physics paper 1

• renewable energy sources

  wind

  solar

  geothermal

  water waves

  biofuels

  hydroelectricity

  tidal
• non-renewable energy sources

  fossil fuels - natural gas, coal, and crude oil

  nuclear energy
• specific heat capacity required practical

  measure and record the mass of the copper block using a mass balance in kg

  place a heater in the large hole in the block

  connect the ammeter, power pack and heater in series

  connect the voltmeter across the power pack

  use a pipette to place 2-3 drops of water in the smaller hole

  put the thermometer in this hole

  switch on the power pack

  record ammeter and voltmeter readings

  record starting temperature and start the stopwatch

  record the temperature every minute for a total of 10 minutes
• density required practical (regular solids)

  use a ruler to measure the length, width and height of an object

  use these measurements to calculate the volume (l x h x w)

  place the object on a mass balance and measure its mass in kg

  use these measurements to calculate the density

  (density = mass / volume)
• density required practical (irregular shaped object)

  measure the mass of the object using a mass balance in kg

  fill an eureka can with water until the water level is just below the spout

  place a measuring cylinder underneath the spout to collect the displaced water

  carefully drop the object into the can and wait until no more water leaves the spout

  measure the volume of the displaced water

  use these measurements to calculate the density of the object

  (density = mass / volume)
• resistance in a wire required practical

  set up equipment (drawn diagram)

  ensure that the crocodile clips are 10cm apart

  turn on the power pack

  record the readings on the ammeter and voltmeter

  take these measurements 3 times in total and calculate the mean

  turn off the power pack

  move the crocodile clips to be 20cm apart

  repeat for up to 100cm

  calculate the resistance at each length

  (resistance = potential difference / current)

  plot a graph of resistance against the length of wire
• thermal conductivity (different materials as insulators)

  use the kettle to boil water

  put 80ml of this water in a small beaker

  put the small beaker inside a large beaker

  use a piece of carboard for the lid

  place thermometer through the hole in the lid

  record the starting temperature of the water

  start the stopwatch

  record the temperature of water every 1 minute for 10 minutes in total

  repeat these steps suing different materials to fill the space between the small beaker and large beaker

  use the same volume of water each time

  plot graphs for each material to determine the best insulator
• thermal conductivity (same material, different layers) part 1

  use the kettle to boil water

  put 200ml of this into a 250ml beaker

  use a piece of cardboard as a lid for the beaker

  insert a thermometer through the hole in the lid

  record the start temperature of the water

  start the stopwatch

  record the temperature every 1 minute for 10 minutes in total
• thermal conductivity (same material, different layers) part 2

  repeat these steps using one or more layers of the same insulating material wrapped around the beaker

  hold these layers in place using rubber bands

  make sure you use the same volume of water each time

  plot graphs for all number of layers and determine the effect of adding more layers of insulation on the thermal conductivity
• I-V characteristics required practical

  set up the equipment (drawn diagram)

  record the readings on the ammeter and voltmeter

  adjust the resistance of the variable resistor

  record the readings from the ammeter and voltmeter again

  repeat this process to gain several readings

  swap the connections to the power pack (change polarity)

  take several more readings

  plot a graph of current against potential difference

  swap the component for another (filament bulb, diode, resistor) and repeat these steps
• half-life definition

  the time taken for the number of radioactive nuclei in a sample to half

  OR

  the time taken for the activity to half
• device used to record radioactive decay?

  Geiger-muller tube and counter
• irradiation is the process where objects are exposed to radiation
• contamination is where radioactive particles get on or inside your body