This is the first instalment in a short series looking at the qualities that characterise a high-quality report for an A-level Physics required practical. First up is planning, which has to be conducted in advance to ensure that the most appropriate apparatus and methods are used. Proper planning documentation must identify the variables and the … Continue reading Required Practicals, Part 1: Planning
Hypothesis and Analysis
When carrying out a practical investigation it is always helpful to know what sorts of results are expected. In other words, before starting an experiment it is a good idea to consider what theory tells us should be the outcome. The predicted findings form the basis of an hypothesis, which is developed by considering an … Continue reading Hypothesis and Analysis
Force and Acceleration
There are various techniques that can be used to investigate the relationship between force, mass and acceleration (Newton’s Second Law of Motion). In a school lab, we often use a dynamics trolley (wheeled platform) that is attached to a mass hanger via a string that runs over a desk pulley. The mass hanger provides the … Continue reading Force and Acceleration
