physics paper 2 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
  • Perform multiple/repeat measurements to calculate a mean
  • Write answers in bullet point format
• Specific heat capacity (SHC)

  The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C
• Measuring SHC


  1. Insert electrical heater into beaker of water or metal 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 SHC
• Resistance of a wire

  Directly proportional to length of wire
• Measuring resistance of a wire

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

  2. Change length of wire and measure current and potential difference

  3. Calculate resistance using Ohm's law

  4. Plot resistance against length and get a straight line through the origin
• IV characteristics


  • Vary potential difference across a fixed resistor and measure current
  • Straight line through origin for ohmic conductor
  • Curved line for non-ohmic conductor like a filament bulb
  • Diode only allows current to flow in one direction
• Density


  Mass per unit volume
• Measuring density of solids

  1. Weigh object on balance

  2. Measure dimensions to calculate volume

  3. Use equation density = mass/volume
• Measuring density of irregularly shaped solids

  1. Submerge object in water and measure volume of water displaced

  2. Use equation density = mass/volume
• Measuring density of liquids

  1. Weigh a measuring cylinder, add liquid, and measure volume

  2. Use equation density = mass/volume
• Spring constant

  The force required to stretch a spring by 1 unit of length
• Measuring spring constant


  1. Fix one end of spring and hang increasing masses

  2. Measure extension of spring

  3. Plot force against extension and get a straight line through the origin

  4. Gradient of line is the spring constant
• Newton's Second Law


  Force = mass x acceleration
• Verifying Newton's Second Law

  1. Attach masses to trolley and let them fall

  2. Measure acceleration using light gates or stopwatch

  3. Plot force against acceleration and get a straight line through the origin

  4. Gradient is the mass of the trolley
• Waves


  • Use ripple tank to measure wavelength and frequency
  • Use oscillator and string to produce stationary waves and measure wavelength
• Measuring infrared absorption


  1. Fill Leslie cube with hot water and measure infrared radiation from each side

  2. Place boiling tubes with different materials in sunlight and measure temperature
• Measuring insulation


  Wrap beakers of hot water in different insulation materials and measure temperature drop
• Measuring refractive index


  1. Place glass/plastic block on paper, shine light at an angle, and measure angles of incidence and refraction

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