CAIE IGCSE PHYSICS (0625)

Apparatus: Two large cans, two small cans, cotton wool,

polystyrene beads, boiling water, thermometers,
1. Safety Precautions stopwatch
Procedure:
Live wires should not be touched. Put the small cans into the large cans and insulate the
Hot objects should not be touched with bare hands - small
can with (i) cotton wool and (ii) polystyrene
gloves should be
used beads
Circuit connections should be checked and approved by Pour boiling water into the small cans and place the
the teacher
and then only the circuit should be switched thermometers in them.
on Start the stopwatch and take readings of temperature
While changing components of the circuit the power at regular
intervals.
should be switched off so that one should not experience Record readings in a table for each insulator.
electric shocks. The small can that has the higher temperature over
Safety goggles, gloves and other safety components the fixed
period is better insulated.
should be used
while handling experiments. Hence, object that provides a less temperature loss
While handling a mercury thermometer one should take over the
period is the better insulator.
care of the
mercury spills.

5. Refraction of Light
2. Specific Heat Capacity
Apparatus: Ray Box, Rectangular piece of glass, Plain
Apparatus: Solid block, Drill, Thermometer, Heater (of paper,
Pencil.
known
power), Cotton wool. Procedure:
Procedure: Place the Plain paper below the rectangular piece of
Drill two holes in the block. glass.
Measure the mass of the block. Project a ray towards the glass.
Place the heater in one of the blocks, the Make two points to mark the incident ray, two to mark
thermometer in the
other. the
refracted ray and two to mark the emergent ray.
Use cotton wool to properly insulate/lag the block. Join all the lines, measure the angles and calculate
Note the initial temperature of block and turn on refractive
index.
heater for
xseconds Repeat with different angles; Snell's law shown.
Calculate Heat Energy Supplied by heater using
formula Q=Pt.
Note the final temperature of block. 6. Resistance and
Q
Specif ic heat capacity  = m×Δt .​

Temperature
3. Cooling Rate of Water Apparatus: Resistor, Battery, Connecting wires, Ammeter,
Voltmeter, Oven.
Apparatus: Heater, Thermometer, Beaker, Stopwatch, Procedure:
Beaker
containing Water. Make a circuit with the battery, connecting wires,
Procedure: ammeter and
voltmeter, resistor.
Place heater into beaker and turn it on to raise the Measure the resistance of the resistor using the
temperature
of water to 60°C formula R=V/I.
Stir the contents of the water and place thermometer Heat the resistor in the oven. Place the resistor back
into the
beaker. into the
circuit.
Note the starting temperature and turn on the Measure the readings again and calculate R=V/I.
stopwatch. Draw up a conclusion about how the resistance
Take readings of the thermometer and stopwatch at increases as
temperature increases.
regular
intervals (e.g. 60 sec).
Draw up a table and plot a graph to conclude your
experiment. 7. Speed of Sound
Apparatus: Two observers, Gun, Stopwatch.
4. Picking a Better Insulator Procedure:
Two observers are set apart at a known distance.
One observer has the gun, the other has the
stopwatch.

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Observer A fires the gun, Observer B starts the Record max. temperature
stopwatch when
he sees the puff of smoke. Heat loss could be reduced by:
Observer B stops the stopwatch when he hears the Insulation of beaker.
sound and the
time is noted. Covering beaker with a lid.
Speed  = Distance
Time applied.
​
How to check if a rule is vertical:
The observers swap positions and repeat the Use of set square or protractor
experiment. Plumb line
The values are averaged and the speed of sound is Spirit Level
obtained. Precautions taken in experiments about formation of
images by a
lens
Use a darkened area
8. Centre of Mass Object and lens same height on bench
Take more readings
Centre of mass of a plane lamina: Avoiding parallax error in measurement, and look
Make a hole in the lamina. perpendicular
to the ruler.
Hang it so it can swing freely. Object/lens/screen perpendicular to bench
Hang a plumb line in the hole and mark the line it Variables in experiments about springs and stretching
passes
through. effect:
Repeat the procedure again to get another line Number of coils
Their intersection point is the center of mass. Length of spring
Stability of simple objects: Diameter\thickness of spring or wire
The position of the center of mass affects an object’s Selection of loads
stability. If the center of mass of an object is low, it is Improvement made to calculating circumference by string
less
likely to tip if tilted. method
To increase stability: (i) Increase surface area (ii) widen Avoid parallax error
the base of the object. Repeats and average
Thinner string
Parallel winding of springs
9. Improving Accuracy Precautions for circuit readings of I and V so that
accurate:
To produce more accurate or reliable results: For I specifically:
Repeat experiment, to calculate average reading. Limit current so that temp. doesn't increase
Avoiding parallax error, look perpendicular to the Use a tapping meter
ruler. For I and V: Switch off between readings.
If accuracy in measurement was asked, check for zero Fair test for pendulum experiments:
error. Length of pendulum
To draw an image created from lens: Shape of bob
Inverted from the original object. No. of swings
Sides are multiplied by the magnification. Amplitude
Centre of mass experiment (with the lamina): Precautions and procedures in electrical experiments:
you view the string directly in front of card. Check for a zero error
Minimizing heating effect of a current: Tap the meter to avoid sticking
Lower current Initially choose the highest range for the
Increase voltage ammeter/voltmeter,
then reduce the range for the
Add a lamp ammeter so that the deflection is
almost full scale
Increase resistance of a resistor Always check polarities before closing the switch
To increase accuracy of ray diagrams: (completing
the circuit)
View bases of pins since pins may not be vertical Always check that connections are clean.
Keep pins further apart and use more pins Switch off the current when not making a
Avoid parallax, explain action and reason measurement.
Repeats and average When measuring resistance use low currents/voltages
Improvement made to experiments about to avoid
heating and changing the resistance you are
heating/cooling effect and
insulation measuring.
Same initial temperature.
Same volume of water.
Same shape and type of beaker. 10. Inaccuracies
Same room temperature.
Stirring the water in the beakers. Why angle i is NOT equal to angle r in ray experiment:

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Thickness of pins Drawing graphs:

Thickness of mirror Label axis
Protractor is not precise Choose a proper scale
Inaccuracy of ray box method: thickness of rays. Well-judged best fit line
Inaccuracy of pin method: pins not straight, or too close, Thin and neat lines
or
thickness of lines drawn. Measuring the gradient:
Measuring 10 oscillations rather than 1: Draw a triangle on graph
Reduce human errors Use clear lines
Give more accurate value of time taken (T) Triangle must be larger than half the line
Gives an average of T For 2 values to be directly proportional, graph of the
values be
a straight line from origin.

11. Graphs

 Drawing graphs :

Label axis
Choose a proper scale
Well-judged best fit line
Thin and neat lines
 Measuring the gradient:
Draw a triangle on graph
Use clear lines
Triangle must be larger than half the line

 For 2 values to be directly proportional, graph of the values be a straight line from origin.

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