Physics ( Core Practical's ) Flashcards
(14 cards)
Core Practical 1: Investigating Acceleration
Describe the Core Practical about Acceleration.
Aim - To investigate the effects that mass & force have on acceleration using trolleys.
1. Prop up one end of the ramp & place a trolley on it, adjusting the slope until the trolley can move indepently.
- Set up lights gates along with pulley & string.
2. Affix a piece of card to the trolley & measure its length.
- Record the mass of the trolley.
3. Put a mass on the end of the string that ill remain the same.
4. Release the trolley from the top of the ramp & record its speed at each light gate, along with the time taken.
5. Add various masses on top of the trolley & repeat the experiment to investigate how mass affects acceleration.
Core Practical 2: Investigating Waves In Water
Describe the Core Practical about Waves in a Ripple Tank.
Aims - To measure the frequency, wavelength and speed of waves in a ripple tank.
1. After setting up the water tank, adjust the height of the wooden rod so that it just touches the surface of the water.
2. Switch on the lamp and motor and adjust until low frequency waves can be clearly observed.
3. Measure the length of a number of waves then divide by the number of waves to record the wavelength.
4. Count the number of waves passing a point in 10s then divide by 10 to record frequency.
5. Calculate the speed of the waves using: Wave Speed = Frequency × Wavelength.
Hazards - Electrical components near water
Core Practical 2.5: Investigating Waves In Solids
Describe the Core Practical about Wave Speeds in Solids ( Using A Metal Rod ).
Aim - To measure the frequency, wavelength and speed of waves in a metal rod.
1. Using the first finger and thumb on one hand, hold a metal rod at its middle point.
2. Hit one end of the rod with a hammer.
3. Hold a smartphone with an app which measures frequency near the end of the rod.
4. Record the peak frequency from the phone app.
5. Measure the length of the metal rod and record the length.
6. Calculate the speed of the sound waves in the rod using the frequency and wavelength recorded.
Sound & Hearing: Ears
Describe the process of how sound enters our Ear.
1. Sound wave enter the ear canal.
2. The eardrum is a thin membrame, the sound waves make it vibrate.
3. Vibration are passed onto tiny bones ( Malleus -> Incus -> Stapes ) which amplify the sound wave. ( Making them bigger )
4. Vibrations are passed on to the liquid inside the cochlea.
5. Tiny hairs in the cochlea detect these vibrations and create electrical signals impulses.
6. Impulses travel along neurones in the auditory nerve to reach the brain.
Core Practical 3: Investigating Light Rays
Describe the Core Practical of Investigating Refraction in a glass block.
1. Set up a plain piece of paper, ray box, slit and lens so that a narrow ray of light is produced
2. Place a rectangular glass block on the paper, Draw around the block.
3. Shine a ray onto your block, Use small crosses to mark where the rays of light go.
4. Take the block off the paper before using a ruler to join the crosses to show the path the ray of light took.
- Measure the angles of incidence & refraction
5. Repeat this process but with the ray of light entering at different angles.
Core Practical 4: Investigating Radiation
Describe the Core Pratical to investigate the effects of surface area on Radiation.
Aim - Investigate how the nature of a surface affects the amount of thermal energy radiated or absorbed.
1. Cover 4 or more boiling tubes in different coloured materials.
2. Pour the same volume of hot water from a kettle into each tube.
3. Insert a bung with a thermometer into each tube.
- Measure the Temp of the water in each tube & start a stop clock.
4. Record the Temp of the water in each tube every 2mins for 20mins.
Short Wavelength Radiation
What are some Uses & Properties of Radio Waves?
1. Used for communication such as broadcasting television and radio, communications and satellite transmissions.
2. Radio waves are transmitted easily through air. They do not cause damage if absorbed by the human body.
- This makes them ideal for communication
How Are They Produced?:
1. Produced by oscillations in eletrical circuits. When Radio Waves are absorbed they create an alternating current.
- This current that has the same frequency is then coded with information that can be decoded when received.
Short Wavelength Radiation
What are some Uses & Properties of Microwaves?
1. Used for cooking food, communications and for satellite communications.
- Intense sources of microwaves can be dangerous through internal heating of body cells.
2. High frequency microwaves have frequencies which are easily absorbed by molecules in food.
- The internal energy of the molecules increases when they absorb microwaves, which causes heating.
Short Wavelength Radiation
What are some Uses & Properties of Infrared?
1. Used by electrical heaters, cookers for cooking food, short-range communications like remote controls, optical fibres, security systems and thermal imaging cameras.
- The heating effect of IR can cause burns to the skin.
2. Infrared light has frequencies which are absorbed by some chemical bonds. The internal energy of the bonds increases when they absorb infrared light, which causes heating.
- All objects emit infrared light. The human eye cannot see this light, but infrared cameras can detect it.
What are some Uses & Properties of Visible Light?
1. Used in photography and illumination.
- It is also used in fibre optic communications, where coded pulses of light travel through glass fibres from a source to a receiver.
What are some Uses & Properties of Ultra Violet?
1. Ultraviolet Radiation transfers more energy than **Visible light. **
- The energy transferred can be used to kill microorganisms in infected water.
2. Some materials absorb Ultraviolet Radiation & re-emit it as Visible light. This is called Flourscent light & markings made with this can only be seen when UV is shone on them.
- Can be used to detect for fake bank notes.
What are some Uses & Properties of X-Rays?
1. X-Rays can pass through many materials that Visible light cannot.
- Since X-Rays can pass through muscle & skin they can be used to examine the insides of animals.
2. They can also be used to examine the inside of metal objects. ( e.g. flight bags )
What are some Uses & Properties of Gamma Rays?
1. Gamma Rays transfer alot of energy & can kill cells.
- For this reason they are used in sterlising food & medicial equipment.
2. They can also be used in radiotherapy & dectecting cancer.
3. This is done by injecting the patient with a chemical that emits gamma rays that is designed to collect in cancer cells.
- A scanner then checks for where Gamma rays are focused.
