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AS Physics practicals

Simulations of the 22 experiments in Appendix 4 of the CCEA GCE Physics specification, which the AS 3A short practical tasks are based on. Experiments that share apparatus are on the same page. Sign in with your Kredits teacher code on any practical to save readings and download them as CSV.

1.1 Physical quantitiesUnit AS 1

• 1.1 Density of a solid or a liquidPlot mass against volume and use the gradient to find density. Open

1.3 Principle of momentsUnit AS 1

• 1.3.3 Moments: an unknown mass and the mass of a ruleBalance a metre rule to find an unknown mass, then the mass of the rule itself. Open

1.4 Linear motionUnit AS 1

• 1.4.3 Acceleration of free fall using a light gateDrop a card through a light gate from different heights and plot v² against h. Open

1.6 Newton's laws of motionUnit AS 1

• 1.6.3 Newton's second law: a ∝ F and a ∝ 1/mAccelerate a trolley with different forces, then with different masses. Open

1.7 Linear momentum and impulseUnit AS 1

• 1.7.3 Conservation of momentum in a collisionCollide two trolleys that stick together and compare momentum before and after. Open

1.8 Work done, potential energy and kinetic energyUnit AS 1

• 1.8.5 Energy exchange for a falling bodyCompare the potential energy lost with the kinetic energy gained by a falling mass. Open

1.10 Resistance and resistivityUnit AS 1

• 1.10.3 Measuring resistance: voltmeter–ammeter and ohmmeterFind a resistance from a V against I graph, then check it with a multimeter. Open
• 1.10.2 Resistors in series and in parallelTest the equations for combining two resistors. Open
• 1.10.6 Resistivity of a metalPlot resistance against length for a wire and use its diameter to find ρ. Open
• 1.10.10 I–V characteristics: metal wire and filament lampCompare a wire kept at constant temperature with a filament lamp. Open
• 1.10.13 Resistance of an ntc thermistor against temperatureWarm a thermistor in a water bath and record its resistance. Open

1.11 Internal resistance and electromotive forceUnit AS 1

• 1.11.3 E.m.f. and internal resistance of a batteryPlot terminal p.d. against current to find E and r. Open

2.2 RefractionUnit AS 2

• 2.2.1 Snell's law and refractive indexPlot sin i against sin r for a glass or Perspex block. Open
• 2.2.4 Critical angle using a semicircular blockFind the angle at which the refracted ray just grazes the surface. Open

2.3 LensesUnit AS 2

• 2.3.3 Converging lens: focal length and magnificationUse real images to test the lens equation and m = v/u. Open

2.4 Superposition, interference and diffractionUnit AS 2

• 2.4.6 Speed of sound using a resonance tubeFind the first resonance for several tuning forks. Open
• 2.4.10 Wavelength of light: double slit and diffraction gratingMeasure fringe spacing and diffraction angles for a laser. Open

Other levels: GCSE Physics · A2 Physics