Required Practicals

• 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 (e.g. use a ruler to measure length)
  • Discuss the accuracy of measurements and how to reduce errors/uncertainties
  • Perform multiple/repeat measurements to calculate a mean
• Answers can be written in bullet point format
• Use proper English, not abbreviated points
• Specific heat capacity practical

  1. Insert electrical heater into beaker/block

  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. Calculate energy supplied and use equation to find specific heat capacity
• Resistance of a wire

  Resistance is directly proportional to length of wire
• IV characteristics practical


  1. Vary potential difference across fixed resistor and measure current

  2. Repeat with battery reversed to get negative values

  3. Plot graph of current vs potential difference

  4. Straight line through origin shows resistance is constant (ohmic)

  5. Curved line shows resistance increases at higher currents (non-ohmic)
• Density practical


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

  2. For irregular objects: Use displacement method to find volume

  3. For solutions: Measure mass and volume to calculate density
• Springs practical


  1. Hang increasing masses from spring and measure extension

  2. Plot force vs extension graph

  3. Gradient gives spring constant
• Newton's Second Law practical

  1. Attach masses to trolley and let them fall, measuring acceleration

  2. Change the force by removing masses, keeping total mass constant

  3. Plot force vs acceleration graph, gradient gives mass
• Waves practical (ripple tank)

  1. Measure wavelength by projecting waves onto screen and using ruler

  2. Vary frequency and observe how wavelength changes while wave speed remains constant
• Waves practical (standing waves on string)


  1. Vary frequency until simplest standing wave forms

  2. Length of string is half the wavelength, use this and frequency to calculate wave speed
• Infrared absorption practical


  1. Compare infrared radiation emitted from different surfaces of Leslie cube

  2. Compare temperature increase of tubes wrapped in different materials
• Insulation practical


  1. Wrap beakers of hot water in different insulation materials

  2. Record temperature drop over time
• Refractive index practical


  1. Shine light through glass/plastic block at different angles

  2. Measure angles of incidence and refraction

  3. Calculate refractive index using sin(i)/sin(r)