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A Level Physics Exam Questions About Experiments
A summary of the key points to include when answering questions about experiments.
Date : 9/12/2017
A Level
PhysicsAnswering
6-mark exam questions about EXPERIMENTS.Try to include most or
all of the following points. This looks like a lot of work but most of these
can be covered very briefly.·
EQUIPMENTo
Labelled diagramo
List any equipment not shown in diagram·
METHODo
What measurements
do you need to take?§
The actual
physical measurements (i.e. diameter NOT cross-sectional area)o
What equipment
will you use to take each measurement?§
Mention
it, even if it’s something as obvious as using a ruler to measure length.o
Range and
values§
E.g. “Load
spring with 100g masses in 10 stages up to a maximum of 1kg.”o
Repeats§
Take 3
repeats and calculate mean if possible.§
For
Hooke’s Law/Young’s Modulus experiments, repeat readings for loading and
unloading.§
For small
readings, measure in large multiples to reduce %-uncertainty (e.g. record time
taken for 10 or 20 pendulum swings and then divide by 10 or 20 to calculate
time period)o
What calculations
do you need to do? §
(e.g.
halve diameter to find radius then A =πr² for cross-sectional area)·
RESULTSo
This is nearly always a GRAPHICAL method, not just subbing one set of results into an
equation.o
What will you put on each axis? §
Something
you measured (e.g. current) or something you calculated from your measurements
(e.g. resistance)o
What do you need to read from the graph?§
Gradient?
(nearly always!)§
Intercept?
(occasionally!)§
Something
else, like checking for a straight line through the origin (indicating
proportionality)o
Any further calculations?§
E.g. Is
your gradient the final “answer” or do you need to multiply/divide by a
constant to get the value you’re looking for?·
HEALTH
& SAFETYo
This doesn’t seem to be on the mark scheme so
much these days but if there’s something obvious like wearing eye protection
then mention it – can’t hurt!
This resource was uploaded by: Mark