REVISION CARDS

Physics Core Practicals

www.physicsinfo.co.uk Modified 09/05/2018 (PB)

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 List of Core Practicals - Paper 1
Core practicals , carried out throughout the course, enable the following skills to be developed: Independent thinking, use
and application of scientific methods and practices, research and referencing, instruments and equipment

1 Determine the acceleration of free fall 1 2 4 11

2 Determine the electrical resistivity of a material 1 2 5 6 7
3 Determine the e.m.f. and internal resistance of an electrical cell 2 6 7
4 Use a falling ball method to determine the viscosity of a liquid 1 3 4
5 Determine the Young Modulus of a material 1 5
6 Determine the speed of sound in air using a 2 beam oscilloscope, signal generator, speaker and 1 8 9
microphone
7 Investigate the effects of length tension and mass per unit length on the frequency of a vibrating 1 2 8
string or wire
8 Determine the wavelength of light from a laser or other source using a diffraction grating 10
 List of Core Practicals - Paper 2
9 Investigate the relationship between the force exerted on an object and its change of 1 4
momentum
10 Use ICT to analyse collisions between small spheres e.g. ball bearings on a table top 1 11
11 Use an oscilloscope or datalogger to display and analyse the potential difference (p.d.) across a 8 11
capacitor as it charges and discharges through a resistor
12 Calibrate a thermistor in a potential divider circuit as a thermostat 1 2 6 7 11
13 Determine the specific latent heat of a phase change 6 7 11
14 Investigate the relationship between pressure and volume of a gas at fixed temperature 1
15 Investigate the absorption of gamma radiation by lead 12
16 Determine the value of an unknown mass using the resonant frequency of the oscillations of 1 3 11
known mass

1 x 11, 2 x 5. 3 x 2, 4 x 3, 5 x 2, 6 x 4, 7 x 4, 8 x 3, 9 x 1, 10 x 1, 11 x 6, 12 x 1
 Topic 2: Core Practical 1:
Determine the acceleration of free fall:

Weight = mass x gravitational field strength

w=mg

Force = mass x acceleration

F=ma

gravitational field strength

g=F/m

Examples include: Digital camera and frame count

Inclined plane and increasing acceleration with angle
Ball and gate

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 Topic 3: Core Practical 2
Determine the electrical resistivity of a material:

There are a number of potential experiments:

Experiment with a tank of salt water, plate (Al foil) at each end and piece of metal moving back
and forth along the tank

Plot resistance vs. length. The gradient is ρ / A (know the cross-section, find resistivity)

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 Topic 3: Core Practical 3
Determine the e.m.f. and internal resistance of an electrical cell:
VR / volts I / Amps
1.00 1.09
A 1.15 0.80
EMF
1.20 0.72
Terminal VR
potential r R 1.30 0.53
1.35 0.43
1.40 0.30

A variable resistor is used to find

various values of VR and I, these Rtot = R + r
can then plotted on a graph. (V = I R) Gradient of graph = 0.52 Ohms
E.M.F. = I R + I r
The gradient of the graph will be E.M.F. = VR + I r E.M.F. = 1.57 Volts
the internal resistance (r). (NOT IN FORMULA SHEET)

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 Topic 4: Core Practical 4
Use a falling ball method to determine the viscosity of a liquid:

At constant velocity the weight of the ball bearing (Fg) is balanced by the
drag (Fd) and the buoyancy (Fb). Fg = Fd + Fb

In this experiment we are making (the not completely justifiable)

assumptions that constant velocity is reached almost immediately.

Using the Stokes’ Law equation Fd = 6π η r v we can find an approximate

value for the viscosity of the liquid. Viscosity varies with temperature so
it is important to note the temperature of the liquid.
Densities:
Steel 7800 kg m-3
If you wish to take this further, you could calculate a better value for η Golden syrup 1430 kg m-3
Motor oil 890 kg m-3
using:

η = 4/3 π r3 g (ρ – σ) η = 2 r2 g (ρ – σ)
6πrv 9v

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Techniques: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 CPAC 1a, 3a 7
 Topic 4: Core Practical 4
Use a falling-ball method to determine the viscosity of a liquid
Stokes’ Law F = 6  r v

F = the drag force of a fluid on a sphere (viscous drag) Fliquid F

Fliquid = is the upthrust = weight of fluid displaced (m x g) upthrust viscous drag (6  r v )
 = fluid viscosity (Nm-2s) (Pa s)
r = radius of the sphere (m)
v = velocity (ms-1)

At terminal velocity: F + Fliquid = m g

Weightsphere = upthrust + viscous drag
Viscous drag (F) = weight - upthrust

mg = weight of sphere
Stokes’ Law only applies to small spherical objects moving at low speeds with laminar flow. The frictional drag
for larger spheres is smaller than for smaller spheres so large rain drops hurt more, not just because they’re
bigger but also because they are travelling faster !

{Note: Use the term ‘upthrust’ rather than ‘buoyancy’}

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 Topic 4: Core Practical 4
Ball bearings in golden syrup Temperature:
Mass Weight Radius Distance Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Time Av Velocity Viscosity
/kg x 10-3 /N x 10-3 /m x 10-3 /m /sec /sec /sec /sec /ms-1x 10-3 /Pa s

Ball bearings in 10-40 motor oil Temperature:

Mass Weight Radius Distance Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Time Av Velocity Viscosity
/kg x 10-3 /N x 10-3 /m x 10-3 /m /sec /sec /sec /sec /ms-1x 10-3 /Pa s

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 Topic 4: Core Practical 5
Determine the Young Modulus of a material:
Measure the length of the wire (l)
Method Measure the diameter in a number of places
using a digital micrometer to calculate an
average.

E= σ = F/A = F.l
ε x/l A.x

A Vernier scale can be used to improve the precision of the

measurement of extension.

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Technique: 1, 5 CPAC: 1a, 3b, 5b 10
 Topic 4: Core Practical 5
Results Mass Force ∆x
/kg /N /mm
0.1 0
Copper wire diameter = 1.93 x 10-6 m 0.2 3
Length 3.100 m
ε = 1.2 x 1011 Nm-2 0.3 5
0.4 8
0.5 11
0.6 14

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 Topic 4: Core Practical 5
Determine the Young modulus of a material

Young’s Modulus = stress / strain

E=σ/ε

E = Youngs Modulus
σ = Stress = force/ cross-section area σ=F/A
Breaking stress
ε = Strain = change in length/original length ε =∆x / x
x
Tensile/compressive stress: force / cross-section area

Tensile/compressive strain: change in length / original length

Young Modulus: The ratio of stress to strain.

Breaking stress: The stress at which a specimen fails

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 Topic 5: Core Practical 6
Determine the speed of sound in air using a 2 beam oscilloscope, signal generator, speaker and microphone:

When the wave shown on the 2 beam oscilloscope from the speaker via the
microphone is in phase with the wave fed directly to the oscilloscope, the
distance between the microphone and speaker will be a whole number of
wavelengths.

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Techniques: 1, 3, 8, 9 CPAC: 2a, 2d, 4a 13
 Topic 5: Core Practical 6
Determine the speed of sound in air using a 2-beam oscilloscope, signal generator, speaker and microphone

When any two waves interact, one resultant wave

is formed. This can be shown on the oscilloscope
screen when looking at the inputs from the two
microphones. The standing wave on the next
page is another example of this addition

Direction of blue wave >>>

The red wave is the mathematical resultant of the

superposition of the blue and the green wave.
<<< Direction of green wave
Where the two waves add to make a greater displacement, constructive interference occurs. Where the two waves
cancel each other out to make a smaller displacement, destructive interference occurs. This accounts for the stereo
effect in music and for the loud and soft ‘zones’ in a concert hall.

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 Topic 5: Core Practical 6
Move the microphone along the ruler and record the distance between the speaker and microphone when the
two waves on the screen are in phase. Repeat this for a number of frequencies (3,300 Hz or less). You might
want to use a frequency App on your phone just to check the value for f.

Frequency / Length 1 / Length 2 / Length 3 / Length 4 / Mean difference /

Hz m x 10-2 m x 10-2 m x 10-2 m x 10-2 m x 10-2

4050 113.0 104.5 96.0 87.5 8.6 ± 3

2110 90.0 73.0 55.5 40.0 16.3 ± 1.8

A graph of f vs. 1/λ will give a gradient of v.

From the above data, the speed of sound in air is approximately 346 m/s

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 Topic 5: Core Practical 7
Investigate the effects of length tension and mass per unit length on the frequency of a vibrating string or wire:

The speed of a transverse wave on a string (v) is dependant upon a number of factors
and these relate to the equation:

𝑇
𝑣 = but 𝑣 =𝑓λ
μ

We can show the relationship between the tension in the string and frequency by
changing the mass on the mass hanger, hence changing the tension, and adjusting
the frequency of the signal generator until a standing wave is observed.

A graph of f2 vs. T should give a straight line of gradient 1 / µ λ2

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Techniques: 1, 3, 8, 9 CPAC 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4a, 4b 16
 Topic 5: Core Practical 7
Values for 2 λ
µ for string = 1.6 g/m

Mass /g Weight f /Hz f2

/N
100 10 32 1024
200 20 43 1849
300 30 56 3136
400 40 64 4096
500 50 70 4900
600 60 78 6084

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 Topic 5: Core Practical 7
Investigate the effects of length, tension and mass per unit length on the frequency of a vibrating string or wire.

Length /cm Frequency / Hz

1 2 3 Av
Sample data for a
19 195 ‘heavy’ wire-wrapped
18 203 198 210 204 guitar string. 3.8g for
104cm.
17 229 220 220 223
16 243 239 235 239 The wire is under a
15 252 250 249 250 tension of 20N
14 265 262 261 263
13 275 273 273 274
12 295 283 285 288

Plotting a graph of 1 /f2 vs. 4l2/T would give a line of gradient the mass per unit length of the wire (µ).
Changing the tension in the wire or the mass per unit length of the wire would allow other graphs to be plotted.
 Topic 5: Core Practical 7
Investigate the effects of length, tension and mass per unit length on the frequency of a vibrating string or wire

Wave speed on a wire

Further investigating the effects of length, tension and mass per unit
length on the frequency of a vibrating string or wire.

𝑇
𝑣 = Here λ = 2 l
𝜇
𝑣
Knowing: v = f λ rearrange: to f = 𝜆

𝑇
Therefore, 𝑓 = λ=2l
λ μ

𝑇 𝑣
𝑓2 = f=
4l2 μ 2𝑙

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 Topic 5: Core Practical 7
Investigate the effects of length, tension and mass per unit length on the frequency of a vibrating string or wire.

Length /cm Frequency / Hz

1 2 3 Av
Sample data for a
19 195 ‘heavy’ wire-wrapped
18 203 198 210 204 guitar string. 3.8g for
104cm.
17 229 220 220 223
16 243 239 235 239 The wire is under a
15 252 250 249 250 tension of 20N
14 265 262 261 263
13 275 273 273 274
12 295 283 285 288

Plotting a graph of 1 /f2 vs. 4l2/T would give a line of gradient the mass per unit length of the wire (µ).
Changing the tension in the wire or the mass per unit length of the wire would allow other graphs to be plotted.

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 Topic 5: Core Practical 8
Determine the wavelength of light from a laser or other source using a diffraction grating:

It is necessary to use coherent and monochromatic

light in diffraction experiments. To be
monochromatic they need to have the same
frequency, and to be coherent they also need to
come from the same source. Using a laser solves
both these problems.

Light from a laser is shone through a diffraction

grating (slide with a number of fine lines). The light
diffracts and a pattern is observed on a screen – the
screen should be more than 2m from the grating.

The distance between a number of bright fringes is

measured and the distance between adjacent fringes
calculated.
Visible light has wavelengths between 440 and 660 nm –
your answer should be in this order of magnitude.
These two figures are then used to find the angle θ
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 Topic 5: Core Practical 8

Path 1

Path 2
n λ = d sin θ
d

When the difference in length between Path 1 and Path 2 equals a whole number of wavelengths, n λ, constructive
interference result in a bright patch on the screen, when the difference is ½ λ destructive interference will result in
a dark patch. By taking various measurements, it is possible to calculate λ using n λ = d sin Ѳ. (Link also to page 7)

(Destructive interference occurs when waves combine in antiphase (ie: phase difference of π)
such as at antinodes, hence producing the dark fringes of the diffraction pattern.)

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 Topic 5: Core Practical 8
Determine the wavelength of light from a laser or other light
source using a diffraction grating.

n λ = d sin Ѳ

Waves can be diffracted when they pass through a gap of a similar

dimension to the wavelength – the larger the gap (the shorter the
wavelength), the less the diffraction. Longer waves are diffracted more
than microwaves so the house can hear the radio but will have no
mobile phone signal.

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 Topic 6: Core Practical 9
Investigate the relationship between the force exerted on an object and its change of momentum:

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 Topic 6: Core practical 9
This is to demonstrate the relationship
between force and acceleration (F=ma is a
special application of Newton’s 2nd Law
where the mass of the system is constant)

Mass of the system (string, trolley, mass

etc) is constant. M = 0.717kg

The gradient will be slightly less than

m/kg T/s v/m s-1 m T/kg s expected as friction will reduce the
velocity through the light gate. The air
0.010 3.80 0.340 0.0380
track reduces contact friction but
0.015 2.90 0.455 0.0435 there is still considerable air
0.020 2.44 0.532 0.0488 resistance – a slight slope might help
(it certainly does if using
0.025 2.17 0.579 0.0543 the dynamics trolley)
0.030 1.98 0.644 0.0549
0.035 1.79 0.704 0.0627

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 Topic 6: Core Practical 10
Use ICT to analyse collisions between small spheres e.g. ball bearings on a table top:

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 Topic 6: Core practical 10
Use ICT to analyse collisions between small spheres, e.g. ball bearings on a table top

Before collision After collision

Using a video camera, a balance and the law of conservation of

linear momentum, calculate the momentum of the balls before
and after the collisions

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 Topic 7: Core Practical 11
Use an oscilloscope or datalogger to display and analyse the potential difference (p.d.) across a capacitor as it
charges and discharges through a resistor:

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 Topic 7: Core practical 11
Use an oscilloscope or data logger to display and analyse the potential difference (P.D.) across a capacitor as it charges
and discharges through a resistor

Using a data logger allows readings to be taken at shorter

intervals and over a much longer time, without human
error, providing a better data set.

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 Topic 9: Core Practical 12
Calibrate a thermistor in a potential divider circuit as a thermostat:

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 Topic 9: Core Practical 12
Calibrate a thermistor in a potential divider circuit as a thermostat (Should really say ‘ Calibrate a thermistor and
then use it in a potential divider circuit’.)
Using a potential divider.
Initially devised to counter the
As the temperature increases, the
problems experienced with valves
resistance of the thermistor
getting hot and increasing resistance
decreases and the potential
in a circuit, an ntc thermistor is a
difference across the thermistor
resistor whose resistance decreases
decreases whilst the potential
with increasing temperature.
difference across R1 increases.
All thermistors have their own
unique calibration curves (try
straightening the lines by plotting
the log of the value obtained).

The aim of the investigation is to insert the calibrated

thermistor into a potential divider circuit which should then be
able to give a 3.0V output at 40°C from a 6V supply.

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 Topic 9: Core Practical 13
Determine the specific latent heat of a phase change:

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 Topic 9: Core Practical 13
Determine the specific latent heat of a phase change

Specific Latent Heat: The amount of thermal energy needed (or released) when 1 kg of substance changes state (e.g.
liquid to gas - vaporisation) without a change in temperature.
ΔE = thermal energy for a change of state (joules, J)
m = mass (kilogram, kg)
L = specific latent heat (joules per kilogram, J/kg)

ΔE = L x Δm

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 Topic 9: Core Practical 13 data
Determine the specific latent heat of a phase change. Method and example data

Determine the mass of a dry, empty beaker. Add 100cm3 of water and find the mass.
Measure the temperature of the water. Add approx. 20g of melting ice (0°C), stir until
the ice melts.
Record the lowest temperature achieved.
Measure the mass of the beaker, water and melted ice

Initial temperature of water = θ1 = 23 °C

Final temperature of water = θ2 = 7 °C
ΔƟw = 23 - 7 = 14 °C
ΔƟi = 7 - 0 = 7 °C
Mass of beaker = m0 = 100.3 g
Mass of beaker plus water = m1 = 202.4 g
mw x SHCw x ΔƟw = mi x SHCw x ΔƟi + L x mi
Mass of water = mw = 102.1 g
102.1 x 4.2 x 23 = 22.3 x 4.2 x 7 + L x 22.3
Mass of beaker plus water and ice = 224.7 g
Mass of ice = mi = 22.3 g
L = 6205 / 22.3 = 278 Jg-1
(SHC. Specific heat capacity of water c = 4.2 J g–1 °C–1)

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 Topic 9: Core Practical 14
Investigate the relationship between pressure and volume of a gas at fixed temperature:

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 Topic 9: Core practical 14
Investigate the relationship between pressure and volume of a gas at fixed temperature

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 Topic 11: Core Practical 15
Investigate the absorption of gamma radiation by lead:

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 Topic 11: Core practical 15
Investigate the absorption of gamma radiation by lead

Measure and record the background radiation

Set the Geiger counter up a fixed distance away
from the source and record the count for 2
minutes.
Do not handle the source, handle with tongs
Measure the thickness of the lead in a number
of places and calculate an average Do not stand in front of the source

Place one thin sheet of lead between the source Replace the source in lead lined safe after use
and detector and measure the count for 2
minutes
Repeat for increasing number of sheets of lead
Measure the background again and subtract the
average background reading from the results
Plot a graph of lead thickness vs. count rate

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 Topic 13: Core Practical 16
Determine the value of an unknown mass using the resonant frequency of the oscillations of known mass:

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 Topic 13: Core Practical 16
Determine the value of an unknown mass using the resonant frequencies of the oscillation of known masses

For a series of known masses on the same spring, measure the time period.
Measure the time for ten oscillations and then divide by ten. This reduces percentage uncertainty of time
period.

𝑚
By comparing 𝑇 = 2𝜋 to y = mx + c, we can see that plotting T against 𝑚 we will get a straight line.
𝑘

To work out the value of an unknown mass, measure the time period and then use the line on the graph to find
𝑚. Square this to find m.

|
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T (s) |
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