Paper 2 Physics RP

• GCSE physics required practicals for AQA

  • Specific heat capacity
  • Resistance of a wire
  • IV characteristics
  • Density
  • Springs
  • Newton's Second Law
  • Waves
  • Infrared absorption
  • Insulation
  • Refractive index
• Tips for answering practical questions

  • Identify the independent variable (the thing you change)
  • Identify the dependent variable (the thing you measure)
  • Identify the control variables (things you keep the same)
  • State the equipment used for each measurement
  • State the obvious (even if it seems trivial)
  • Discuss the accuracy of measurements and how to reduce errors/uncertainties
  • Perform multiple or repeat measurements to calculate a mean
  • Write answers in bullet point format
• Specific heat capacity practical

  1. Insert electrical heater into beaker of water or block of metal

  2. Measure mass and initial temperature

  3. Turn on heater and measure temperature every 20 seconds

  4. Measure current and potential difference of heater

  5. Use equation: specific heat capacity = energy / (mass x temperature change)
• Specific heat capacity


  The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C
• Resistance of a wire practical

  1. Attach wire using crocodile clips and cables to a battery, ammeter, and voltmeter

  2. Change the distance between crocodile clips to change the effective length of the wire

  3. Measure the length with a ruler

  4. Calculate resistance using Ohm's law: resistance = voltage / current

  5. Plot resistance against length and look for a directly proportional relationship
• IV characteristics practical


  1. Vary the potential difference across a fixed resistor and measure the current

  2. Repeat with the battery reversed to get negative values

  3. Do this for a filament bulb and a diode
• Ohmic component


  A component that has a constant resistance, resulting in a straight line on the IV graph
• Non-ohmic component


  A component whose resistance changes with current, resulting in a curved IV graph
• Density practical


  1. For regular objects: measure mass and dimensions to calculate volume

  2. For irregular objects: use displacement or Eureka can to find volume

  3. For solutions: measure mass and volume to calculate density
• Density


  Mass per unit volume
• Springs practical


  1. Fix one end of the spring and hang increasing masses from the other end

  2. Measure the extension of the spring

  3. Plot force against extension and find the spring constant from the gradient
• Hooke's law


  Force = spring constant x extension
• Newton's Second Law practical

  1. Attach masses to a trolley on a track or air track

  2. Let the masses fall, accelerating the trolley

  3. Measure the acceleration using light gates or a stopwatch

  4. Plot force against acceleration and find the mass from the gradient
• Newton's Second Law


  Force = mass x acceleration
• Waves practical (ripple tank)

  1. Use a ruler to measure the wavelength of waves projected onto a screen

  2. Vary the frequency and observe the change in wavelength while keeping the wave speed constant
• Waves practical (standing waves)

  1. Use a vibration generator to produce a standing wave on a string

  2. Vary the frequency until the simplest standing wave is formed

  3. Measure the length of the string and use the frequency to calculate the wave speed
• Wave equation


  Wave speed = frequency x wavelength
• Infrared absorption practical


  1. Use an infrared detector to measure the infrared radiation emitted from different surfaces of a Leslie cube filled with hot water

  2. Compare the infrared absorption and emission of different materials
• Insulation practical


  1. Wrap beakers of hot water in different insulation materials

  2. Record the temperature drop over time
• Refractive index practical


  1. Place a glass or perspex block on paper and shine light from a ray box at an angle

  2. Measure the angle of incidence and angle of refraction

  3. Calculate the refractive index as the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction