down freely.
5. Release the trolley and catch it before it falls to the ground. Turn off the power
Analysis
6. Mark the first clearest dot (start) and label it 0.0s
7. Mark every 5th dot until end of the tape. Label each mark (0.1s, 0.2s…)
8. Use your ruler to measure the distance between each mark in metres
9. Copy and complete the table below (you may need to increase the
number of rows)
10. Enter time and distance values in your table
11. Calculate the average speed between marks and enter into the table
average speed = distance / 0.1 seconds
Graph
12. Plot average speed (vertical axis) against time (be neat, tidy, accurate)
Find your maximum average speeds and plot this near the top of the
vertical axis. Adjust so the interval between numbers are in multiples of
0.1, 0.2 or 0.5 .
Do the same for the time axis (horizontal). Start with 0.0 s at the left and
the longest t value at the right
13. Plot all of your values with a small cross ‘x’
NAME ______________________________________________________
14. Draw a straight line through as many points as possible (it doesn’t need to go
through all points)
15. Extend the straight line to meet both edges of the graph. This is called the line of
best fit
16. Determine its gradient (use rise over run and include units)
Time /s Distance travelled between

Average speed/ m s-1
marks/ m
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
NAME ______________________________________________________
17. Write a conclusion, make a description or interpretation of your work.

NAME ______________________________________________________
214: To determine the acceleration due to gravity
Gear: ticker timer, 12 V a.c. supply, 0.60 m ticker-tape (for each student), sticky tape, 50 g mass
Instructions
1. Set the gear as shown in the diagram (hold the ticker timer 0.6 m above the ground).
ticker timer tape
mass
2. Do a trial run to see if the tape runs smoothly through the ticker timer.
3. Only when the mass is at the highest position and the tape is not twisted and clear of the gaps then
turn on the ticker timer.
4. Then release the mass.
5. Repeat until each student has their own ticker tape to analyse
6. Mark the first clearest dot and label it 0.0s
7. Mark every 5th dot and label them 0.1s 0.2s 0.3s etc. (ignore rebounds or double marks)
8. Measure the distance, between each mark (in metre)
9. Calculate the average speed between marks : average speed = distance / 0.1 seconds
Time /s Distance travelled between

Average speed/ m s-1
marks/ m
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Graph
i. Plot average speed (vertical axis) against time (be neat, tidy, accurate)
ii. Draw a line of best fit (passes through maximum number of points with minimum spread)
iii. Determine its gradient (use rise over run and include units)
NAME ______________________________________________________
iv. How close is your gradient from 6 ms-2?

v. Research and write here, the real value for the acceleration due to gravity
vi. Give a reason why your value is not the same as the real value?
vii. Suggest a method to get a more accurate value for g?
NAME ______________________________________________________
216: Measuring g (the acceleration due to gravity)
Gear: steel ball bearing free fall adaptor and Pasco photo gate timer
Instructions
1. Read through these instructions before you begin
2. Set up a retort and clamp on a table to hold the free fall adapter
Release clamp
Height Pasco photo gate timer
Pressure sensor pad
3. Practice dropping the ball bearing from the clamp so it hits the sensor pad every time
4. When you are ready then turn on the timer (check it reads zero)
5. Release the ball
6. Record the time and the height
7. Repeat and average
8. Use your average time in the equation acceleration = 2 x height / (time squared)
9. Try three different heights
10. Make a conclusion
NAME ______________________________________________________
218: Terminal velocity
Aim: to investigate the relationship between surface area and terminal velocity
Theory: An object falling in a fluid develops frictional force that eventually balances its weight. At
this point it has reached terminal velocity.
Gear: 2 x 1 meter rulers, stopwatch, A4 paper, sticky tape
Instructions
2. Construct a table with 5 columns and 5-8 rows
3. Use a flat A4 sheet of paper
4. Measure 2.000 m height.
5. Drop the A4 sheet from that height and record the time to reach the ground
6. Repeat this once more and average the results
7. Record in your table
8. Fold the paper in half and repeat steps 5-7
9. Fold again and repeat steps 5-8
10. Continue until you are no longer able to fold the paper (or upto 7 folds)
11. In each trial release the sheet parallel to the ground (where possible).
12. Write a conclusion for this experiment.
13. Using the relationship s = ut + ½ at2 the time for any object to fall 2 m in a vacuum is 0.63s
What could be done to improve the accuracy of this experiment?
14. State three errors in this table of results
Size of paper time time time (ave)

full 2.62 2.79 2.7
half 1.27 1.41 1.31
quarter 1.11 1.18 1.16
eighth 0.66 0.85 0.77
sixteenth 0.71 0.65 0.67
NAME ______________________________________________________
220 : f=ma – Newton’s Second Law
Learning objective
Recall and use the relation between force, mass and acceleration (including the direction), F = ma
Animation
Equipment: Trolley, pulley, string, 20 g slotted mass set, stopwatch, sticky tape
Instructions
1. Set up the gear as shown below

2. Measure the height, h, of the 20g mass above the floor (in metres)
3. Time the mass to reach the floor (and pull the trolley from rest)
4. Use a=2h/t2 to work out the acceleration in ms-2
trolley
pulley
bench
mass
Mass (kg) Weight (N) height (m) Acceleration ms-2

0.02 0.2
0.04 0.4
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
10. In which direction is the weight acting?

11. In which direction is the trolley accelerating?
12. What causes this change in direction?
13. How many objects are accelerating while the mass is falling?
14. Plot a graph of weight (vertical axis) against acceleration

(i) check largest number of each quantity
(ii) round up to a sensible number (multiple of 1,2,5,10, 20…)
(iii) work out a scale that involves a sensible number (multiple of 1,2,5,10, 20…)
(iv) check that more than half the graph is used in both directions
(v) check that all of your data is plotted on the graph
OTHERWISE readjust the scale or maximum number on the axis
NAME ______________________________________________________
W
E
I
G
H
T
(N)
0
Acceleration (ms-2)
11. Does this graph show that acceleration is directly proportional to the weight of the falling mass?
12. Describe how the graph would appear if friction could be eliminated.
13. Calculate the gradient.
14. What would be the acceleration if 240g mass was used?
15. Explain how you arrived at your answer
NAME ______________________________________________________
222: acceleration= f/m
Learning objective
Recall and use the relation between force, mass and acceleration, F = ma
Equipment: Trolley, pulley, string, 20 g slotted masses, 5 x 50 g slotted masses, stopwatch,

electronic balance
Instructions
1. Set up the gear as shown in the diagram below
2. Measure the height, h, of the 20g mass above the floor (in metres)
3. Release the 20g mass so it falls and pulls the trolley across the table, from rest
4. Time the mass to reach the floor (catch the trolley + masses if needed)
5. Record t, in the table below (column 1)
trolley 50 g masses
pulley
bench 20 g mass
h, height
t, time (s) acceleration (ms-2) M= Total moving mass (kg) Weight (N) Weight/M
6. Use a=2h/t2 to work out the acceleration in ms-2 (column 2)

7. Calculate the total moving mass, M ( trolley, all slotted masses and the 20g masses)
8. Calculate W (weight of the falling mass) = mg (this value stays the same)
9. State the height, h …………… (use the same height for each trail)
10. Remove a 50g mass from the trolley and repeat steps 3-7
11. Continue until all 50g masses are removed from the trolley
12. Calculate Weight/ total moving mass (column 5)
13. Plot a graph of acceleration (vertical axis) against M, total moving mass
14. Draw a smooth curve to approximate your data points
NAME ______________________________________________________
Acceleration
(ms-2)
0.0
total moving mass (kg)
11. What can you conclude about the total moving mass and acceleration of the trolley?
12. How many of these statements are false?

force is inversely proportional to acceleration
mass is directly proportional to acceleration
force is directly proportional to mass
acceleration is inversely proportional to mass
force is directly proportional to acceleration
NAME ______________________________________________________
224: Momentum
Learning objective
To observe and calculate momentum
Equipment: trolley (magnetic), 1.2 m track, 4 x 250g masses for trolleys, 1 kg iron mass,
small blocks (to incline the track)
Instructions
1. Set up the track on a slight slope
2. Place 1 kg mass at the 1.0m section of the track (near the low end)
3. Send the trolley towards the mass so it gently collides with mass.
4. Record the distance that the mass moves backwards.

If the weight slides off the track then either decrease the slope or move the weight
further from the end of the track
5. Repeat and record the time for the trolley to travel 0.5m before collision.
6. Calculate the average speed of the trolley using v = 0.5m / time taken
7. Double the average speed to estimate the trolleys speed, v, immediately before
collision
8. Calculate the momentum using p = mass of trolley x speed of trolley
9. Compare the distance the iron mass moves backwards with the momentum.
10. Repeat 4-5 times with different speeds (slopes) or masses on the trolley
Mass of trolley Time taken Average speed Average momentum Distance moved
(+ extra mass) (s) of trolley of the trolley by iron mass (m)
(kg) (m/s) (kgm/s)
10. What conclusion can you state regarding the momentum of the trolley and the
distance moved by the mass?
11. State three variables that affect the distance moved by the iron mass.
12. Define “impulse”.
NAME ______________________________________________________
226: Conservation of Momentum
Learning objective
Recognise examples of conservation of momentum
Equipment: 2 trolleys (one must be spring loaded), 1.2 m tracks, 4 x 250g masses for trolleys
Instructions
1. Set up the track on a flat surface
2. Place a stationary trolley in the centre of the track
3. Send a second trolley towards the stationary trolley and observe the collision
4. Check that the collision is elastic (a spring is squashed during the interaction)
5. Compare the speeds immediately before with immediately after the collision
6. Record your observations (direction & either faster, slower or same speed)
Mass Velocity before Velocity after

Trolley 1 250g zero
Trolley 2 250g Steady v 
7. Repeat steps 2-5 above with extra mass on the stationary trolley
Trolley 1 500g zero
Trolley 1 750g zero
Trolley 1 1kg zero
10. Do you see a pattern here?
11. What do you think would happen if the opposite occurs?
12. Load the moving trolley with more mass than the stationary trolley
NAME ______________________________________________________

Trolley 1 500g zero
Trolley 2 250g Steady v
Trolley 1 750g zero

Trolley 1 1kg zero

Inelastic collisions
14. Alter the trolleys so that they stick together during the collision
Trolley 1 250g zero

Trolley 1 500g zero

Trolley 1 750g zero

Trolley 1 250g zero

Trolley 1 250g zero

16. How many of these statements are true in a trolley collision?

Mass is conserved
Momentum is conserved
Speed is conserved
Force is conserved
Energy is conserved
NAME ______________________________________________________
228: Total Momentum
Learning objective
To examine and calculate total momentum in a two a two trolley system: p total = pA + pB
: Total momentum = mass of trolley A x velocity of trolley A + mass of trolley B x velocity of
trolley B
Equipment: 2 trolleys (they must be able to stick together and have the same mass), 1.2 m
tracks, two stopwatches, 2 x 250g masses
Instructions
1. Set up the track on a flat surface
2. Place a stationary trolley in the centre of the track (trolley B)
3. Timer A records the time for trolley A to travel 0.5 m and collide with trolley B (col 2)
4. Timer B records the time for trolley A+B to travel 0.5 m after collision (column 6)
HINT: Place a marker e.g. pencil beside the track 0.5 m from trolley B
Mass of Time Speed of Total Mass Time Speed Total momentum

trolley A A (s) trolley A momentum of B of before collision
before trolley trolley
collision A+B A+B
250g 500g
500g 750g
250g 750g
5. Complete column 3 : Speed of trolley A using v = 0.5m / time A

6. Complete column 4 : mass of trolley A x speed of trolley A (trolley B can be ignored)
7. Complete column 7 : Speed of trolley A using v = 0.5m / time B

8. Complete column 8 : mass of trolley A +B x speed of trolley A+B
9. How does the total momentum before the collision compare with the total
momentum after collision?
NAME ______________________________________________________
2019 Physics Demonstration
230: Vectors
Aim: To examine vectors on an object on a slope
Equipment: trolley, fan cart, 1.2 m length track, large protractor, electronic balance
Instructions
1. Put a trolley on a sloped track. If it slides down and moves faster, then copy diagram A
2. If it slides down and moves with the same speed, then copy diagram B
3. If stays still, then copy diagram B
4. If it moves uphill with the same speed, then copy diagram C
5. If it moves uphill with increasing speed, then copy diagram D
Diagram A
Normal (reaction) force
Resultant force (net force)
Force due to gravity
Diagram B
Friction force
Diagram C
Air force
Diagram D
Air force
1. What measurements are required to determine the net force in A?

2. What measurements are required to determine the friction force in B?
3. What measurements are required to determine the air force in C?
4. What measurements are required to determine the air force in D?
NAME ______________________________________________________
240 Hooke’s law
Learning outcome
To determine the spring constant, k, from a practical method
Equipment: clamp, retort, spring, metre ruler, 50 g slotted masses
Instructions
1. Set up a retort stand with a clamp spring

2. Suspend one end of the spring to the clamp
3. Attach a 50 g base weight to the low end of the spring
4. Record the position of the base in a table as shown below
5. repeat step 4 with different weights and complete the table weight
6. Complete column 3 using Load = mass(kg) x 10
7. Complete column 4 : Ext = new position – original position
Mass (kg) Position (m) Load (N) Extension(m)

0.05 0.5
0.15
0.20
0.35
0.40
0.50
8. Plot a graph of extension (vertical axis) against load

9. Connect the data points with one straight line (use a ruler)
10. Does the line pass through the origin (0,0) ?
11. Is ‘Load’ proportional to the ‘extension’?
12. Predict the extension if a load of 2.5N was used.
13. Predict the load required to give an extension of 0.095m
14. Predict the mass required to give an extension of 0.115m
15. Explain Hooke’s Law (3.03 or 3.04)
EXTENSION
16. Determine the gradient of the line
17. Determine the reciprocal of your gradient
18. What does this value tell us?
19. What is meant by the term ‘limit of proportionality’?
NAME ______________________________________________________
Extension – load graph of a spring
extension
(m)
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

load (N)
NAME ______________________________________________________
242 Hooke’s Law 2
Aim: To compare one and two springs (in series)
Equipment: clamp, retort, 2x spring, metre ruler, 50 g slotted masses
Instructions
1. Set up a retort stand with a clamp springs

2. Suspend two springs (end to end) to the clamp
3. Attach a 50 g base weight to the lowest end of the springs
4. Record the position of the base in a table as shown below
5. repeat step 4 with different weights and complete the table weight
6. Complete column 3 using Load = mass(kg) x 10
7. Complete column 4 : Ext = new position – original position
Mass (kg) Position (m) Load (N) Extension(m)

0.05 0.5 0
0.15
0.20
0.35
0.40
0.50
8. Plot a graph of extension (vertical axis) against load

9. Connect the data points with one straight line (use a ruler)
10. Does the line pass through the origin (0,0) ?
11. Is ‘Load’ proportional to the ‘extension’?
12. Predict the extension if a load of 2.5N was used.
13. Predict the load required to give an extension of 0.095m
14. Predict the mass required to give an extension of 0.115m
15. State three differences between the elasticity of two springs compare with only one?
EXTENSION
16. Determine the gradient of the line
17. Determine the reciprocal of your gradient
18. What does this value tell us?
19. Compare this with only one spring
NAME ______________________________________________________
Extension – load graph of a spring
extension
(m)
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

load (N)
NAME ______________________________________________________
250 Equilibrium 1 - Moments
Aim: to use a balance to compare masses
Equipment: metre ruler, 50 g masses, pivot (thin card, two wooden blocks), electronic
balance, objects to weigh (eg keys, pencil case, metal cubes (large), wooden block to
support larger objects, blu-tak
Instructions
1. Balance the ruler on the pivot over the 0.500 m mark.
(if necessary add tape/blu-tack at one end to balance it)
2. Place the 50 g mass at the 0.300 m mark
3. Calculate the masses distance, d1 , from the pivot point
4. Place your object on the rule and slide it left or right until it balances
5. Record the position of your object (column 2)
6. Calculate the objects distance, d2 , from the pivot point (column 3)
7. Use the relationship m1d1 = m2d2 to determine the mass of the object (column 5)
8. Measure the objects mass with an electronic balance (column 6)
9. Repeat for 5 other items (eg pencil, scissors)
Position of pivot = ………………………………

Position of 50g mass = ………………………
Distance 50g mass from pivot = d1 = …………….
Moment of 50g mass = f x d = 0.05kg x 9.81 x d1 = …………... /kgm (column 4)
When balanced CW = ACW (clockwise moment = anticlockwise moment)
Therefore the objects moment about pivot = 50g mass moment about pivot (ignoring
direction)
Object Objects Objects Objects Objects mass Objects mass

position distance moment about (from τ/d) (electronic
(mm) from pivot pivot (kgm (kg) balance /kg)
(mm) CW)
NAME ______________________________________________________
Homework
Determine the mass of the objects for these situations (that are in equilibrium);
(a) 30 cm 20cm
(b) 30 cm 15cm
(c) 24 cm 20cm
(d) 28 cm 21cm
(e) 40 cm 25cm
Can you see a simple rule to help you solve these problems?
NAME ______________________________________________________
252 Equilibrium 2 - Moments
Learning objective
Perform and describe an experiment (involving vertical forces) to show that there is no net
moment on a body in equilibrium
Equipment: metre ruler, 50 g slotted masses, pivot (thin card, two wooden blocks)
Instructions

2. Balance the ruler on the pivot over the 50.0 cm mark (approx.)
(if necessary move the ruler until it balances or add tape at one end)
3. Place the 150 g mass at the 30.0 cm mark
4. Place the 100 g mass at the 60.0 cm mark
5. Place the 50 g mass on the ruler so they all balance
6. Record the results in a table as shown
Position of pivot = 50.0cm ACW = anti clockwise CW = clockwise
Position of Distance from pivot Moment about pivot Total

150g 100g 50g 150g 100g 50g 150g 100g 50g moment
30cm 60cm ? 10cm 10cm ? 3000 gcm 1000 gcm CW ? zero
ACW
7. Repeat for 4 other balanced situations (vary position and/or mass)

8. Draw a force diagram of one of your situations and show the calculation for the net
moments about the pivot point
NAME ______________________________________________________
EXTENSION
Build a balanced toy and take a photo of it
Solution for the first activity above
150 g x 20 cm ACW + 100g x 10cm CW + 50g x 40cm CW =

3000 gcm ACW + 1000 gcm CW + 2000 gcm CW = 0
NAME ______________________________________________________
260 Locating the Centre of gravity
Gear: card, scissors, pin or nail, plumb line
Aim: to Perform and determine the position of the centre of mass of a plane lamina (or card)
Instructions
1) Cut out a shape on cardboard so that it has an area of about half a page
2) Make a hole near the edge of the card
3) Put the pin or nail through the hole so the card freely hangs from it
4) Hold a ‘plumb line’ next to the hole.
5) Trace the vertical line on to the card.
6) Use a ruler to mark the line clearly
7) Make another hole in a different part of the card (try rotating 120o)
8) Repeat and obtain a different line on your card
9) Find their intersection – this should be its cog
10) Repeat with a third hole

11) If you have been working carefully, this line should pass through the same point as the other two.
12) To check your result, hold the card horizontal on your fingertip.
13) If your finger is directly below your cog then the card should balance.
14) Explain why the card balances at the cog
NAME ______________________________________________________
282: Loop the loop track & marble
Gear: track, marbles, ruler
Aim: to compare forces in circular motion and weight
Instructions
marble
1. Place the marble at the top of the track and release.

It should roll and complete the track.
2. Repeat at a slightly lower starting height.
3. Continue until the ball cannot finish the whole length of the track.
4. What is the minimum height for which the ball finishes the track without leaving it.
5. Try different marbles. Is the size important?
6. Give several reasons why the ball does not finish the track.
EXTENSION
7. Determine a relationship between the radius of the circle and the minimum height
for which the ball can complete the track: use centripetal force = weight
i.e. mv2/r = mg and Conservation of energy: mgh = ½ mv2 + mg2r
NAME ______________________________________________________
Macleans College
IGCSE Physics Practical 2019
284: Newton’s Cradle
Gear: Newton’s Cradle, ruler
Instructions
1. Pull one ball back a few centimeters and release to strike the stationary set of balls.
Observe the first bounce only.
2. How many balls continued in the same direction?
3. Did it (they) rise to the same original height?
4. Measure and record both heights.
5. Try with different number of balls.
6. How do the heights compare?
7. Did the same number of balls leave compared to the original number of balls that
struck the stationary set?
8. Was there any occasion where a different number left the set?
9. Can you think of a reason why (e.g. if two balls strike a set why doesn’t one leave)?
10. What would happen if the balls were made of putty instead of steel?
Animation
Name_______________________________________________________
2019 Physics Practicals
290 Energy Circus

For each of the ten stations:
Remember how it should be left behind (tidy and turned off)
Discuss as many energy changes as possible.
Leave the gear as it was. Move on to the next station after 2 minutes
Equipment required
1 Tuning fork, beaker water
2 Pendulum, retort clamp, boss head
3 2 Magnets and a compass
4 Lamp and cells
5 Wind-up toy, ramp eg book and pencil case
6 Candle, conical flask of water, matches, thermometer
7 Ramp, toy car, tennis ball, hollow cylinder
8 Solenoid, battery and compass
9 Generator and DMM (digital multimeter)
10 Cu strip, Zn strip in beaker with dil HCl and DMM
1 TUNING FORK and BEAKER OF WATER

a. Tap the tuning fork on the bench
b. Gently touch the end of the fork to the surface of the water
a. Observe and describe as many energy changes as possible.
b. What does the sound energy do here?
c. Complete the energy equation;
Sound energy  ______________ + _______________
d. Leave the gear as it was.
e. Move on to the next station after 2 minutes
Name_______________________________________________________
2 PENDULUM (+ retort)
a. Raise the pendulum bob (mass) to one side and let it go.
b. Observe and describe as many energy changes as possible.
c. What does the gravitational potential energy do here?
d. Complete the energy equation;
GPE  ______________ + _______________
e. Leave the gear as it was.
f. Move on to the next station after 2 minutes
3. Magnets and a compass

c. Move one magnet near a compass.
d. Move a second magnet to try to reverse the effect.
e. Observe and describe as many energy changes as possible.
f. What does the magnetic energy do here?
g. Complete the energy equation;
magnetic energy  ______________
f. Leave the gear as it was.
g. Move on to the next station after 2 minutes
Name_______________________________________________________
4 Battery and lamp
a. Connect a battery to a lamp

b. What happens to the chemical potential energy in the battery?
c. Reverse the terminals and observe
d. Observe and describe as many energy changes as possible.
e. What does the chemical potential energy do here?
f. Complete the energy equation;
chemical potential energy  ______________ + _______________
g. Disconnect and leave the gear as it was.
h. Move on to the next station after 2 minutes
5 Wind-up toy (+ book for a ramp)

a. Wind up the toy and place it on the ramp (book)
b. Point it up-hill
c. Observe and describe as many energy changes as possible.
d. What does the elastic potential energy do here?
e. Complete the energy equation;
elastic potential energy  _______ + ________ + ________+ ________
6 CANDLE AND WATER (+ conical flask, thermometer, tripod etc.)

a. Record the temperature of the water
b. Light the candle and place under the conical flask of water.
c. Observe and describe as many energy changes as possible.
d. What does the chemical potential energy do here?
chemical potential energy  __________ + ___________ + ___________
Name_______________________________________________________
7 Ramp, toy car, tennis ball, hollow cylinder

a. Roll an object down the ramp
b. Observe and describe as many energy changes as
possible.
c. What does the gravitational potential energy do
here?
d. Complete the energy equation;
GPE  ______________ + _______________
8 Solenoid, dry cell and compass

a. Check that the dry cell is inside the solenoid
b. Connect it to a battery and hold a compass near the
solenoid
c. Move the compass around the solenoid.
d. What does the chemical potential energy do here?
chemical potential energy  ___________ + ___________
f. Leave the gear as it was.
g. Move on to the next station after 2 minutes
9 Generator and DMM

a. Turn the handle and record the voltage on the DMM (or AC voltmeter)
b. Observe and describe as many energy changes as possible.
c. Complete the energy equation;
kinetic potential energy  ___________ + ___________
d. Leave the gear as it was.
e. Move on to the next station after 2 minutes
Name_______________________________________________________
10 Cu & Zn strip in dilute acid

a. Put the Cu strip, and Zn strip in beaker with dilute HCl
b. Connect voltmeter to each strip of metal and put into beaker of acid
c. Record voltage and describe as many energy changes as possible.
d. Why should we avoid touching the metal strips together?
chemical potential energy  ___________ + ___________
NAME ______________________________________________________
300 -304: Heat Activities

Aim – to demonstrate some methods of heat transfer
Gear:
300 : thermometer, beakers, jug, electric jug
301 : any cloth and metal blocks (eg 1kg masses), thermometer
302 : wood/brass rod
303: 2 x 250mL beakers, jug, stirring rod, thermometer
304: meths, rag
‘…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
300 : Thermometer Activities

Gear: thermometer, beakers, jug, electric jug
Instructions
1) Record the following in a table; air temperature, pages inside a textbook, table, beaker of water
2) Record : your breathe, inside your fist, hot water
3) Observe the liquid thread fall as the thermometer is put into cold water
4) Explain why this happens
‘…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
301 Metal & Cloth

Gear: any cloth and metal blocks (eg 1kg masses), thermometer
Instructions
Record the temperature of a metal block and a cloth. Are they the same temperature?
Hold each of them – one in each hand. Which feels colder? Explain why
‘…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
302 wood/brass rod

Gear: wood/brass rod
Instructions
Hold both ends of the rod. One hand will feel cooler than the other.
Which is it and explain why this happens?
‘…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
303 Hot and Cold

Gear: 2 x 250mL beakers, jug, stirring rod, thermometer
Instructions
5) Take the temperature of 100 mL hot water T1
6) Take the temperature of 100 mL cold tap water T2
7) Mix them together and determine their new temperature.
8) Is this what you expected?
9) List 5 ways to make this more accurate.
‘…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
304 : Evaporation
Gear: meths, rag
Instructions
Hold out the back of your hand. Your teacher will put a small drop of meths on the skin.
It will evaporate. Explain what you feel and explain why the meths evaporates
Homework
Write 2-3 lines to explain what each of these activities demonstrate.

NAME ______________________________________________________
310: Recording temperature
Aim: to observe and record temperature changes
Gear: Thermometer, ice, jug, stopwatch, stirring rod
Instructions
1. Place a thermometer in an empty 100mL beaker
2. Record the temperature every 15 s for 1 minute (to record room temp)
3. Put a cube of ice in the beaker and record its temperature every 15 s for 1 minute
4. Add 20mL tap water to the ice and continue recording every 15 s for 1 minute
5. Add 20 ml hot water continue recording undisturbed every 15 s for 1 minute
Complete the table with rows to enter data. How many rows will be required?
Time (s) Temp (Co)

0
NAME ______________________________________________________
Important
- use the stirring rod to stir the water –NOT the thermometer
- record temperature values to the nearest 1oC. Therefore 35.5 oC is not acceptable unless
an electronic thermometer is used. Round 0.5 oC up to the nearest degree so all of your
numbers in the temperature column should be to same d.p (i.e. no decimal place in this
case)
-no need to write any units next to the numbers in each cell of the the table because they
are already written once at the top of each column
NAME ______________________________________________________
320 -322 : Conduction & Convection Demonstrations

Aim – to demonstrate some methods of heat transfer
Gear:
320- conduction star, wax, candles, drawing pins
321 -very large clear rectangular tank, red dye, blue dye, 500mL ice water, 500mL boiling water
322 -Convection Current Chamber, two glass chimneys, small candle, wax tapper, lighter, lava lamp
320 Conduction
Gear: conduction star, wax, candles, drawing pins
Instructions
1) Start your timer when the candle / Bunsen is placed under the ‘star’
2) Press ‘LAP’ when a pin falls.
3) Record the type of metal involved
4) Continue until all pins have fallen
5) Write an ordered list of the heat conductivity of these metals from worse to best conductor
321 Convection Current

Gear: very large clear rectangular tank, red dye, blue dye, 500mL ice water, 500mL boiling water
Instructions
Start your stopwatch when the water is poured into the tank
Observe the middle of the tank. Which colour appears at the top?
Stop when the colour are no longer distinguishable (i.e appears as only one colour in the tank)
Record the time for this and compare with other students.
322 Convection Current Chamber

Gear : Convection Current Chamber, two glass chimneys, small candle, wax tapper, lighter
Instructions
Observe the smoke from the wax taper as it is put into the chimney above the candle.
Predict what will happen if the smoke is place over the other hole instead
Explain why miners need two ventilation shafts.
Extension
Watch these clips and explain the energy changes:
Conduction Experiment
Tea Bag Rockets Convection Current fire Experiment

NAME ______________________________________________________
330 Leslies Cube

Gear: Leslies cube (there are 4 walls of different surfaces; Black, white grey…)
Instructions
1) Set up 4 thermometers around each of the walls of the Leslies cube (or use the IR remote
thermometer, or a temperature probe connected to a datalogger).
2) Put 200mL hot water into the Leslies cube.
3) Record the temperature of each wall for the next 5 minutes.
4) List the best to worst heat emitting surface.
5) Check with a reference
6) What is meant by radiation in the following sentence;

Heat is transferred by radiation in the vacuum (in space)
7) Explain why some houses in the Mediterranean are white
http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk/age11-
14/Heat%20energy/Transfer%20of%20heat%20energy/text/Heat_radiation/index.html
NAME ______________________________________________________
340 Evaporation
Gear: 10mL measuring cylinder, petri dish, boiling tube, jar (anything to keep the boiling tube vertical for 2-
3 days)
Instructions
1) Place a petri dish (named) in a undisturbed area of the room (e.g. shelf)
2) pour 10mL water into it and leave undisturbed for 2-3 days
3) Repeat with a boiling tube (you may need a funnel)
4) After 2-3 days measure the volume of water left in each container
5) Compare with other students
6) Write a conclusion
NAME ______________________________________________________
350 Pressure (solid)
Aim: to calculate the pressure of a solid object
Gear: large rectangular brick slab, bathroom scale, meter ruler, graph paper
Instructions -A
1) Measure the dimension of the brick (m)
2) Weight it and calculate its weight from w=mg (g= 9.81 ms-2)
3) Calculate the pressure on each side (p=F/A)
4) Express in SI unit
Instructions -B
Aim: To calculate the pressure while you stand with both feet on the ground
1) Stand on a large sheet of (graph) paper
2) Trace around your feet (or shoe)
3) Count the number of squares (with area > ½ square)
4) Determine the area of each square
5) Calculate the area of one foot (m2)
6) Calculate the pressure on each foot (p = your mass x 9.81/A)
7) Halve to calculate the pressure when both feet are on the ground
How do these numbers compare for a 4000 kg elephant with each foot having a surface area of 0.04m2 per
foot? What is the approximate diameter of each foot?
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2003/JackGreen.shtml
NAME ______________________________________________________
355 Pressure (liquid)
Aim: to calculate hydrostatic pressure
Gear: drinking fountain (outside) or PET bottle with hole in the top, small plastic bag (to
put in water then put holes in it), sharp pin, Cartesian diver (ie -PET bottle & test tube)
Multi-shaped vessel
Instructions -A
1) Measure the diameter of the hole
2) use a=πd2/4 to calculate area
3) Turn on the tap and observe the distance the water travels out of the hole to its max height = h
(i.e. measure the vertical height of the water fountain)
4) Calculate the volume of water from area x h
5) Calculate the mass of the water from density x volume (Density of water is 1000kg/m3)
6) Calculate the weight of the water from w = mg (g = 9.81 m/s2)
7) Calculate pressure at the hole from p = weight (force)/ area
Instructions -B
Aim: To observe pressure in any direction
1) Fill a plastic bag with water
2) Stand away from water sensitive areas and put small holes in the bag
3) Notice the shape of the water paths
4) What does that say about the pressure inside the bag?
Instructions -C
Aim: To observe pressure at different depths
1) Squeeze the bottle and observe the air bubble in the test tube at different depths
2) Explain why the shape is different in different depths
Instructions -D
Aim: To observe how shape of a container affects pressure
1) Observe the water level for each shape
2) Explain how they are related
http://catalystforscience.ca/pdf/8/PS/WaterPressure(Part4).pdf
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/under-pressure
NAME ______________________________________________________
360: Pressure (gas)
Aim: to observe the effects of atmospheric pressure
Gear: electric jug, plastic bottle with sealable lid e.g. PET bottle, Ice, funnel, rags, eyedropper, beaker,
coloured dye, straw, manometer, large newspaper sheet, slotted 10g masses
Barometer, Magdeburg spheres & pumps (only if we have them)
Instructions -A
1) Pour about 50mL very hot water into the PET bottle and seal the lid.
2) Place container in cold ice. Observe the reaction.
3) Explain in terms of air particles why this happens
Instructions -B
1) Use a straw to pick up water from a beaker.
2) Explain how this can be achieved
Instructions -C
1) Use the manometer to demonstrate pressure difference.
2) How is the height of each side related to the pressure?
Instructions -D
1) Describe a barometer and how it can be used to measure atmospheric pressure.
Question
How can you invert a PET bottle full of water without losing any water (no lid)?
Explain why it should work.
Torricelli and the barometer
Pressure and the manometer

NAME ______________________________________________________
380: SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY OF WATER
Gear: ammeter, power pack, stop watch, thermometer, polystyrene cup, polystyrene lid, measuring
cylinder and nichrome wire heating coil, beaker to hold the polystyrene cup
Aim: to find the specific heat capacity of water.
Specific heat capacity of water is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1kg of water by
a degree Celsius
What to do:
1. Set up the equipment as shown below
2. Measure 50mL of water and pour it in the polystyrene cup.

3. Place the polystyrene cup into a beaker
4. Measure and record the initial temperature of the water.
5. Set the power supply voltage to 6 V DC.
6. Count down 3-2-1-0 and switch on the circuit and start the stop watch concurrently.
7. Record the ammeter reading
8. Switch off the power supply after 5 minutes, stir and record the water temperature.
9. IMPORTANT – avoid touching the polystyrene cup with the heating coil
Results and analysis

1. Calculate the heat energy provided by the nichrome coil in 5 minutes
Using E=VIt (volts x amps x seconds)
2. Calculate the specific heat capacity of water using H = mc∆T
H=E so the specific heat capacity of water, c, = VIt / (0.05 kg x change in temperature)
Conclusion
1. Find the “official” value for the specific heat capacity of water and compare it with your calculated
value.
2. List three ways in which the accuracy of your value for the specific heat capacity can be improved.
NAME ______________________________________________________
390 Latent heat of fusion of ice
Aim: To determine the latent heat of fusion of ice 0.01
Gear: 100mL measuring cylinder; 250mL beaker, scales, thermometer, ice cube, stopwatch
DATA: c = 4200J /kg/K , m = 0.1 kg (= 100 mL)
Instructions
1. Measure the temperature of 100 mL water in a 250 mL beaker (or calorimeter)

2. Determine the mass of an ice cube (weigh on electronic balance)
3. Put the ice cube into the water and stir it until it completely disappears
(stir with a stirring rod not the thermometer)
4. Re-measure the temperature (when the solid has disappeared)
5. Calculate ∆T -the difference in the temperatures
6. Use H = mc∆T to determine the heat gained by the ice.
7. Use H = mL to determine L (the latent heat of fusion of ice)
8. Write 2-3 sentences explaining how this could be improved
Exercises
Calculate the latent heat of fusion from the following data
Question 1
Initial Temp of water = 20oC
Mass of ice cube = 300 g
Final temp of water = 18 oC
Change in temp = 2 oC
Question 2
Initial Temp of water = 21.5 oC
Mass of ice cube = 21.05 g
Final temp of water = 9.5 oC
Change in temp = 12 oC
Answer 1
H= m c ∆T
H = 0.1kg x 4200 x 2 = 840J
H=mL so L = H/m = 840 / 0.3 = 2800 J/kg
Answer 2
H= m c ∆T
H = 0.1 kg x 4200 x 12 = 5040 J
H=mL so L = H/m = 5040 / 0.02105
= 239 429 J/kg
(actual value 330 000 J/kg)
NAME ______________________________________________________
395 Dry Ice

Gear: dry ice, water
Aim – to demonstrate expansion, sublimation, energy exchange and some methods of heat transfer
Instructions
1. Drop some dry ice into a beaker of water. Explain why the water seems to boil. What is actually
happening? In which direction is the heat travelling?
2. Place a pellet into a balloon and tie the end. Explain in terms of particles why it expands.
Extension
Watch these clips and explain the energy changes
Dry ice in water (beaker)
Dry ice in water slo-mo
NAME ______________________________________________________
400: Sound Activities
Your teacher will suggest the activities you can do today

Answer the questions as fully as possible. Remember other students need to use the gear.
Gear:
1. balloon,
2. Al foil, sticky tape, laser,
3. signal generator, large speaker cone, small beads
4. rubber bands, rectangular tray,
5. G clamp, string, 0.5- 2kg masses,
6. bucket, rag
7. two funnels and rubber tube to make a stethoscope,
8. 7-8 glass jars to partly fill with water
9. straws
Aim
To observe sound waves and some of their effects
1. Inflate a balloon and listen to some sound with the balloon

between you and the sound (clock ticking perhaps)
Release some air from the balloon and notice that the
sound is softer
Try filling the balloon with water. What happens?
2. Inflate a balloon and tape some aluminium foil to the surface.

Hold securely
Shine a laser beam onto the foil so the reflected beam can be seen on the white
board.
Talk/yell at the balloon – louder until you can feel the vibrations and see the
oscillations on the wall!
Laser
3. When a large speaker cone is connected to a signal

generator it is possible to see the vibrations. Turn
the cone so beads can rest inside. Observe their
motion as (i) the amplitude increases and decreases
(ii) the frequency increases and decreases
NAME ______________________________________________________
4. Wrap some rubber bands around a plastic container

Use this to make some recognisable sounds
Alter the tension to change the sounds.
Describe how the tension affects the frequency
5. Connect a length of string to a table and add weights at the other end for tension.
Pluck the string and compare its sound when plucked with more tension.
string Write a conclusion
pencil
masses
6. Talk into a bucket and compare the sound when a rag is put
inside. Explain why this happens
7. Make a stethoscope with funnels and a tube
8. Fill some jars with different amounts of water. Make a tune with them
9. Cut the end of a straw so it looks like this
Use it as a wind instrument. How could you make a higher pitch?

Make Homemade Oboes with Straws
NAME ______________________________________________________
401: Sound and the oscilloscope
Gear: signal generator, oscilloscope (use Picoscope for display on whiteboard), microphone,
connecter, tuning fork set, large speaker cone (without the box covering), connecting wires,
alligator clips, balloon.
Check that Picoscope is installed on your laptop before you start – IT will help you with this.
Aim
To observe sound waves and some of their effects
Instructions
Connect the signal generator to the Picoscope and speaker. Observe the wave forms
produced by different electrical signals and compare them to the sound that you hear.
1. List two ways that the electrical signal and sound are similar
2. List two ways that the electrical signal and sound are different
Connect the microphone to the oscilloscope and observe the wave forms produced by each
sound. These questions refer to the pattern seen on the oscilloscope screen
3. How are loud sounds different from quiet sounds?

4. Which objects produce simple repetitive waves?
5. Draw a sound wave produced by a tuning fork of low frequency.
6. Draw a sound wave produced by a different tuning fork with a higher frequency.
7. What diagrammatical feature have you drawn to show that the two waves are
different?
8. How do the waves that you have drawn differ from a real sound wave?
The Oscilloscope
This is a useful device to measure the voltage

and frequency of an electrical signal. A spot
sweeps steadily from left to right across the
screen then snaps back to the left.
The vertical movement indicates the voltage. It
can be found by the number of vertical squares
x gain. The period can be found from the
number of squares for one ‘wavelength’ x
timebase and frequency is the reciprocal of the
period.
The gain is the number of squares from the middle of the wave to the top.
The timebase is the time for the spot to move right one square.
In this example the time base is 10 ms (per square) and the gain is 2 V (per square)
This signal then represents a peak voltage of 2.3 (squares) x 2 V = 4.6V and a period of 10
(squares) x 10 ms = 100 ms. Since f = 1/T then f = 1 / 0.1 s = 10 Hz
Set the timebase to 10 ms on the oscilloscope and set the frequency of the signal generator
to 100 Hz. Accurately draw the wave on a grid (your graph paper will do) and state
important features.
NAME________________________________________________________
410: Types of wave
Gear: thin long slinky, wide slinky, stop watch, metre rule
Aim
To observe two different types of waves
Instructions
Make clear labelled diagrams in your practical books
Hold one end of a thin slinky on the ground. Have your partner hold the other end on the
ground. Stretch it about 1 m.
Wobble your end perpendicular to the slinky and horizontal with the ground. Make the
frequency about 1 Hz.
Observe the slinky just before the wave reaches your partners hand.
Draw this pattern and show two or three waves.
Repeat with a slightly higher frequency – it is important to get the same length of the slinky.
Repeat both several times so that you get an accurate measurement of the wavelengths.
Show the measurements of the wavelengths clearly on your diagram.
Repeat the above and show the wave after the reflection off your partner’s hand.
Repeat the above and use a stopwatch to determine the period of ten oscillations then from
this determine the frequency.
Repeat for the higher frequency.
Repeat all of the above using the wide slinky except push it forwards and backwards instead
of side to side motions.
Extension
Determine the speed of the waves from the information that you have drawn and labelled.
Research: What is the speed of sound in air and water?
NAME ______________________________________________________
450: Reflection
Gear: flat mirror, paper, drawing pin board, 2 optical pins, ruler
Aim: to determine the position of an image in a flat mirror
The pin (at point X) is in

front of the mirror. Its
image is thought to be
behind the mirror. Locate
the position by intersecting
straight lines.
Line A is between your eye x
and the image. The ruler
helps you make the
straight line. Repeat for B
Instructions
1) Put your paper on the drawing pin board.
2) Stand the mirror upright in the middle of the paper.
3) Draw a mirror line along the front of the mirror with a pencil.
4) Insert a pin upright about 10 cm in front of the mirror, x
5) Mark its position on your paper.
6) Look at the image.
7) Lower your head so the line of sight is parallel and close to your page
8) Imagine a line connecting your eye with the image (line A)
9) Put the ruler on your page so its edge lines up with line A
10) Draw a line A on the sheet using the edge of the ruler
11) Repeat for line B.

12) Move your head to the other side and
look at the image
13) Move the ruler to form line B
14) Draw a line along the edge (line B).
15) Remove the pin and mirror from the
paper.
16) Extend the two lines until they cross.
This is where the image seems to be.
14) Label this point I.
Check your results:

1) Hold a second pin upright behind the mirror at the point where your two lines cross.
Look into the mirror. You should see the top half of this second pin exactly in line with
the image of the first pin. The pin should stay in line with the image even when you
move your head from side to side.
2)Comment on your accuracy
NAME ______________________________________________________
455: Multiple Reflections (EXTENSION EXPERIMENT)
Gear: two flat mirrors, paper, protractor, optical pin, ruler

Aim: to determine the equation that relates the number of images, n, with the angle, Ɵ
between two flat mirrors
Instructions
1) On a flat sheet of paper mark a mirror line X-Y

2) Mark 5 lines from X so that they form different angles Ɵ; 22.5o ,45o ,60o 72o and 90o
3) Use the 90o lines and put two mirrors on them (they should face each other)
4) Mark an x on the sheet between the mirrors and put the optical pin there.
5) Can you see all three images when you look in any mirror (keep mirrors vertical)?
6) Change the angle and recount the number of images you observe.
7) Continue using other angles
8) Can you make an equation that relates n and Ɵ?
9) What would happen if the mirrors were parallel and facing each other?
X X
Name ________________________________________
460: Tracing light rays through a perspex block
Gear: power pack, ray box, perspex rectangular block, single slit, protractor
Aim: to observe the path of light in a transparent rectangular block (and find a relationship)
Instructions
1 Place the block in the middle of the paper. Draw
round the block to mark its position.
2 Point the ray-box (with a thin beam of light) into

the block.
3 Angle the ray so that it goes in and out of the

block as in the diagram.
4 Using a pencil, mark the path of the ray going

into the block. Two small crosses drawn > 5cm
apart. Draw two more crosses for the ray that is
leaving the block
5 Take the block and the ray box away. Using your
crosses as a guide, draw in lines to show the
path of the ray as it enters and leaves the block.
Join up the lines to show the path of the ray inside the block.
6 Measure the angle of incidence of the ray entering the block (angle
Өi in the diagram). Then measure the distance between the paths
of the rays entering and leaving the block (distance d in the
diagram).
7 Repeat for at least six values of Өi and put your results in a table.
8 Calculate sin Өi and complete the table
9 Plot a graph of d (vertical) against sinӨi (vertical).
Өi d sin Өi
10 Write a conclusion.
Name ________________________________________
d/cm theta(degree) sin (theta) d/cm

0.8 21 0.3583 0.8
1.0 28 0.4694 1.0
1.4 38 0.6156 1.4
1.8 47 0.7313 1.8
2.6 57 0.8386 2.6
3
2.5 y = 0.0487x - 0.3413
1.5 Series1
Linear (Series1)
1
0.5
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Practical 10a
NAME ______________________________________________________
465: Refractive index of a semi-circular block
Gear: power pack, ray box, glass semi-circular block, single slit, protractor, graph paper
Aim: to determine the refractive index of

perspex
Instructions
1 Place the block in the middle of the paper.
Trace around its edge.
2 Measure the diameter and mark the
centre with an A
3 Shine a single ray of light at A

4 Mark the point where it emerges from the
block (label)
5 Repeat for 5 different angles (try a
different colour for each angle)
6 Remove the block and draw each ray.
7 Draw the normal
8 Measure i and r for each
9 Calculate sin i and sin r
Angle of incidence Angle of refraction sin Өi sin Өr

Өi Өr
10 Plot sin i (vertical axis) against sin r

11 Calculate the gradient
That is the refractive index of the perspex
12 Write a conclusion
Practical 10a
NAME ______________________________________________________
467: Refractive index of a glass-block
Gear: power pack, ray box, glass rectangular block, single slit, protractor, graph paper
Aim: to determine the refractive index of a glass block
Instructions
1 Place the block in the middle of the

paper. Trace around its edge.
2 Point a thin beam of light into the block
(angle of incidence = 30o)
3 Mark the entry point A
4 Mark the point where it emerges from
the block (label it 30o) B
5 Repeat for different angles (10, 25, 40,
45, 60, 75, 85) but always use entry
point A
6 Remove the block and draw each
refracted ray.
7 Measure the angle of each refracted ray
8 Determine sin Өi and sin Өr
9 Plot sin Өi (vertical axis) against sin Өr
10 Calculate the gradient
Angle of incidence Angle of refraction sin Өi sin Өr

Өi Өr
10
25
30
40
45
60
75
85
NAME ______________________________________________________
470: Total Internal Reflection
Gear: power pack, light box –single slit, transparent blocks (preferably glass)
Students need protractor and paper
Aim: to observe total internal reflection in transparent blocks
In this experiment, you pass a ray of light into a right-angled prism.
Instructions
1 Place the prism in the middle of the

page. Draw round the prism to mark
its position.
2 Set up the ray box as shown. Make

the ray strike one of the short faces of
the prism ‘square on’ as in diagram A.
How can you do this accurately?
3 Mark the path of the ray going into

the prism. Mark the path of the ray
leaving the prism. Then mark the point where the ray reflects from the inside face of
the prism.
4 Remove the prism and the ray box. Draw in the path of the ray going into, through
and out of the prism.
In this part of the experiment, you change the path of the ray so
that it reflects off two inside faces.
5 Repeat the steps above – only this time make the ray meet
the prism as in diagram B.
6 When light reflects from a mirror, the angle of reflection is

equal to the angle of incidence (see diagram C). Is this law
also true for light reflected from the inside face of a prism?
Use your ray-tracing experiments to find out.
NAME ______________________________________________________
475: Critical Angle
Gear: power pack, light box (ray box, single slit), semi-circular glass block, semi-circular perspex block
semi-circular (hollow plastic) dish with water. Students need their protractor.
Aim: to measure the critical angle of glass, perspex and (possibly) water.
If a ray of light meets the flat face of a glass

block (top diagram), some of the light is
reflected and some is refracted. Increase the
angle of incidence and eventually the refracted
ray will disappear.
Now the light is totally internally reflected and
the incident angle is called the critical angle.
Any incident angle greater than the critical
angle will be totally reflected (i.e. no light
passes through the transparent surface)
Instructions
1. Place the block in the middle of the paper. Draw round the block to mark its
position.
2. Find the centre of the semi-circle. Then draw in the normal as shown in the
diagram (right).
3. Set up the ray box so the single ray strikes the curved edge of the block and
hits the centre of the semi-circle.
4. If the angle of incidence is 20o then the refracted angle should be about 17o
5. Increase the angle until the refracted ray has just disappeared (always point at the centre)
6. The ray is now at the critical angle.
7. Mark a dot on the paper on the curve of the block indicating the path of the incident ray.
8. Remove the glass block and the ray box.
9. Draw in the path of the incident ray.
10. Measure the critical angle.
11. Repeat the experiment and find an average value.
12. If time permits repeat for other transparent material
Extension
Explain this formula and use it to derive a formula for determining the critical angle.
n1 sinӨ1 = n2 sinӨ2
Use n1 = 1
Mark Schedule
Labelled incident ray and refracted ray
Labelled block AND normal
Incident ray arrow point towards centre
Refracted ray arrow point away from centre
NAME ______________________________________________________
Neat accurate diagram

NAME ______________________________________________________
480: Convex lens
Equipment: power pack, bulb, lens, lens holder, metre ruler and screen
Aim: to accurately record and calculate focal length of a convex lens
Method:
1. Set up the following and check that the center of the lamp, lens and hole all line up
with the screen). This line should be parallel to the bench.
2. Adjust the position of the lens to get a clear image on the screen.
3. Record x and y in a table as shown below
4. Repeat for five more values of x (caution: some x values may have very large y values).
5. Determine the reciprocal of x and the reciprocal of y
1 + 1
6. Determine the sum of these reciprocals ( x y )
1
1+1
7. Determine the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals ( x y )
Results
Copy and complete the table:
1
1 + 1
X (cm) Y (cm) 1/x 1/y x y
1+1
x y
8. Check the units for each column

9. Determine the focal length of the lens by measuring the distance from the lens to a
screen. The image on the screen must be clear and the object must be very far away
e.g. music block.
10. Comment on your last column of the table.
NAME ______________________________________________________
485: Focal length
Aim: to determine the (principal) focal length of a lens
Gear: thick convex lens, thin convex lens, lens holder, screen (white card), metre rule
When parallel rays of light pass through a convex lens,

they come together at a point called the focus. The
distance from this focus to the lens is the focal length.
Rays from anything a long

way away are very nearly
parallel. If you use a convex
lens to focus rays from a
distant building or tree, you
can see a small image on a
screen. If the image is
sharp, the screen is at the
principal focus. The
distance from the lens to
the screen is the focal length.
Instructions
1 Arrange the lens, screen and metre rule as in the diagram. Light from a window must
be able to pass through the lens and reach the screen. The experiment works best if
the lens and screen are in the darkest part of the room, opposite the window.
2 Move the screen backwards or forwards until you see a clear image of a distant tree or
building.
3 Measure the distance from the lens to the screen. This is the focal length of the lens.
4 Repeat the experiment at least three times. Find an average value for the focal length.
5 Find out by experiment which has the longer focal length, a thick lens or a thin lens.
6 Is the image real or virtual? Explain how you know this
EXTENSION
Does a focal point of a concave lens exist?
If so how could it be determined?
NAME ______________________________________________________
NAME ______________________________________________________

490: Dispersion
Gear: triangular GLASS prisms, power pack, ray-box with single slit, paper, ruler, screen, protractor
Aim: to observe and record dispersion of white light

Instructions
1. Shine a single ray of white light into a glass prism as shown.

2. Rotate the prism so that maximum dispersion is observed on a white screen (page)
3. Trace around the prism and mark the incident ray with two crosses ‘x’
4. Remove the gear so you can draw in a dotted line to show the path of an undeviated light
Colour Deviation
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
undeviated light
white light glass prism
5. Mark on your page the positions of red, orange, yellow, green and blue rays
6. Check that you can draw them 5-8 cm in length.
7. Use your protractor to measure their angles from the ‘undeviated’ line
8. Record the data into your practical book.
9. Repeat the above using a different type of prism (either glass or perspex).
10. Write a conclusion
NAME ______________________________________________________
2019 Physics Practical/Demonstrations
500: Electrostatics, Electroscopes and Experiments
Gear
Electroscope, OHT sheets, 1 hair dryer, balloons
Dancing fleas : cloth (woollen etc.), perspex, plastic, nylon or glass

rods
Build an Electroscope 5:38: 10x 250ml Beakers, 10x bare copper wire,
stiff Al foil & hole punch
Long strips of plastic: two 1m length of plastic & about 4cm wide
Theory
The electroscope is used to detect electrical charge (or voltage). When a charged object is
brought near it the metal leaf rises. The greater the charge the higher it rises. It falls when
the charge is neutralised or too weak to overcome the weight of the leaf.
Aim
To observe the Law of charges
These activities are weather dependent. They work best on dry days.
Humid or damp days give poor results.
Instructions
Study this to make a simple electroscope Build an Electroscope 5:38

Assemble or collect an electroscope for the following activities
1. Do steps 2-8 and two other activities listed below
2. Rub the plastic rod with the woollen cloth

3. Hold the plastic rod near the cap of the electroscope without touching it
4. Observe the leaf.
5. Repeat steps 2-5 with perspex and a woollen cloth
6. Do you get the same result?
7. Find and list pairs of objects that do have the same effect
8. Tabulate your results in a sensible way.
Dancing fleas
9. Tear 8-10 small pieces of paper (recycled) about the size of rice grains
10. Rub a plastic rod with a woollen cloth
11. Hold the rod near the paper
12. Some days you will observe attraction. On a good day you will observe both attraction and
repulsion. Write 3-4 lines to explain why this happens?
Balloons
13. Inflate a balloon and rub vigorously on your jersey
NAME ______________________________________________________
14. Hold the balloon against long hair

15. Hold the balloon against the wall (white board works well)
16. Explain the result
OHT
17. Put two sheets of OHT together on the table.
18. Rub the top sheet with a cloth
19. Now try to separate the sheets.
20. Explain what happens
Long strips of plastic

21. hang two long strips of plastic between your right finger and thumb
22. Rub the strip downward between your index, middle and ring finger
23. Now try to separate the sheets.
24. Explain what happens
Homework
25. State the law of charge

26. Use it to complete the grid below;
Attract or repel Positively charged Neutral Negatively charged

object object object
Positively charged object
Neutral object
Negatively charged object
Extension
What is the triboelectric series?
•Human hands - positive •Wood
•Glass •Hard rubber
•Nylon •Nickel, Copper
•Wool •Brass, Silver
•Lead •Gold, Platinum
•Aluminium •Polyester
•Paper •Styrene (Styrofoam)
•Cotton •Polyethylene
Reference
NAME ______________________________________________________
Build an Electroscope 5:38
Triboelectric series
Electrostatics - Notes
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/estatics/Lesson-4/Electric-Fields-and-Conductors
NAME ______________________________________________________
2019 Physics Practical/Demonstrations
502 Van de Graaff Generator
Gear
Van de Graaff generator & accessories, insulating surface, polystyrene balls on long strings,
wig, Al plates, fluorescent tube (broken or unbroken & shorter than 23 cm to fit in tray),
Volta’s Hailstorm
Theory
The Van de Graaff generator produces very high voltages perhaps 300 kV. This happens
when charges are stored on the metal dome.
Aim
To observe the Law of charges
These activities are weather dependent. They work best on dry days.
Humid or damp days give poor results.
Instructions
Your teacher will set up the Van de Graaff generator and demonstrate some interesting
activities. Think about how and why they occur. Write 2-3 sentences to explain these
phenomena
1. Observe sparks- what are they? What is the best way to generate these?
2. Hold a graphite sphere from an insulating thread near the dome. Why does it move?
Touch the sphere to the dome. Why does it repel?
3. Place the electric whirl on the dome. Turn on and explain what happens
4. Place the Volta’s Hailstorm on top of the dome. Turn on and explain what happens
5. Ask a volunteer to explain Ohm’s Law then demonstrate it
1 2 3
NAME ______________________________________________________
4 5
6. Hold a fluorescent tube (broken or unbroken)

near the dome. Explain what happens.
7. Turn off and place metal Al plates on the dome. Turn on and explain what happens
Homework
1. Write 3-4 lines to explain two of the activities discussed above
2. Write 3-4 lines about one of these utube articles
http://wonders.physics.wisc.edu/van-de-graaff.htm
http://www.popsci.com/bison-struck-by-lightning-is-doing-fine-looks-like-
zombie?src=SOC&dom=fb
http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/lightning-kills-45-head-of-cattle-on-ranch-near-
darby/27100098
http://wonders.physics.wisc.edu/plasma-balls.htm
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/learn-about-the-weather/thunder-and-lightning
http://www.physics.ucla.edu/demoweb/demomanual/electricity_and_magnetism/electrost
atics/van_der_graaff_experiments.html
Wimshurst Machine & Electrostatic Motors
NAME ______________________________________________________
Macleans College
Physics Practicals 2019
504 : Charging by Induction
Gear
Van de Graaff generator, electrophorus, electroscope, glass rod, woollen cloth, round and sausage
shaped conductors
Theory
Like charges repel and unlike charges attract. The only mobile charges are free electrons. The earth is a
‘source and sink’ for electrons.
When an object is charged by induction it acquires a charge opposite to that which is available
Aim
To apply the Law of charges to explain some phenomena
Instructions
Your teacher will set up the Van de Graff generator and demonstrate some interesting activities. Think
about how they relate to the Law of charges. Write 3-4 lines to explain these phenomena
When a glass rod is charged by a woollen cloth it becomes positively charged.

When it touches an electroscope it becomes positively charged also.
To give the electroscope a negative charge we need to charge it by induction
To charge a sphere by induction:

1. Hold your charged object near the sphere (but not touching)
2. Earth the sphere by touching it with an earth wire (e.g. metal object ; tap or metal sink)
3. Remove the earth
4. Take away the charged object
1. Use the conductors above to show you can charge the conductors by induction
2. Write 3-4 lines about one of these utube articles
Leyden Jar 5:43

Electroscope and Electrostatic Induction 8:47
NAME______________________________________________________________
510: Voltage
Aim: to measure the potential difference (voltage) of various power supplies
Gear: DMM, various power sources eg 1.5V, 9V cells, power packs, wires, Zn and Cu strip,
graphite rod, beaker and dil HCl
Instructions:
1. Set the DMM (digital multimeter) to 20V: V : COM
(dial to 20V: use the terminals for V and COM)
2. Use the straight or dotted line not the curly symbol i.e. but don’t use this;
3. Connect to some batteries or cells.

4. Record the power source and their values and record in a table.
5. Alter the setting if necessary (use 2V range for cells, 20V range for power supply)
6. What happens if the wires are swapped over?
7. Does a ‘negative sign’ on the DMM have any significance?
8. Combine two cells and repeat your measurements.
Extension
9. Connect to Zn and Cu electrodes in a beaker with dilute acid.
10. Alternate the electrodes with a graphite rod.

12. What is the difference between potential difference and voltage?
NAME______________________________________________________________
IGCSE Physics Practicals 2019
520 : Resistance
Aim: to measure the resistance of various objects
Gear: DMM, wires, resistors, variable resistor, diodes
Instructions:
1. Set the DMM (digital multimeter) to 200k : Ω : COM
(dial to 200k: use the terminals for Ω and COM)
2. Connect wires to the COM and the Ω terminals
3. Touch the wires together. The resistance should be very low e.g. 0Ω
4. Use a 100 resistor and at this 200k setting it should read about 0.1 or 0.09 (thousand Ω)
this reads 1200 ohms
5. Change setting for more accurate measurements (if applicable)

6. Test other components and record on a table
7. What do these readings show?

NAME______________________________________________________________
530: Current
Aim: to measure the current in a circuit
Gear: DMM, 3 wires, 12V lamp, 100 ohm power supply
Instructions:
1. Set the DMM (digital multimeter) to 10A : 10A : COM
(dial to 10A: use the terminals for 10A and COM)
2. Connect wires to the COM and the 10A terminals
3. Connect to the lamp and then to the power supply (makes one loop)
4. Set the power supply to 2V.
5. Record the current and voltage in a suitable table.
6. Alter the voltage (power supply) and repeat step 4 until you have 6 sets
of data.
7. Does it matter if the wires are connected the other way round (to the
DMM)?
8. Would it matter if the power supply or lamp was connected the other way round?
9. Repeat the above using the 100 ohm resistor instead of the lamp
10. What difference does this make to the current?
NAME______________________________________________________________
540 : Resistor Combinations
Aim: to compare resistances in various combinations
Gear: DMM, 2 wires, 3 alligator clips, 3 similar resistors (e.g. 10 ohm)
Instructions:
1. Record the value of each resistor and record in a table as follows
R(ohm)
A Resistor 1
B Resistor 2
C Resistor 3
D R1 + R2 in series
E R1 + R3 in series
F R1 + R2 + R3 in series
G R1 + R2 in parallel
H R1 + R3 in parallel
I R1 + R2 + R3 in parallel
J R1 + R2 in parallel with R3 in series (fig. a.)

K R1 + R3 in parallel with R2 in series
L R1 + R2 in series with R3 in parallel (fig. b.)

m R1 + R3 in series with R2 in parallel
2. Is there a pattern that you can see?
3. For each of these diagrams each resistor has a value of 24 ohm.

What is the total effective resistance of each network?
fig. a.
fig.b.
NAME______________________________________________________________
550: Resistance and length
Aim: to compare resistances with various lengths
Gear: DMM, short wire and a 1 m length of wire, mounted nichrome wire
Instructions:
1. Record the resistance of 10 cm of nichrome wire.
2. Record in the table
3. Repeat for 6 other lengths
Length (m) R(ohm)

0.10

5. How could you test your theory?
6. Try it and state a relationship between resistance of a wire and its length
7. Predict the resistance of 1 .5 kilometers of the nichrome wire

8. What assumptions did you make to get this answer?
NAME______________________________________________________________
2019 Physics Demonstration
560: Resistance and thickness (Demo)
Aim: to compare resistances with various thicknesses
Gear: DMM, 10 short wires and a 1 m length of wire, 6 mounted nichrome wire
Instructions:
1. Record the resistance of 1m of nichrome wire.
2. Add another wire in parallel and record their resistance
3. Repeat for more wires in parallel
5. How could you test your theory?
Number of wires (in parallel) R(ohm)

1
2
3
4
5
6
6. Predict the resistance of 100 of this type of nichrome wires in parallel

7. What assumptions did you make to get this answer?
NAME ______________________________________________________
570: IV graphs
Gear: power supply, lamp, 100 ohm, ammeter, 3 connecting wires
Aim
To observe current-voltage characteristics for some resistors
Instructions
1. Set up the circuit shown.
2. Draw a circuit diagram for it

3. Set the DMM to record current (10A : 10A: COM)
4. Adjust the potential difference and record the current in the second column
5. Repeat step 4. from zero and record the current in the third column
6. Average and enter into the final column
Potential Current Current Current

difference
0.0
0.5
1.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
7. Check your current values have the same d.p .

8. Check units in your table
9. Plot a graph of current (vertical) against voltage.
11. Repeat for the lamp instead of the resistor

12. Explain the use of an IV graph
NAME ______________________________________________________
580: Simple Circuit
Gear: power supply, lamp, 100 ohm, lamp, diode, ammeter, voltmeter, 5 connecting wires
Aim
To correctly set up a circuit to calculate the resistance of a component
Instructions
Power
supply 100 Ω
6V
1. Draw a neat circuit diagram of the above (using standard circuit symbols etc.)
2. Set up the circuit: begin with the power off.
3. Set up the series circuit : power supply, resistor and ammeter (DMM)
4. Check that a current flows (turn on and off briefly)
5. Turn off and insert the voltmeter in parallel across the resistor
6. Draw a neat circuit diagram (with labels)
7. Disregard any numbers that are negative (or swap over the + and – wires)
8. Record the I and V numbers
9. Calculate R
Dismantle
10. Time one of your group members to set up the same circuit with a lamp instead of
the resistor.
11. Repeat until everyone has completed this at least once.
12. Are you now able to set up the circuit without damage to the components e.g.
ammeter?
NAME ______________________________________________________
585: Potential Divider

Gear: power supply, resistors: 100, 330, 680, 68 ohm, voltmeter, 4 connecting wires, 3 clips,
12V lamp
Aim
To set up and use a voltage divider
Instructions
Power
1. Set up the circuit shown supply
6V
A 100 Ω B 680 Ω
C
1. Measure the voltage (as shown) across the left hand resistor VAB
2. Repeat for the other resistor VBC
3. Repeat for both resistors VAC
4. Calculate the current in the circuit using I = V / (R1+ R2) Complete the table below
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for different pairs of resistors
6. Repeat steps 1-4 using a lamp in parallel with the resistor instead of the voltmeter
Resistance Resistance Resistance Lamp

p.d. (V) p.d. (V)
(ohm) (ohm) (ohm) (brightness)
LH Resistor
RH Resistor
Both Resistors
Current (A)
7. Comment on the potential difference across each resistor compared to the

resistance of each resistor.
8. Can you suggest a use for this voltage divider?

NAME______________________________________________________________
IGCSE Physics Practicals 2019 (Test)
590: Series or parallel
Gear: Power packs, connecting wires, bulbs, voltmeter, ammeter and switch
Carry out the following instructions.
Record your observations and readings in your Practical Book.
Copy the following table.
Set up Fig. 1.1

NAME______________________________________________________________
You are not asked to set up this circuit.
Fig 1.3
END of TEST
NAME ______________________________________________________
IGCSE Physics Practicals 2019 (Test)
595 Combined Resistance
Gear: Power packs, bulbs, voltmeter, ammeter, switch and connecting wires
NAME ______________________________________________________
NAME ______________________________________________________
(k) Summarise your findings
~~ END of TEST ~~
NAME______________________________________________________________
610: Magnetic field lines around bar magnets
Gear: 2 bar magnets, paper, iron filings, flat booklets, paper, plotting compass
Aim: To observe magnetic field lines around bar magnets
The space around a magnet where you can find its magnetism is called a
magnetic field. If you sprinkle iron filings around a magnet, you can see the
field pattern. You can also plot the field pattern using a small compass.
Do either Activity A ,B or C
You must do Activity D
Activity A
1. Place paper over a bar magnet as shown. Sprinkle iron filings. Tap paper.
2. Observe patterns
3. Record field lines in pencil
Bar magnet under

sheet of paper
Activity B
1 Put the magnet in the middle of the paper. Draw round the magnet to mark its position. Keep the magnet
and paper in the same place for the rest of the experiment.
2 Put a dot on the paper near one end of the magnet. Place the compass so
that one end of its needle is next to the dot. Mark the position of the other
end of the needle with another dot.
Move the compass so that the first end of

the needle points to the last dot you
made… and so on until you have a row of
dots which reaches the magnet again or
the edge of the paper.
Join up the dots with a smooth curve. You have now drawn a field
line.
Repeat from a different dot by the magnet. Do this about ten times until you have drawn a full
pattern round the magnet.
Activity C
1. Place a bar magnet in the middle of your page & trace the edge
2. Place a charm compass at a corner of the magnet
3. Mark your sheet with a dot “.” at the tip of the arrow (or tail).
4. Slide the compass so the tail (or arrow) is directly over the dot.
5. Continue sliding and plotting until the curve returns back to the magnet or leaves the page
6. Draw a smooth curve for your points
7. Repeat for a slightly different part of the magnet and draw another curve.
8. Repeat until you have 4-5 curves on both sides of the magnet
9. Put in arrows
S N
Your diagram might look like this.
Extension:
Place a second magnet 20 cm away and
repeat the process.
How do you think the pattern would
appear now?
Activity D
Draw field lines around pairs of magnet in the flowing arrangements
(a)
S N N S
(b) S N S N
(c) S N (d) S N
S N N S
NAME______________________________________________________________
2019 Physics Demonstrations
620: B and a current carrying wire
Gear: 1.5V cell, long wire, 3 short wires, small compass, switch, solenoid, power supply, 5 charm
compasses, lamp, retort stand with 3 clamps +BH
Aim: To demonstrate how current and magnetic field are related
I and B
1. Connect a long wire to a switch and 1.5V cell
2. Place part of the wire parallel to the compass needle
3. Turn on
4. This shows there is a magnetic field around a current carrying conductor.
5. Repeat with a weaker current or a greater distance between them.
6. How does this affect the compass?
Coil
7. Wind the wire twice around the compass.
8. Does this have any affect on the compass?
9. Repeat with 6-10 coils
10. How does the number of coils affect the compass?
Solenoid
11. Connect the solenoid to the switch and cell.
12. Place the compass near the solenoid.
13. Turn on. Move it around the solenoid
14. Locate the positions where the magnetic field is strongest
15. Describe the use of these types of coils in everyday life
Oerted’s Experiment
Aim: To show that the magnetic field is at right angles to the current
Gear: long wire, short wire, power supply, 5 charm compasses, lamp, retort stand with 3 clamps +BH
Instructions
1. Assemble a retort with three clamps (+ bosshead) one above the other to hold a wire vertically
2. The middle clamp supports a large card horizontally
3. The card has a hole in its centre for the long wire to pass through
4. Connect the wire to the power supply, lamp and switch
5. Place compasses around the wire on the card
6. Turn on and determine the direction of the magnetic field.
7. Try different situations
8. Describe the RH Grip rule
NAME______________________________________________________________
2019 Physics Demonstrations
630: Force on a current carrying wire
Gear: power pack, large horseshoe magnet, long wire

Double brass track, steelo
Aim: To demonstrate how current and the force in a magnetic field are related
Activity 1
1. Place the long wire in the magnet as shown.
2. Switch on briefly.
3. Observe the movement.
4. Reverse the polarity of the power supply.
5. Observe the movement.
6. Reverse the polarity of the large magnet.
7. Is this what you expected?
List three ways to make the magnetic force stronger.
Activity 2
8. Connect the brass rails to 6V DC supply
9. Use steelo to remove oxide layer from rails and brass pin
10. Place magnet between the rails
11. Place pin on the track between the jaws of the major magnet.
12. Use RHS rule to predict the direction of the force
13. Repeat with either the wires swapped or the magnet inverted
14. Describe possible uses for such a device
brass track
Major magnet pin

NAME______________________________________________________________
650: Electric Motor

Gear: crocodile clip, 2V power supply, Hodson Electric Motor Kit,
Extension: plasticine, string, stopwatch, electronic scales
The electric motor is an application of a force acting on a current-carrying conductor in a

magnetic field. The force depends on the strength of the magnetic field, the current flowing
through the conductor and the length of the wire in the magnetic field.
Instructions
1. Check that the ‘kit’ contents are complete before you start
2. Align and press the two halves of the rotor together until they ‘click’ (fig.1)
3. Insert axle to ensure rotor spins freely
4. Remove axle and wind the coil with wire.
5. Form the commutator and hold in place with 2 rubber rings (fig. 2)
6. Thread wires through end plate and form the brushes with red and black wire (fig. 3).
7. Fit the two ends to the metal frame with the elastic band (fig. 4).
8. Fit the two magnets with opposite poles facing each other (fig. 5).
9. Fit the axle and fit the rotor between the ends and between the brushes
10. Check that the brushes press gently against the commutator loops.
11. Check that the rotor rotates freely 360o
12. Connect to a 2V DC supply (you may need to give an initial flick to start).
Extension
Using a small piece of adhesive tape attach a length of thread 1500 mm long to the rotor
tube (opposite end to the commutator). Hold the motor on its side on the edge of a bench
so that the string hangs down to the floor and free from obstructions. Tie a small mass to
the end of the thread and connect the motor to the power supply. Have some slack in the
thread and start the motor.
As soon as the mass begins to lift from the floor use a stopwatch to measure the time it
takes to raise a mass (eg 10 g) a height of (1 metre, perhaps).
Calculate the power of the motor in watts.
NAME______________________________________________________________
fig. 1 fig. 2
fig. 3 fig. 4
NAME______________________________________________________________
fig. 5
NAME______________________________________________________________

660: Efficiency of a motor
Aim: to determine the efficiency of an electric motor.
Gear: DC motor, ammeter, switch (or double throw switch), power supply, spool with cotton and mass,
retort stand etc.
Instructions
1. Set up a motor in series with an ammeter, switch and 6V DC supply
2. Clamp to a retort stand on a bench.
3. Tape a 1.2 m length of cotton with 10 g mass.
4. Switch on to wind up the mass.
5. Stop immediately
DC Supply
6. Unwind by reversing the terminals (or use a double throw switch)
7. Record the current and voltage as the mass rises

(repeat a few times if necessary)
8. Measure the height the mass can travel.
9. Time how long it takes to rise to that height
10. Use E = mgh to calculate work output
11. Use E = VIt to calculate work input

𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜
12. Determine the efficiency = x 100%
𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖
13. Repeat using different voltages, e.g. 2V, 4V, 6V, 10V
14. Does the voltage affect the efficiency?

NAME______________________________________________________________

670 Electromagnetic Induction
Aim: To show that changing magnetic field can produce an electric current
Gear: DMM, small motor, leads, alligator clips.
Instructions
Connect the motor terminals to the DMM terminals (set at 20V : V : COM)
Twist the motor shaft to generate a current in the motor coil
Investigate the best method to produce maximum voltage. Do you need to twist faster or slower?
How could electricity be generated using your motor?

NAME______________________________________________________________
700: LED (Light Emitting Diodes)
Gear: Y10 electronics kit, circuit boards for Y10
Aim: To investigate the behavior of an LED
Instructions
1. Connect an LED in series with a 390 ohm resistor, and then to a 9V cell. The LED
should light up.
2. Does this work if the cell is connected the other way round? Try it and see.
3. Place another diode into the circuit.
4. Which way round must it be connected for it to work?
5. Which side is connected to + (the positive)?
6.
The symbol for a diode. In which direction will current flow?

NAME______________________________________________________________
730: Logic gates
Gear: Logic gate boards, leads, battery packs, AA cells.
Aim: To measure the truth tables for logic gates AND, OR, NAND, NOR and NOT.
Instructions
1. Connect the battery pack to the logic gate board, using the terminals at the top left
hand corner. You will need 3 x AA cells in the battery pack.
2. Connect the input switches (A and B) to the input of the AND gate.
3. Connect the output of the AND gate to the logic indicator.
4. Set input switches A and B to 1. The logic indicator light should come ON (we call
this logic state 1).
5. Set input switch A to 1 and B to 0. The logic indicator light should go off (we call
this logic state 0).
6. Draw and complete the truth table below for an AND gate.
Input Input Output

A B (logic
state)
0 0
1 0 0
0 1
1 1 1
Truth table for an AND gate

NAME______________________________________________________________
7. Repeat the experiment using the OR gate (this is below the AND gate on the board).
You will need to draw a new truth table to record your results.
8. Repeat the experiment using a NAND gate (this is made by connecting the output of
the AND gate to the inverter to the right, and then connecting the inverter output to
the logic indicator). You will need to draw a new truth table to record your results.
9. Repeat the experiment using a NOR gate (this is made by connecting the output of the
OR gate to the inverter to the right, and then connecting the inverter output to the
logic indicator). You will need to draw a new truth table to record your results.
10. Repeat the experiment using a NOT gate (this is just an inverter, and only has one
input and one output). You will need to draw a truth table like the one below:
Input A Output
0
1
Truth table for NOT gate
Now learn all five of your truth tables. You need them for the exam!
NAME______________________________________________________________
770: LDR (light Dependent Resistor)
Gear: Y10 electronics kit , DMM, power supply , 12V lamp
Aim: To investigate the behavior of a light dependent resistor
Instructions
Using the DMM, measure the resistance of the LDR in different conditions:
Condition Resistance / ohms

Covered by your hand
In the shadow
5cm from a lamp at 6V
In full sunlight
What is the trend of your readings? Complete the following sentence.
As the light level increases, the resistance of the LDR …………………..
List 2 or more uses of an LDR, apart from being used as a light intensity measuring device..
NAME______________________________________________________________
780: Thermistor
Gear: Y10 electronics kit, jug, beaker, hair dryer, ice, DMM, thermometer
Aim: to investigate the behaviour of a thermistor.
Instructions
1. Connect the DMM to the thermistor, record the temperature and the resistance of the
thermistor.
2. Describe how the resistance of a thermistor changes with temperature.
Condition Temperature (Co) Resistance (ohm)
Initial reading
In ice
In hot water
Hand
NAME______________________________________________________________
Macleans College
900 - Radioactivity
Gear: drawing pins
Radioactive material transforms into different nuclei. In doing so it releases energy in the
form of kinetic energy or electromagnetic waves.
We will investigate the decay pattern by using drawing pins. The pins that point upwards
can be considered as radioactive atoms and the pins that point down (angle) can be
considered as decayed atoms.
Instructions
1. Count the number of pins supplied to you (approx. 100-200). This is throw “0”
2. Pour them onto your table top. This is throw number “1”.
3. Count the number of pins that are pointing upwards (radioactive
atoms)
4. Remove all pins that face down (decayed atoms)
5. Throw again using only radioactive atoms. This is throw number
“2”.
6. Repeat several times until all of the pins are used up.
7. Continue the table for as many throws necessary.
Throw number Number of radioactive atoms

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
8. Graph the class’s number of “Number of radioactive atoms” on the vertical axis against
the “Throw number”.
9. Determine the half life of this by halving the initial number of pins and finding the
corresponding time.
NAME______________________________________________________________
10. Repeat for different initial values and finding the corresponding time interval.
NAME______________________________________________________________
Macleans College
905 – Radioactive dice

Gear: six-sided dice (20 dice per group)
Radioactive material transforms into different nuclei. In
doing so it releases energy in the form of kinetic energy or
electromagnetic waves.
We will investigate the decay pattern by using dice. Dice that show a “6” can be considered
as decayed atoms.
Instructions
1. Count the number of dice supplied to you (about 20). This is throw “0”.
2. Throw them onto your table top (or into a tray). This is throw number “1”.
3. Count the number of dice that show a 6 (these are decayed atoms)
4. Remove all the dice that show a 6, and recorded the number of dice remaining in the
table.
5. Throw again using only the remaining dice. This is throw number “2”.
6. Repeat until you have thrown the dice 15 times.
Throw number Number of dice left

0 20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
7. Graph your number of “Number of dice left” on the vertical axis against the “Throw
number” on the horizontal axis.
8. You could do this with your own results, or you could combine your results with other
groups.
9. Determine the half life of this by halving the initial number of dice and finding the
corresponding number of throws. It should be less than 5.
NAME______________________________________________________________
10. Repeat for different initial values and finding the corresponding time interval.

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iGCSE Physics Practical Booklet 2019

Practical number Description

100: Measuring length and volume

Gear: 60 glass slides, marbles, 15 micrometers

length (mm) thickness (mm) width (mm) volume (mm3)

Using a ruler: values should be written to the nearest mm

Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum

2019 Physics Practical

101: Measuring short time intervals

6. Repeat the above exercise using 10 (continuous) oscillations instead of one.

7. Construct a similar table as above to record the data

102: Number of oscillations vs period of a pendulum

Aim: To record, plot data and extrapolate information from a graph

On this graph plot t (vertical axis) against N (horizontal axis).

7. How does the number of oscillations

103: Oscillations of a Simple Pendulum

Learning Objective: Graphing and analysing data

Length of Time for 10 Period T (s)

104: Density of a regularly shaped object

Type of material density (g cm-3)

105: Density of an irregularly shaped object

Type of material density (g cm-3)

volume 1 volume 2 volume of density Type of

8. Describe the displacement method in 2-3 lines

2019 Physics Practical

200 Using ticker tape

202: Calculating average speed (Vave)

Gear: trolley, ramp, metre ruler, stopwatch

Aim To calculate average speed

7. Construct a table with 6 columns to record your data.

204 Distance along a ramp

Gear: 1.2 m length ramp, small block, trolley, stopwatch, 1m ruler

1. Set the gear as shown in the diagram

206 Speed and acceleration

210: Measuring acceleration

Aim: To analyse acceleration using a ticker timer.

1) The diagram shows a length

3) Set up the apparatus as in the diagram. Use 12V ac.

average speed length of section (m)

acceleration = ‘fast’ speed – ‘slow’ speed (m/s)

15) What is acceleration?

2019 Physics Practical

212: To determine acceleration from a ticker tape

Aim To determine acceleration using a ticker timer.

1. Set up the gear as shown

Time /s Distance travelled between

17. Write a conclusion, make a description or interpretation of your work.

2019 Physics Practical

214: To determine the acceleration due to gravity

Time /s Distance travelled between

iv. How close is your gradient from 6 ms-2?

216: Measuring g (the acceleration due to gravity)

Height Pasco photo gate timer

Pressure sensor pad

2019 Physics Practical

218: Terminal velocity

Gear: 2 x 1 meter rulers, stopwatch, A4 paper, sticky tape

Size of paper time time time (ave)