Practicals

• Calorimetry method

  • Cold water measured into a copper calorimeter
  • Record the water's initial temperature
  • Water heated using flame from fuel
  • Record the water's final temperature

  The spirit burner containing the fuel weighed before and after to find the mass of the fuel burned
• Apparatus for a resistance in parallel circuits practical

  • 1x ammeter
  • 1x voltmeter
  • 5x resistors
  • 2x batteries
  • Wires
• Method for a resistance in parallel circuits practical

  • set up circuit with 1 resistor connected to the batteries
  • record the circuit current & voltage across batteries
  • Add second resistor in parallel
  • repeat step 2
  • repeat step 3 & 4 until 5 resistors are connected
• Apparatus for an investigating resistance of a wire practical

  • Ammeter
  • voltmeter
  • 1m resistance wire
  • crocodile clips
  • cell
  • ruler
  • connecting wires
• Method for an investigating the resistance of a wire practical

  1. Connect the circuit

  2. Connect the clips to the wire 100cm apart

  3. Record the ammeter & voltmeter

  4. Move one of the clips closer until they are 90 cm apart

  5. Record new readings

  6. Repeat the previous steps reducing the length by 10 cm

  7. Use the results to calculate the resistance
• Method for the investigation of the current voltage characteristics of a component

  1. Set up the circuit

  2. Adjust power supply from 0V until voltmeter reads 2.0 V

  3. Record voltmeter and ammeter readings

  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for voltmeter readings of 4.0 - 12.0V
• Apparatus for the investigation of the current voltage characteristic of a component

  • ammeter
  • Voltmeter
  • 12 V lamp
  • connecting wires
  • variable power supply
• Apparatus for a effect of temperature on an enzyme controlled reaction 


  • potato
  • filter paper discs
  • stopwatch
  • distilled water
  • specimen tubes
  • hydrogen peroxide
  • hot/cold water
• Method for an effect of temperature on an enzyme controlled reaction

  1. Measure 20cm³ hydrogen peroxide & pour into a test tube

  2. Place into beaker of water, temperature of 20°C

  3. Leave for five minutes

  4. Grind the potato with 5cm³ of distilled water

  5. Dip a filter paper disc into the enzyme solution

  6. Drop the filter paper into hydrogen peroxide & time how long it takes to float up to the surface

  8. Record the result in a table

  9. Repeat this four more times with a fresh disc, in the same tube

  12. Repeat with other temperatures
• Apparatus for an effect of substrate concentration on an enzyme controlled reaction

  • 5 test tubes
  • 250cm3 beakers
  • distilled water
  • syringes
  • stopwatch
  • thermometer
  • universal indicator solution
  • pH chart
• Method for an effect of substrate concentration on an enzyme controlled reaction

  1. Label five test-tubes

  2. Prepare dilutions of urea solution

  3. Add 10cm³ of the urea solution to each labelled tube

  4. Add 10 drops of dilute ethanoic acid to each tube

  5. Add ten drops of universal indicator to each tube

  6. Note the colour and pH at time 0

  7. Add 2cm³ of the urease enzyme to each tube, start the clock

  8. Time how long it takes to reach the end-point, no further colour change

  9. Repeat 3 times
• Apparatus for a investigation of heat energy released by burning fuels practical

  • eye protection
  • 250cm3 conical flask
  • 100cm3 measuring cylinder
  • thermometer
  • methanol spirit burner
  • ethanol spirit burner
  • splint
  • Clamp & stand
  • Bunsen burner
• Method for an investigation of heat energy released by burning fuels practical

  1. Wear eye protection

  3. Record mass of methanol spirit burner

  4. Measure 100 cm³ of water into the conical flask

  6. Clamp the flask 5 cm above the top of the spirit burner

  7. Record initial temperature of water

  8. light the spirit burner & heat water until temperature rises 40 °C

  10. Record final temperature of water

  11. Extinguish the flame and let the spirit burner cool

  12. Record the final mass

  13. Repeat steps for ethanol
• Apparatus for the investigation of diffusion

  • eye protection
  • 250 cm³ beaker
  • 100 cm³ measuring cylinder
  • paper towel
  • 30 cm ruler
  • spatula
  • stop clock
  • 3 x agar cubes 2.0 cm side length on a labelled petri dish
  • 3x agar cubes 1.5 cm side length on a labelled petri dish
  • 3 x agar cubes 1.0 cm side length on a labelled petri dish
  • 3 x agar cubes 0.8 cm side length on a labelled petri dish
  • 3 x agar cubes 0.5 cm side length on a labelled petri dish
  • 100 cm³ hydrochloric acid
  • white tile
  • wash bottle containing tap water
  • paper towels
• Method for the investigation of diffusion

  1. Wear eye protection

  2. Measure 100 cm3 hydrochloric acid with measuring cylinder & pour into beaker

  3. Place 3 agar jelly blocks of side length 0.5 cm into the beaker with acid using spatula

  4. start the stop clock and leave blocks in acid for 3 minutes

  5. After 3 minutes, remove blocks from beaker with spatula and wash with water from wash bottle

  6. Place the blocks back on the labelled petri dish on top of the white tile and measure the width of any pink colour remaining for all three blocks