PAPER 3 : AS PHYSICS [CRAZY REVISION SHEET] Compiled by: Ghulam Dastgir : 0331-4618407
Different Experiment Scenarios (and their potential errors and improvements):
# Experiment Error Improvement Rejected
• Hard to see water surface due to
Water related Use coloured liquid
1 refraction effects/ meniscus effect Bottle not vertical
experiment: Use waterproof labels/ink
• Labels get wet/ink runs
• Locating the centre of the ball when
Ball related • Mark the centre of the ball with marker
2 reading rule
experiment • Use a flat surface/ Turn off fan
• Inconsistent bounce
• Difficult to judge when the ball is at its
• Position sensor above or below with data logger/ Video
Fast- moving (maximum displacement, highest point
camera to play back frame by frame. Reject reaction time ideas/difficult to
object etc)
3 • Use pressure sensor to stop timer. release from the same point each
experiment • Hard to see when object strikes floor.
• Mark distance with lines on ramp (to eliminate parallax) time.
• Difficult to judge end point
• Move by increments
• Difficulty in deciding the toppling point
• Difficulty in releasing the object due to
Releasing (applied force etc) • Use a remote-controlled clamp to release the object/ slot
object from • (Object) falls at an angle due to wind.- in tube + card/electromagnet
4
rest Light object • Turn off fans
experiment • Rod falls sideways/not entering sand • Practical method to keep rod vertical e.g. guide for rod.
vertically. – Heavy object
Do the experiment in a vacuum, switch
T or time short/large uncertainty in T A marker to time as reaches maximum displacement with the fans off, not just ‘use video’, light
Object does not swing freely/ friction (motion sensor) at end with video with timer (playback) in gates, Camera, High speed camera,
between pivot and object slow motion/ Increase the magnitude of the independent Too fast, Time too fast, Time more
Not swinging in one plane only/idea of non- variable swings , Time large no. of swings,not
Oscillation
5 uniform oscillation (Light object only) Make hole bigger/bush or bearing idea ‘repeated readings’, not just ‘use
experiment
Oscillations die out quickly/ heavy damping Turn off fan(Light object only) * For heavy object, no computer/data logger’, Difficult to
(Light object only) improvement available. release from same point each
Difficult to judge end/start/ centre of Use increased thickness of object time/human error/reaction
swing/difficult to judge complete swing Use of fiducial marker/pointer time/unqualified use of light
gates/sensors
• Clean contacts Voltmeter not accurate enough.
• Resistance / current fluctuating
Electricity • Use digital voltmeter More accurate voltmeter/ Parallax
6 • Voltmeter scale not sensitive enough
experiment • Method of keeping wire (during experiment) straight e.g. error/zero error on meters/heating
• Wires not straight
tape to ruler, hang weights off end, clamp wire. effects of wire
Increase force slowly/reaction time
• Practical method of recording maximum value e.g force error
Force • Maximum force reached without warning
7 sensor with data logger
experiment • Weights move.
• Method of fixing cotton loop to rule e.g. tape, glue.
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PAPER 3 : AS PHYSICS [CRAZY REVISION SHEET] Compiled by: Ghulam Dastgir : 0331-4618407
Use larger pulley
Masses hit each other Lubricate pulley
Pulley
8 Friction at pulley Method of fixing rule e.g. clamp Friction between pulley and string
experiment
Uncertain starting position rule/electromagnetic with steel /magnetic material
ball) release mechanism
Moment Method of preventing rule hitting bench, e.g. project end
Rule hits bench Difficult to start at the same
9 experiment of cylinder over bench or elevate apparatus.
Ruler slips on support amplitude each time
Glue support to block
Glass may affect magnetic force / Use a variety of materials to separate magnets and Reference to Earth’s field/Move object
Magnetism
10 effect of surrounding magnetic test if material affects results further away
experiment
materials
Some parts of board rougher than Method to ensure same section of board used in each Board is rough/there is friction
Bench/ Ramp
others/surface of board is uneven/board experiment (e.g. mark one section) between the block and the board/use
(Surface)
11 not flat Method described to secure board/block/support e.g. a smoother surface/references to
related
Board tends to slip/board not clamp the board, fix the supporting block to the bench with oil/lubricants
experiment
stable/supporting block can topple tape/blu-tack
Switch off fans to reduce
convection/Just “weigh water”/
different starting temperatures of
Heat lost through sides and /or Bottom Method to reduce heat loss/lag/insulate/polystyrene
water; uneven temperature
Low precision of thermometer container
distribution in beaker/ parallax errors
Bulb of thermometer is not completely Thermometer with specified better precision, e.g. 0.1oC,
Heat loss in reading volume or temperature/use
12 immersed 0.5oC
experiment of lid/heat loss in warming
Resistor continues to give out heat when Use larger volume of water/use of thermocouple/other
bowl/cup/draughts/heat loss to
switched off/ temperature continues to rise small temperature sensor(e.g. probe)
surroundings/use more accurate
after switching off Wait until temperature reaches a maximum before reading
thermometer/thermometer not
precise enough/not just ‘digital
thermometer’
Terminal
(Object) may not have reached
13 velocity Time constant over three markers
terminal velocity.
experiment
Light
External light affects (LDR)
14 dependent Conduct experiment in dark room.
experiment
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PAPER 3 : AS PHYSICS [CRAZY REVISION SHEET] Compiled by: Ghulam Dastgir : 0331-4618407
Errors and improvement of common apparatus
# INSTRUMENT Error Improvement Rejected
• Sensible method to ensure ruler vertical
• Put coloured paper behind (object) /Description of
method of reducing parallax error requiring additional
equipment, e.g. !shadow projection/ extend mark to
• Ruler not vertical
wood or track / pointer on rule / travelling microscope*)
• Parallax error
• Mount ruler in stand
• Difficult to hold rule still
• Clamp rule / ensure rule is vertical using a set square on
• Difficult to take measurements because the ruler
the bench
1. METRE RULE moves / is not vertical
1 • Method to improve measurement of d e.g. travelling View at eye level.
• Reason for difficulty in measuring d e.g. viewed
microscope
through ruler/parallax error in d
• Use thinner string
• String too wide for markings on rule
• Use rulers of similar thicknesses/ readings/method to
• Rules have different thicknesses /different lengths so
take thickness into account /use rulers of the same length
not a fair test
* If the diameter is quite wide, meter rule is prefer over
calipers! Accuracy of metre rule is increased by using set
square held against ruler.
• Method to ensure force is parallel to ruler e.g. use a long Video to take
• Difficult to pull newton-meter parallel to ruler/bench string/pulley and weights* reading/digital (electronic)
• Difficult to judge reading on newton-meter when • Method to read force at detachment e.g. newton meter newton meter/parallax
detaches with reason e.g. ruler moves with a ‘max hold’ facility/video and playback or freeze related to newton
suddenly/without warning (so difficult to read frame/ use system of pulley and weights or sand to meter/difficult to measure
2 Newton metre
newton-meter at the instant the ruler starts to measure F*/ use force sensor and data logger or force/issue of viewing
move)/force drops to zero immediately after computer* ruler and meter
detachment • Improved method to measure F: e.g. use system of pulley simultaneously/zero error
• Difficult to zero newton-meter when used horizontally and weights or sand*/use force sensor with datalogger or in newton-meter/just a
computer* pulley
3 Slotted mass • Labelled values of mass may not be accurate. • Use balance/method of weighing mass. Weigh mass.
• Difficult to measure diameter because (object) is • Measure diameter of (object) in two directions and
Objects with
flexible/not circular. average/ Use vernier calipers or micrometer screw gauge
4 unfixed diameter
• Difficult to form a perfect sphere or disc/diameter of to measure average diameter
(Circular objects)
sphere or disc varied • Method to make uniform spheres/discs e.g. moulds
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PAPER 3 : AS PHYSICS [CRAZY REVISION SHEET] Compiled by: Ghulam Dastgir : 0331-4618407
Protractor “wobbles” when being held by hands/
Difficulty in measuring θ owing to container not
perfectly right angled (curved) at the bottom/difficult
use protractor with horizontal line flush to table
to line up protractor/horizontal line of protractor not
5 Protractor top/freestanding or clamped protractor. View at right angles
on table
use mirror scale
parallax error in θ measurement
θ (or reading) is difficult (or inaccurate, or imprecise)
because pointer is thick
General Tips For Errors and Improvements Experiments: • Repeat experiment
• Human error
• If the value of the quantity measured is very small, can write increase the • Use a computer to improve the experiment
magnitude of the quantity of the independent variable. • Use assistant
• Credit is not given for suggestions that should be carried out anyway, such as • If clay/plasticine/heavy object is used in the experiment, wind movement
repeating measurements and calculating average or avoiding parallax errors by doesn’t affect it anymore.
looking at an instrument “square on”. (Think whether turning off fan will make a difference or not).
• Ask yourself whether the improvement is practical or not.
• Common answers that are rejected by mark scheme :
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