For this work requirement you hove to choose a topic related to physics and investigate it. You need to work out what experiments you will be performing and the apparatus needed. Your topic should be simple so that you can find out as much as possible about it. When choosing your topic keep in mind that the school has only a limited supply of basic equipment and if any specialist equipment is needed you will have to arrange it yourself.

All of your experiments should be done in a log book, which will be referred to later when you write your report. Everything should be written down in your log book.

Your report will need to have the following:

• an aim and summary of the topic

• a description of all experiments, apparatus, results_, graphs (on graph paper) and conclusions (remember even an experiment that doesn't work tells you something). Diagrams, photographs and graphs should be numbered consecutively as Fig I, Fig 2 and so on. Similarly tables should be numbered Table 1, Table 2, etc.

• difficulties encountered end how you over came them

• changes that were made during the investigation

• analysis of the results

• conclusions, with evidence clearly stated

• references, resources and acknowledgements

The investigation may be done inn group with a maximum group size of two and each member of the group must do their own analysis and write their own report.

The report should be between 1000 and 1200 words in length, supplemented by appropriate diagrams, graphs and tables.

1. INTRODUCTION

This section of work, consists of the planning, execution and formal reporting of an extended experimental investigation in physics appropriate to Year 12 level. In this investigation you are given the opportunity to choose your own topic to investigate (subject to school approval). Thus, you have the opportunity to design the total task which will include; deciding the method you will adopt to solve the problem, selecting or making your own apparatus, deciding what variables have to be observed or measured and the degree of accuracy appropriate for these measurements. As with most investigation problems you may well 'hit a wall' at which time you may need to seek assistance or even abandon an unpromising line of inquiry: if this should happen, do not despair but fully record all your experimental procedure and difficulties encountered and include them in your formal report.

The three stages of the experimental investigation should be completed mainly in class in the following suggested times,

Developing a plan 40-50 minutes

Implementing the plan 240-300 minutes

Analysis and evaluation 80-100 minutes. (Total 2 Weeks)

The plan, implementation, analysis and evaluation should be completed in class time. Students should use their logbook of practical activities throughout the investigation. Further guidelines regarding logbooks can be found on page 42 of the Physics Study Design.

Finally, this task contributes 60% of your internal assessment for unit 4 and so a concerted effort over an extended period of time is essential. When selecting a topic it is essential that it has the potential to achieve a good grade when subjected to the external verification process.

2. SELECTING A RESEARCH TOPIC

The topic selected need not be ‘pure physics', however it must incorporate the classic techniques of experimental physics. The investigation must fit into ONE of the following contexts:

1. Designing and constructing a device
2. Investigating the operation of a device
3. Solving a scientific or technological problem
4. Investigating a physical phenomenon

Before seeking school approval for your proposed investigation, please ensure such questions as listed below could be answered in the affirmative:

Will the investigation include physics measuring techniques?

Could you produce a rough set of measurements from materials readily available in the laboratory or home in an hour or so?

Will you be a thinker rather than a data recording medium when conducting the experiment?

At the end of the investigation will you have produced some useful conclusions?

In general it is better to use simple equipment that can be adapted or modified as required. Past experience would Indicate that it is better to choose a topic that generates several small soluble problems rather than a large insoluble problem. Very complicated problems can usually only be attempted after seeking considerable assistance from others. While the seeking of assistance is not forbidden, the focus of this task is on the students own practical investigation. In fact in the past the best investigations have often been conducted on topics students initially considered too easy.

1. While computers may be useful in exploring theoretical models of physics phenomenon, or even suggesting a phenomenon to investigate, they should only form a minor part of the investigation.
2. While it is appropriate to use electronics to measure or control something as part of an investigation, an investigation which consists solely of building an electronic circuit would be inappropriate.

Group work is possible provided the following guidelines are observed:

• Group size is limited to two students only
• When students do work in groups, they may only do so during the data collecting stage of the investigation ONLY. The analysis, evaluation and writing up stages must be done individually. If there is evidence that one student's report is a paraphrase of the other student's report and or cooperation has occurred in that later stage of the report, then the Verification Chairperson has to be notified and there is no doubt both student's final grade will be severely affected.

The provision for group work in the course Guidelines is a concession to assist students investigating the same phenomenon that requires intricate or difficult apparatus techniques and you would be warned against contemplating group work unless there are very good reasons for doing so.

Finally, if you are unable to select an appropriate topic for investigation assistance will be given at a later date. However if you can choose a topic from your own personal interests then you will probably gain the maximum enjoyment and satisfaction, maybe even excitement and possibly the greatest sense of achievement in all your secondary science education.

In summary, from p 31 – 32 Science Assessment Guide, the topic selected for investigation should:

1. Have a clear preliminary aim (which may change as the investigation proceeds)
2. Require the use of the techniques of experimental physics
3. Allow preliminary observations or measurements to be made by the students within about an hour, using readily available resources
4. Not require students to spend lengthy periods of time recording data
5. Be likely to produce useful conclusions
6. Take into account the expressed interests of the students involved

3. DESIGNING AN EXTENDED PRACTICAL INVESTIGATION

Initially, it is probably a good idea to 'brain storm' alternative ways of tackling the investigation. Generally, the following steps will have to be adhered to:

1. Topic

The general area of research e.g. topic might be 'A bouncing basketball'

2. Specific Research Question

To be investigated e.g. To investigate how the bounce height of a basketball is affected by:

1. the initial height from which it is dropped
2. the surface on which the ball is bounced
3. the air pressure in the basket ball

Tackle one problem thoroughly rather than get too ambitious in attempting to investigate say, the elasticity, velocity, kinetic energy, momentum and impulse of a bouncing basketball.

1. Hypothesis

May be stated e.g. you may hypothesise that the basketball bounce height may increase with increased pressure. However a stated hypothesis is not necessarily part of an investigation.

2. Consult

With books, journals or people with greater expertise than yourself if you have insufficient information to commence the investigation. It is almost inevitable that you will have to do some background research before commencing your investigation. Remember that any assistance obtained before or during the Investigation is to be recorded. If the source of assistance is written it needs to be included in the Bibliography, if the source of assistance is a person, they should be mentioned in the Acknowledgements section of your report.

 

 

 

3. Equipment

Required to complete the investigation will have to be obtained and/or constructed. The school's policy is to make available to you any equipment it currently owns for use within the physics lab e.g. CRO's, Multimeters etc. Specialised equipment that you may require will have to be purchased by you. In some cases the school may purchase the items for you if it perceives it can use such items in the future, but this eventually will be the exception rather than the rule. (i.e. don't count on it)

4. Proposal - Plan

Will then be constructed and submitted to the teacher on or before a specified date.

1. Some Thoughts On Experimental Design

1. Because investigations vary in type there is no single design pattern that will suit all research projects. The most common type of research considers factors affecting some property or phenomena. Usually, it is easy to identify the main variable you will be measuring. Then you have to identify other variables that could effect your main variable. Then, changing only one variable at a time.

Presenting results may be in one of several forms e.g.

1. Qualitative Statement

e.g. the minimum temperature of a hot drink decreased as the number of added ice blocks increased.

2. Graphical Statement

The variable fixed by the experimenter is known as the independent variable and is placed on the horizontal axis, the resulting variable is known as the dependent variable and is placed on the vertical axis.



3. A Proportionality Statement

May be stated e.g. variable X is directly/inversely proportional to variable Y. Such a statement may become obvious when the graph of the relationship is plotted.

4. Equations

From the graph of the relationship it may even be possible to derive an equation relating the two variables.

1. Another common type of research limits the research to two variables e.g. The effect of pressure of a basketball on its bounce height.

 

2. The other type of common research project is the designing and testing of a useful device. First identity the essential feature of the device. Consider the design of a sound operated security light whose essential function is to convert sound input to electrical output. Brainstorm to determine how best to construct the device taking into account the degree of difficulty of construction, overall cost, ease of operation, projected lifetime of the device, its probable effectiveness, safety and any possible adverse environmental impact. Attempt to break the testing and construction of the prototype into stages that can be possibly tested independently. Testing is an essential part of the project otherwise it is simply a construction exercise rather than a practical investigation. A realistic assessment of the device's effectiveness must be included in your report.

4. CARRYING OUT THE INVESTIGATION

A log book record is essential to record your procedure, ideas that come to you, changes in direction you decide on, the data you collect, test graphs that should be drawn as soon as the data is generated (ASAP graphs) in order to check rough results before the apparatus is dismantled. The log book is a running diary of your research and there is no doubt that the better and more complete your log book record the easier it will be to produce a tonal report. As part of the verification process log book duplicates will be collected on stated dates, see following time line, and kept in the teachers possession.

The aspects of the student-designed investigation can be managed in three stages.

1. Developing a plan

• the context of the investigation
• its purpose
• the limits or constraints to be placed on the investigation
• the experimental procedure(s) to be used
• the equipment needed.

1. Implementing the plan

• make observations
• take measurements
• analyse data
• interpret results
• refine ideas.

1. Analysis and evaluation

• discussion of any problems encountered and how they were overcome (or how potential problems were avoided)
• discussion of the accuracy of measurements and instruments used

• descriptions of key findings, based on the analysis of the data.

4. WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT
1. Title Page

1. The title page should include the following:
2. The exact title of the investigation stated briefly
3. The name of the author
4. The month and year the report was completed.

1. Table Of Contents

On this page the various sections of the report are listed. This implies that the pages of the report are numbered and that the construction of the Table of Contents is best left until the rest of the report is completed.

2. Introduction

This section is not essential but could be used:

1. to give a lead-in to your report, indicating why you decided to investigate your chosen problem

AND / OR

2. to outline some background information if the area is likely to be unfamiliar to potential readers

1. Aim Or Aims

Here you should clearly state what you set out to investigate while keeping the statement as brief as possible. If you have more than one aim then number them.

2. Procedure, Observations And Deductions

This will be the bulk of your report and will contain the following:

1. a clear explanation of what you attempted to do
2. a description of your equipment
3. any hypothesis you set up
4. how you went about testing your hypothesis
5. difficulties you encountered and how you attempted to overcome them
6. qualitative and quantitative observations made
7. what you did with your measurements
8. graphs drawn
9. calculations carried out

Diagrams and photographs showing apparatus set up are very helpful and along with graphs should be numbered consecutively, Fig. 1 'title', Fig. 2 'title' etc. These figures should be as close as possible to the section of the report to which they relate. In your text specific reference should be made to each diagram etc. e.g. 'as shown in Fig. 3'. If the diagram is some pages away from the textual reference, a statement 'as shown in Fig. 3 on page 5' would be appropriate. Refer to section in Unit I notes for conventions when drawing graphs.

Measurements taken during the investigation should be presented in tabulation form with the tables being numbered Table 1 'brief title', Table 2:^'brief title' etc. Tables should be specifically referred to in the text. If a table is not close to its reference, the page number should be given as well, e.g. 'Table 3 on page 4 demonstrates...' If there are a large number of similar tables or graphs they may clutter up the main body of the report. Select the most relevant for the text and include the rest as Appendices at the end of the report.

1. Conclusion Or Summary Of Findings

The conclusion is to be approximately 250 words to be towards the end of the report. The conclusion is to state clearly if the aim/s were achieved. It is absolutely essential that the evidence upon which the conclusions are based must be stated e.g. frequency of the guitar string was proportional to the square root of the tension in the string as the graph of frequency vs tension produce a straight line intersecting at the origin as shown in Fig. 4.

2. Analysis Of Uncertainty

As most investigations involve considerable measurements it is worthwhile to take the uncertainties of measurements into account in order to have greater confidence in your conclusions and to make your report adhere more closely to those of professional physicists.

Consider a rod whose length is being measured by a ruler as shown below:

Obviously the rod length is between 32.5 and 32.9 mm. Thus an answer of 32.70 may at first seem reasonable but on reflection it should be appreciated the 7 is the first uncertain figure and the 0 the second uncertain figure. Usually it is regarded as justifiable to retain the first uncertain figure and so the recorded answer would be 32.7 mm. To record any more decimal places is clearly unjustifiable while to retain less (33 mm) is not using the ruler to its full accuracy. Another way of recording this result is (32.7 ± 0.2) mm. Note the limit of reading of an instrument with a digital readout is one unit in the extreme right hand position of the display.

Percentage uncertainty (or tolerance) is the ratio of the absolute uncertainty in the measurement to the measurement itself expressed as a percentage.

In the previous example:

Suppose you determined the acceleration due to gravity to be (9.9 ± 0.3) ms-². The 0.3 ms-² uncertainty results from uncertainties in the measurements made during the investigations. The accepted value of the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 ms-². Percentage error is defined as:

In the previous example

However, the percentage uncertainty in this example would be:

Percentage uncertainty is a more important concept than percentage error and the one that you would tend to quote in your report at the end of the determination of some physical quantity.

Remember if the 'true' value is known it is possible to determine if your experimental value is in agreement with the accepted value e.g. (9.9 ± 0.3)ms^-2 would be in agreement with the accepted value of acceleration due to gravity of 9.8 ms^-2 while a determined value of (9.2 ± 0.3) ms^-2 would not be in agreement with the accepted value.

Accuracy when combining measurements now has to be considered. If more details are required consult the reference or teacher for additional information.

1. When adding or subtracting measured quantities we retain only one uncertain figure in the sum or difference (we can use the second uncertain figure to round off the first). Thus the result can be no more accurate than the least accurate measurement. e.g.

91.43 cm

+ 0.1462cm

91.5762 cm

The first uncertain figure in 91.43 is '3' while the first uncertain figure in 0.1462 is '2'. Thus the '7' in the sum of the measurements is the first uncertain figure. From the previously stated rule and because the second significant figure is greater than 4 the accepted answer would be 91.58 cm.

2. When multiplying or dividing quantities, the product or quotient should be rounded off to the same number of significant figures as there are in the given quantity with the least number of significant figures.

Consider the distance covered by a runner travelling at 5.32 ms^-1 if he travels for 9.7 s.

distance = speed ´ time

=5.32 ´ 9.7

=51.604 m

The first uncertain figure in the speed is '2' this then becomes the last significant figure. Thus, 5.32 consists of 3 significant figures. Similarly, 9.7 consists of 2 significant figures. From the previous rule the answer must be rounded off to 2 significant figures. Thus the accepted answer would be 52 m.

1. Acknowledgments

Here, you should acknowledge briefly those who provided assistance in either your research or the preparation of your report. You should state their names and the reason for which you are thanking them.

2. References Or Bibliography

At VCE level it is suggested that footnotes at the bottom of pages be avoided. However you are required to lost any book, journal article or report that you have consulted and which proved helpful in your Investigation. Although not essential it is recommended you consider annotating your reference list i.e. for each title you add a short comment on its usefulness. Finally the items should be listed alphabetically by author's surname.

1. Books

The information required is:

1. the authors surname, followed by given name/s or initials
2. the title of the book, underlined or in italic
3. publisher and place of publication
4. year of publication

optional

5. relevant page numbers or chapter/s
6. comment on the book's usefulness

Dawson, M & Schwarz, L., Clockwork Motors , McGraw-Hill, Sydney 1973, Chapter 2. Extremely helpful, though somewhat out of date.

1. Journal Or Newspaper Article

The details required include:

1. author's surname/s, followed by given name/s or initials
2. the title of the article in quotation marks
3. name of the periodical or newspaper, underlined or in italics
4. volume number, year and pages for a journal OR date of issue and page number for newspaper

optional

5. comment on the article's usefulness

Jones, R K., 'Biophysics of Sprinting', Scientific America, Vol. XXVI, 1987, p 34-46.

The source for the two hypotheses tested. Excellent diagrams.

Kirk, Joan, 'Behind the New Athletics', The Australian, 24 August 1991, p 18. Clear description of the current use of sports technology.

3. Reports

The necessary information includes:

1. name and association or group responsible for the report
2. name of the report, underlined or in italics
3. place and year of publication

optional

4. comment on the report's relevance

Institute of Radiologists Report on Radon Levels in Sydney Households, Sydney, 1992.

Helpful in providing approximate levels expected in tests.

3. Material Created for Publication on the Internet

The necessary information includes:

1. author
2. title of site and page number in italics
3. date of creation or of last update
4. agency that maintains the site
5. internet address or URL
6. date site accessed in brackets

3. Pre-published Material Found on an Internet Site

The necessary information includes:

1. author
2. title of work
3. publisher
4. year of publication
5. online (write the word)
6. page number of site
7. internet address or URL
8. date site accessed in brackets

The necessary information includes:

1. author
2. title
3. date of work
4. name and version of computer program
5. software source and origin

1. Appendices

Certain components in a report can effect the continuity for the reader and are best placed at the end as appendices. These would Include:

1. the less relevant tables and graphs where there are a large number of similar ones.
2. lengthy calculations produced during the estimation of uncertainty

The appendices should be listed alphabetically or using Roman numerals I, II, III... or using letters A, B, C... Each appendix should bear a title, be specifically referred to in the main body of the text and listed with a title in the Table of Contents.

• liquid accelerometer
• strain gauges
• electrostatic precipitators
• wind powered generators
• a car door safety device a stage light dimmer
• refracting telescope
• model ac or dc ammeter/voltmeter
• an electrostatic dust collector
• a thermometer using a thermistor
• design and calibrate a gas or fluid flow meter
• hot air balloon
• solar radiation concentrator
• a narrow water trough as an accelerometer
• frequency response of a microphone or amplifier
• efficiency of solar collectors
• flight of paper aeroplanes
• the efficiency of a bike dynamo
• the energy produced by solar cells
• performance of an insulated cooler
• effectiveness of an air conditioner
• charging and discharging nicad batteries
• efficiency of a block and tackle
• how protective are padded postal packages
• the time taken by a switch to break contact
• the performance of a water pump
• the load and speed of a model aero-engine
• the effect of pressure changes on the behaviour of a spark plug
• the fuel consumption of a model aero-engine
• life time of a torch globe
• resistance changes in humans in various emotional states
• the directional properties of a television aerial
• variation in response of a dipole with length of the dipole
• the dependence of the speed of a dc motor on field current
• energy output of solar cells
• performance of electric fans
• factors in the design of tennis racquets
• the efficiency of a vacuum flask
• operation of spin dryers
• load and speed variations of a parachute
• heating effect in a microwave oven
• testing electric fuses
• effect of load on the speed of an electric motor
• efficiency of a transformer
• efficiency of an electric kettle
• the precision of a gyroscope
• how long does the flash in a flash bulb last?
• the thrust of a propeller in air/water
• the voltage from a thermocouple
• the temperature changes and cooling of a model aero-engine
• the efficiency of an electric motor
• energy emitted by a light globe
• oscillation of solid bars (notes from a xylophone)
• depth of focus of camera/microscope/telescope
• the penetration of sound through double glazed panels
• the physics of a musical instrument
• bicycle gears
• reduction of noise from motors
• effectiveness of different types of television aerials
• making stronger bricks with straw
• the creep of stretched rubber
• to confirm if a dry cell is the most the most expensive way to buy electricity
• factors affecting the flexing of a rotating shaft
• the strength of beams of different cross-sectional shape (balsa wood construction)
• the strength of fibre glass repairs/welds
• adhesion of glues to different metals, fabrics etc.
• the effect of pressure changes on the performance of a spark plug
• the time taken for a fuse to blow
• the effectiveness of glass and polythene as greenhouse materials
• where does dust gather and why
• factors affecting the effectiveness of a model spin dryer
• maximising the adhesion of 'Blu-Tack'
• optimum air flow in a room with a heater
• preventing standing waves in cables
• the strength of a soldered joint
• the temperature variation of transistor currents
• the energy balance of a photo cell
• factors affecting beam bending
• ways to increase the strength of a concrete beam
• the fracture of concrete by impact forces
• the properties of glued joints
• the value of cooling fans on a mechanical device
• eddy current losses in solid core transformers
• does a photo-transistor respond instantly
• the value of different types of insulating materials
• comparison of properties of ordinary and recycled paper
• the effectiveness of sunscreen cream
• reducing 'water hammer' in a domestic water supply
• brittleness of ice
• diffraction of sound waves
• the resolution of the eye and its dependence on illumination
• intensity of sound from traffic
• the penetration of projectiles into soft materials
• frequency response of the human ear
• viscosity of household liquids
• the effect of air pressure on the performance of a basketball/football etc.
• the impact time of a ball
• the effect of oil films between sliding metal surfaces
• study of a marble rolling on a rotating turntable
• the motion of the tip of a vibrating wire
• the bouncing of steel balls on glass
• the energy stored in a clock spring
• the variation of flow behaviour with rate of strain of silicone sealer
• small drops of water dance about on very hot metal surfaces without evaporating (Leldenfrost phenomenon) how hot must the metal be and how small the drop
• do people vary in the range of wavelength they can see
• the speed with which the iris of the eye contracts when the light is made brighter
• does a flame or hot air conduct electricity
• how does the resistance between two flat plates in a tank of conducting liquid vary with their spacing
• heat loss from a thermos flask/cup of tea, coffee etc.
• temperature variation in a room/on the surface of an electric iron/along a metal bar heated at one end
• the strength and fracture characteristics of taut rubber bands
• the effectiveness of stress concentrators (e.g. perforations in stamps, crack in concrete)
• the pressure-volume relationship for a balloon
• the Bernoulli effect - the reduction of pressure with fast flow
• colours of thin films of oil on water
• the strength of human hair/paper/other fibres
• the flight of a shuttlecock/ball etc.
• human reaction time
• effect of temperature on the flow of motor oil
• effectiveness of fibreglass bats
• sound absorbing ability of different materials
• water drops tailing on water/splashing of moving drops hitting a solid
• performance of a model rocket
• factors affecting the friction of steel on ice
• does water absorb ultra-violet light
• the possible orbits of a pendulum bob
• the energy delivered by a bow/catapult/etc.
• the contraction of a spiral carrying a current
• ice becomes less brittle with the addition of sawdust?
• making long lasting soap film
• the natural radioactivity of potassium
• the reduction of background radiation screening
• supporting a table tennis or water
• does the resolution of the eye depend on illumination
• the sensitivity of an electroscope as a change measuring device
• temperature variation with depth of soil/height of building
• the effectiveness of anti-freeze at varying concentrations
• absorption/emission of thermal radiation by different coloured surfaces
• the sagging of taut wire loaded in the middle
• the effect of various sorts of perforations on tearing paper
• the drag on objects towed in water (depends on length of object, depth of water etc.)
• load and speed variation for a parachute
• the effects of changing the wing design of a glider
• a water driven rocket
• how much can a container be overfilled with fluid
• the propagation of sound at low pressure/in different mediums
• stopping modes of oscillations in tanks of water
• the audible range of humans and animals
• pressure changes in the sound from an explosion
• the friction between shoe soles and various floor materials
• factors affecting the frequency of a guitar string
• electrostatic deflection of a narrow stream of water
• the motion of a sewing machine needle
• frequency of sound from a bottle partially filled with liquid
• the rigidity of cooling toast
• absorptive power of paper toweling
• forces exerted on the ground when walking or running
• synthesis of sound
• the effect of sound on flames
• variation of the natural radioactivity of plants
• force exerted on a starting block of an athlete
• the magnetic field near a solenoid
• effect of the fulcrum position of a diving board on the diver's take off contact time with the board
• path of a jet of water from a hose
• motion of a yo-yo
• formation of bubbles in a liquid
• potential energy stored in a track shoe sole
• rate of capillary flow up a vertical bath towel touching water
• effect of wind velocity on drying clothes
• variation of flow rate in a stream cross section
• optic fibre communication
• temperature variation of a closed car in sunlight
• oscillations of solid bars (notes from a xylophone)
• waves on strings or springs
• factors affecting the breaking of water waves
• the diffraction of sound waves
• patterns in stressed materials between cross polaroids
• elasticity of fishing line
• biophysics of your arm/spine/leg
• safe following distances for a car or bicycle at various speeds
• emission of carbon dioxide from a soda bulb
• analysis of the Sun's spectrum
• the speed of electricity
• interference of sound from two loudspeakers
• the magnetic field of the Earth
• energy changes when trampolining
• braking distance of a bicycle
• rate of expansion of metal with temperature
• thickness of an oil film on water
• energy analysis of a high jump/pole vault
• the effect of temperature on electrical resistance
• superconductivity and the Meissner Effect
• when does a bath towel fall off a rail/hook
• intensity of traffic sounds
• analysis of a Fresnel lens
• cooling drinks with ice blocks
• curvature of a convex lens using Newton's rings
• infra red photography
• effect of thickness of glass on heat conduction through windows
• motion of a cartesian diver

1. Title of the investigation

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2. Briefly describe the purpose of the investigation

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3. What are the variables that are relevant to your investigation

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4. Briefly describe the apparatus you will use

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5. What do you intend to do with the apparatus

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6. If you are going to build your own equipment
1. Explain where you will get the components from

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2. Explain how you will build the equipment

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3. How long will it take to build

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7. If you are going to use ready made equipment
1. Explain where you will get the equipment from

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2. How long will it take you to set up the equipment

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8. Any Special requirements (other than equipment)

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9. Draw a LABELLED DIAGRAM of the materials set up as you intend to use them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Materials Required:

1. Indicate any materials provided by you by including your initials in the ^'Provided by' column next to the item. If you expect the school to provide the equipment write 'S' in the 'Provided by' column remembering the school will only provide equipment it has readily available.
2. Fill in the 'Size' column unless the size is obvious.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION APPARATUS REQUISITION

(School Copy)

NAME: _______________

These sheets ore NOT part of your final presentation. They are for drafting purposes only. This is to help you organise the Information in your log book into a coherent report.

1. AIMS: Restate your aims so that the purpose of the investigation is clear.

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2. VARIABLES: List the variables that you needed to measure.

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3. APPARATUS: Sketch the apparatus as you set it up. Include any necessary dimensions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a list of the principal apparatus

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5. EXECUTION: List what you did in the order that you did it, step by step. Include any changes in plan as separate steps. Record all failures.

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Firstly list the concepts or main ideas that you will need.

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Now use the space below to write a preliminary draft explaining the principles behind your investigation

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1. CONCLUSIONS: Notes to help in drawing conclusions from your investigation.
1. What do your measurements tell you about the subject of your investigation?

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2. Do they confirm what you expected or are they a surprise? Explain.

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3. Do your results agree with what you have read or been taught?

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4. If they do not agree why might this be so?

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5. What possible sources of error are there in your experiment?

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6. What could be done to eliminate or avoid these errors if the investigation was to be repeated?

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7. What other matters should be Included in your conclusions?

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2. ABSTRACT OR CONCLUDING REMARKS: In this section very briefly summarise the whole investigation. Stick to the line length below, it is supposed to be a summary.

1. What I tried to show:

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2. What I did to show It

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3. What I actually showed:

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4. What practical results mg results have:

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5. How my investigation relates to physics principles:

1. References:

Other references/acknowledgements

The practical report is assessed on the extent to which it (the report) demonstrates

• Provision of a clear, specific and comprehensive statement of the purpose of the investigation.
• Identification and definition of all of the significant physics ideas.
• Identification of all of the relevant variables that should be considered.
• Provision of a clear statement that justifies all reasons for selecting particular apparatus.

• Control of variables where appropriate and the inclusion in the experimental method of a detailed description of how this was accomplished.
• Explanation of how difficulties were overcome or how the experiment was modified to take them into account
• Use of the most appropriate and available strategies
• Inclusion of repeated, relevant measurements/ observations wherever possible.
• Measurements/ observation of variables over a suitable range of values.
• Inclusion of sufficient data/ observations in order to satisfy the purpose of the investigation
• Discussion of the limitations of the apparatus and measuring instruments and provision of some reasonable estimate of the uncertainty of measurements.

• Inclusion of a clear statement demonstrating an understanding of the relevance of the experimental data.
• Organisation of the data into a convenient form with suitable graphs, charts, tables or diagrams used to demonstrate the relationship between variables and quantities measure/ observed.
• Manipulation of data resulting in the calculation of physical values. Explanation of physical relationships.
• Accurate measurements and calculations with a correct treatment of significant figures.

• Interpretation of experimental data of significance to the context.
• Inclusion of evaluations that can be reasonably inferred from the data.
• Discussion of the limitations of the experimental findings in terms of uncertainties
• Explanation of all differences between expected and obtained relationships or physical values.

• Application of key knowledge and skills about the area of study, throughout the task. with clear definitions and explanations.
• Appropriate use of accepted physics symbols. SI units and accepted terminology.
• Clear labelling of diagrams and graphs
• Correct calculations of physical quantities significant to the context using a level of mathematics outlined in the study design.