Summary CIE A Level Physics Practicals - Paper 3 and 5

Common Practical Points


 G-clamp – note that this means the item Will be stationary and cannot move or rotate
 Supports
 Clamp stand
 Light gates -> attached to time loggers, frequency meter
 Clean equipment
 Conducting putty
 Repeat measurements and average
 Micrometer
 Rotating device eg. turntable or motor
 Hard to tell when an oscillation ends - fiducial mark = something you place behind your
experiment in order to give a clear reference point eg. paper with mark to measure rotations
 Use many oscillations and determine T = t/n, where T is time period, t is total time and n is
number of oscillations
 Barrier/safety screen so no dropping on floor
 Don’t use goggles if very large mass; instead protective screen
 Use cameras/slow motion freeze frame video for measurements
 Set square to ensure vertical
 Sand tray
 Forceps
 Spirit level
 Sound – quiet room, light – dark room
 Small current to reduce heating effect, large current for noticeable emf/voltage
o Protective resistor to reduce I
 Switch off currents when not in use to prevent overheating
 Wait for motion to become stable before measuring
 Aim for a linear relationship
 Stopwatch, timer, etc.
 Control variables
 Diffraction grating to find wavelength of monochromatic light
 Close windows to reduce draughts
 Lead-lined container
 Spring-loaded device <- fall with no initial velocity
 Guide for falling objects
 Variable resistor/rheostat
 Burette
 Strong supports, heavy objects away from edges
 Gloves to prevent electrocution
 High density reduces air resistance
 Repeat measurements AND plot a graph
 Camera with detail
 Specify size
 Labelled values of mass may not be accurate- use top pan balance
 Reaction time – for UNEXPECTED events not for things that you know will happen eg. a
pendulum oscillating