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Notes 2 - covering Practicals for quick revision!

UPDATED TO 2022 SYLLABUS

EDEXCEL IGCSE
PHYSICS (4PH1)
SUMMARIZED NOTES ON THE PRACTICAL SYLLABUS
EDEXCEL IGCSE PHYSICS (4PH1)

Hold the rod about 1cm away from the water just below
the nozzle, observe
1. Forces and Motion Repeat with di erent material rods and cloths

1.1. Investigate how extension varies

with applied force for helical springs
1. Hang a Spring to a Clmap Stand with a meter ruler
parralel to it.
2. Measure the lenght of the spring with no attached
weight.
3. add (100g/1N) weight to the spring and record the
new lenght.
4. Repeat it 5 time, each time adding 100g and recording
the new lenght.
5. Using the formula ==New lenght - Old lenght =
3. Waves (Light and Sound)
extention== and draw a table with it.
6. Plot it to graph. 3.1. Investigate the refraction of light,
using rectangular blocks, semi-circular
blocks and triangular prisms
1.       Set up your apparatus as shown in the diagram using a
rectangular block.
2.       Shine the light ray through the glass block
3.       Use crosses to mark the path of the ray.
4.       Join up crosses with a ruler
5.       Draw on a normal where the ray enters the glass block
6.       Measure the angle of incidence and the angle of
refraction and add these to your results table
7.       Comment on how the speed of the light has changed as
the light moves between the mediums.
8.       Repeat this for di erent angles of incidence and
di erent glass prisms.

2. Electricity (Electric Charge) 3.2. Investigate the refractive index of

glass, using a glass block
2.1. Investigate how insulating materials 1. Set up your apparatus as shown in the diagram using
can be charged by friction a rectangular block.
2. Shine the light ray through the glass block
Hold polythene rod and cloth next to up small pieces of 3. Use crosses to mark the path of the ray.
paper one at a time, observe. 4. Join up crosses with a ruler
Now rub the rod with the cloth 5. Draw on a normal where the ray enters the glass
Again hold close to small pieces of paper, observe. block
Turn on a tap so a thin stream of water is owing

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6. Measure the angle of incidence and the angle of

refraction and add these to your results table
7. Calculate the refractive index. Using n = sin(i) / Sin(r)
8. Repeat steps 2 – 7 using a di erent angle of incidence
9. Find an average of your results.

4. Energy Resources and

3.3. Investigate the speed of sound in
Energy Transfers (Energy
air transfers)
4.1. Investigate thermal energy transfer
by conduction, convection and
radiation
Thermal Convection

Place purple potassium permanganate crystals in 1 side

1. Use the trundle wheel to measure a distance of of a beaker full of cold water.
Minimum 100 m between two people Heat beaker with Bunsen burner.
2. One of the people should have two wooden blocks, The Convection Current will be seen as it dissolves
which they will bang together above their head to
generate sound waves
3. The second person should have a stopwatch which
they start when they see the rst person banging the
blocks together and stop when they hear the sound
4. This should be repeated several times and an average
taken for the time travelled by the sound waves

Thermal Conduction
Fix the drawing pin to the end of the metal strip using
3.4. Investigate the frequency of a spots of Vaseline.
Position the other end of the metal strip into a Bunsen
sound wave using an oscilloscope ame.
Record the time taken for the wax to melt and the
1. Connect two microphones to an oscilloscope
drawing pin to drop o .
2. Place them about 2 m apart using a tape measure to
measure the distance between them The fastest time shows the best conductor of heat.
3. Set up the oscilloscope so that it triggers when the
rst microphone detects a sound, and adjust the time
base so that the sound arriving at both microphones
can be seen on the screen
4. Make a large clap using the two wooden blocks next
to the rst microphone
5. Use the oscilloscope to determine the time at which
the clap reaches each microphone and the time
di erence between them
6. Repeat this experiment for several distances, e.g. 2 m,
2.5 m, 3 m, 3.5 m

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\n For a regular object use a ruler to measure the lengths

needed to determine the volume.
For an irregular object submerge it in water and measure
the displaced volume.
Measure the mass of either type of object using a
measuring balance.

Radiation

Measure the temperature a xed distance from each side

of a Leslie's cube using four identical thermometers.
Heat the Leslie’s cube by lling it with boiling water.
Continue to measure and record the temperatures every
30 seconds for ve minutes, then plot a graph of
temperature on the y-axis, against time on the x-axis, for
each side.
5.2. Obtain a temperature–time graph
Compare the four graphs obtained. to show the constant temperature
during a change of state

Remove the boiling tube of stearic acid from the

water bath
Place the tube into a beaker of room temperature
water
Add a separate thermometer to the water
Take readings from the thermometer in the stearic
acid and the water every minute [Make sure to avoid
parallax error while doing so]
Note readings in the table below
Note on the table when you observe the stearic acid
change from a liquid to a solid.
Plot your results in a graph

5. Solids, liquids and gases

(Density and pressure)
5.1. Investigate density using direct
measurements of mass and volume
The density of an object can be found by measuring the
mass and volume and applying the formula above to
calculate the density.

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5.3. Investigate the speci c heat

capacity of materials including water
and some solids

Set up the apparatus as shown the diagram.

Make note of all measurements: current (A), potential
di erence (V), mass (kg).
Use the electronic balance to measure the mass of
your
Record the initial temperature of you block.
Switch on the heater and start your stopwatch. [You
will now leave the heater on for 10 minutes]
While the heater is switched on take readings from
the Ammeter and the Voltmeter.
Use these to calculate the Thermal Energy that will be
7. Radioactivity
supplied to the block in 10 minutes
Record the temperature of your block after 10
7.1. Investigate the penetration powers
minutes. of di erent types of radiation using
Calculate the Change in Temperature
either radioactive sources or
simulations
6. Magnetism
Detect using a Geiger Müller Tube.
6.1. Investigate the magnetic eld Try the three di erent materials in order, paper then
aluminium then lead.
pattern for a permanent bar magnet
Count rate will signi cantly decrease if radiation is
and between two bar magnets stopped.

1. Place your bar magnet in the centre of the next page

and draw around it.
2. Place a compass at one pole of the bar magnet.
3. Draw a ‘dot’ to show there the compass is pointing,
4. Move the compass so the opposite end of the needle
is pointing to the dot,
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until to reach the other pole of
the magnet.
6. Do this procedure at least 5 times from di erent
points on the pole of the magnet. \n *Tip, try to be as
accurate as possible when drawing your dots*
7. Join up your dots to create the eld line plots

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