Practical Experiments and Assessments

Start with practical terms

A useful starting point is the flashcard deck ISA Glossary of Key Terms. It includes accuracy, calibration, measurement error, anomalies and precision. Go through the terms first, then return to any that are unfamiliar as you study the other resources.

Next, try ISA questions. The flashcards ask whether results support a hypothesis, how to identify variables and whether a range was suitable. You can use these prompts to practice explaining practical decisions and results, rather than just recalling definitions.

Explore experiments

The Practicals flashcards include methods, setups and sources of error for measuring acceleration due to gravity, as well as work on a trolley moving on a slope. Physics Required Practicals includes density, specific heat capacity, insulators, resistance and I/V characteristics.

For another set of practical questions, look at IGCSE Physics Paper 6. Its flashcards include questions about a center of mass experiment, a ray experiment and cooling water.

Use maps and the quiz

The mind maps include Physics Paper 2 required practicals, Experiments and Procedure. Open a map alongside a flashcard deck and compare the terms or practical work you find. You could then note which questions you want to return to.

The listed quiz, Paper one chemistry required practicals, concerns chemistry rather than physics. If you choose to take it, compare its practical terms with those in the maps and flashcards, while keeping the subject difference in mind.

Place the topic in its unit

Practical Experiments and Assessments is a section of Scientific Method and Practical Skills in Physics. The resources on this page bring together practical vocabulary, experiment methods and questions about evidence and results. Start with a glossary card, then choose a map or practical deck to continue.