Skills and methods for IB required pracs in Physics

1. Required Practicals
Possible methods and skills gained

2. The new practical programme
• 10 required pracs not assessed but may be on
the exam (paper 3) 10 hours
• Other pracs used to develop skills and help
understanding of concepts 30/10 hours
• Investigation, assessed 10 hours
• Gp4 project not assessed

3. Required

4. Suggested

5. 2.1 Motion
Methods Skills
Ball drop Use of interface
Card drop linearizing
Picket fence Graph plotting
Video analysis Use of video
simulations

6. 3.1 Thermal concepts
Methods Skills
Method of mixtures (no need for
graph)
Use of thermometer/sensor
Electrical method (kettle) Data handling and uncertainties
Lat ht of steam apparatus

7. 3.2 Modelling a Gas
Method Skills
Boyles law (with syringe and P sensor) Use of sensors
Charles law (with thin tube) Graphing
Pressure law (with P law apparatus) Uncertainties
Adiabatic gas law apparatus simulations

8. 4.1 Travelling Waves
Method Skills
Pipe and audacity Use of audacity
Traditional pipes and tuning fork Careful adjustment
Pipes and oscilloscope Use of oscilloscope
Two microphone method Use of interface

9. 4.4 Wave behaviour
Method Skills
Glass block and ray lamp Use of spectrometer
Minimum deviation Analysis of digital photographs
Algodoo Use of algodoo

10. 5.2 Heating effect of electric current
Method Skills
Using resistance meters to measure
resistance
Use of meters
Nichrome wire (many gauges) soldering
Resistivity paper (strips)

11. 5.3 Electric Cells
Method Skills
Standard E and r method with ammeter
voltmeter and variable R
Use of meters and variable resistor
Investigating cells? Linearization and graphing
Discharge of cell

12. 7.1 Discrete energy & radioactivity
Method Skills
Beer foam decay Using log graphs
Simulation linearization
Flipping coins Video analysis

13. 9.3 Interference (AHL)
Method Skills
Traditional set up Use of optical bench
Double slits and laser Use of laser
Hair and laser

14. 11.2 Power generation and
transmission
Method Skills
Measuring input and output with
interface or oscilloscope
Soldering
Use of interface
Use of oscilloscope

15. 11.3 Capacitance
Method Skills
Any ideas?

16. Sample question 1
• The speed of sound in air, v, was measured at
temperatures near 0°C. The graph shows the data and
the line of best-fit. The error bars for temperature are
too small to be shown.

17. Sample question 2
• A student uses an electronic timer in an attempt to
estimate the acceleration of free fall g. She
measures the time t taken for a small metal ball to
fall through a height h of 0.50 m. The percentage
uncertainty in the measurement of time is 0.3 %
and the percentage uncertainty height is 0.6 %.
• Using h=1/2gt2 calculate the expected percentage
uncertainty in the value of g
• State and explain how the student could obtain a
more reliable value for g

18. Sample question 3
• In an experiment to measure the specific heat capacity of a
metal, a piece of metal is placed inside a container of
boiling water at 100 C °. The metal is then transferred into a
calorimeter containing water at a temperature of 10 C °.
The final equilibrium temperature of the water was
measured. One source of error in this experiment is that a
small mass of boiling water will be transferred to the
calorimeter along with the metal.
• Suggest the effect of the error on the measured value of
the specific heat capacity of the metal
• State one other source of error for this experiment.