Edexcel GCSE 9-1 Science

Physics Practicals

Acceleration Investigate the effect of mass on the acceleration of a trolley

Measure the speed, frequency and wavelength of waves using a
Waves
ripple tank.

Refraction Investigate how light is affected when it travels from air into glass.

investigate the effect of different coloured surfaces on the amount

Thermal Radiation of energy transferred by radiation from a boiling tube of hot water.
Investigate the relationship between potential difference, current
Investigating Resistance
and resistance for a resistor and a filament lamp.

Densities Compare the densities of different solids.

Find the specific heat capacity of water. (amount of heat needed

Specific Heat Capacity
to raise the temperature of one kilogram of mass by 1 degree. )
Investigate the extension and work done when applying forces to
Extension of a spring
a spring
What you need to know or show

1. A basic awareness of what the practical is trying to find out or demonstrate.

2. The equipment in the practical and what it does.

3. The science underpinning the practical.

4. Key points of the methods (you can’t remember every detail).

5. Control variables and safety/risk factors.

1. Acceleration

100g = 1N

3 readings for
RELIABILITY (not
“fairness”.
1. Waves
740 Hz

a r
d b
o li
a s
In
We had to find
In wat
er SPEED,
FREQUENCY and
WAVELENGTH
 Light changes direction because of the DENSITY of the material.
3. Refraction The Perspex is MORE DENSE so it slows the light down as it
enters causing it to bend.

We used protractors to
measure the angles.

The bigger the angle of

incidence, the bigger
the angle of rrefraction.
4. Investigating thermal radiation

Dark/dull materials absorb heat much

more than shiny ones. The shiny
materials should reflect the heat back
into the water. The temperature should
drop faster in the tubes with dark paper.

Why?
 Metals have FREE electrons. They can FLOW down a
5. Investigating Resistance When this happens they collide and energy is released.
wire but the metal atoms (or IONS) get in their way.

This is RESISTANCE

Delocalised “free”
electrons in a wire.

This means it If the resistor is

takes more fixed then a
voltage (push) bigger voltage
to make a (push) will
current flow make a higher
through a current.
higher
resistance.
 We used different materials. We measured
6. Densities their masses on a mass balance and measured
their volumes by displacing water.

If there are lots of

atoms crammed
into a small volume
then the object is
dense, like lead.

Materials that are

light and not dense
don’t have many
atoms crammed
into their volume.
7. Specific Heat Capacity
5434 J

What is each
piece of
apparatus
for?
8. Extension of a spring

The more force we apply to a

spring the more it will stretch or
extend. This depends on it’s
“stretchiness”. We use a
SPRING CONSTANT to factor in
“stretchiness”. K will be
different for each spring as
different springs have different
stretchiness.
This is a proportional relationship. If force is doubled
then extension doubles.