Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics 9702 syllabus Practical assessment Syllabus for examination in 2019, 2020 and 2021 43 Paper5 Paper 6 will be a timetabled written paper, focusing on the following higher-order experimental skills: © planning * analysis, conclusions and evaluation. This examination will not require laboratory facilities. It should be stressed that learners cannot be adequately prepared for this paper without extensive laboratory work during their course of study. Teachers must plan a practical course where the skills required for this paper ate developed and practised over a period of time with a ‘hands on’ approach. In particular, leamers cannot be taught to plan experiments effectively unless, on a number of occasions, they are required to: + plan an experiment ‘+ perform the experiment aceording to their plan * evaluate what they have done. 's requires many hours of laboratory-based work and careful supervision from teachers to ensure thi experiments are performed safely. Paper 6 will consist of two questions each of 15 marks, The first question will be a planning question, in which candidates will be required to design an experimental investigation of a given problem. The question will not be highly structured: candidates will be expected to answer with a diagram and an extended piece of writing The second question will be an analysis, conclusions and evaluation question, in which candidates will be given an equation and some experimental data. From these they will be required to find the value of a constant, This question will be structured but candidates will be expected to decide for themselves what they need to do in order to reach an answer. They will also be required lo estimate the uncertainty in their answer. ‘Some questions on this paper may be set in areas of physics that are difficult to investigate experimentally in school laboratories, either because of the cost of equipment or because of restrictions on the availabilty of materials (e.g. radioactive materials). No question will require knowledge of theory or equipment that is beyond the syllabus: candidates will be given all the information that they need. Candidates will be given the necessary information for questions set on topics that do not form part of the syllabus. Back to contents page wwwcieorguklalevel 55Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics 9702 syllabus. Practical assessment Syllabus for examination in 2019, 2020 and 2021 4.3.1 Mark scheme for Paper 5 Paper 6 will be marked using the generic mark scheme below. The expectations for each mark category are listed in the sections that follow. si Mark Breakdown of skills Mark allocation allocation Planning 15 marks Defining the problem 2 marks Methods of data collection 4 marks Method of analysis 3 marks ‘Additional detail including 6 marks safety considerations® “The 6 marks for additional detail willbe allocated across the skills in this gtid and their allocation may vary ‘from paper to paper. Skill Mark Breakdown of skills Minimum, allocation mark allocation® Analysis, conclusions and 15 marks Data analysis 1 mark evaluation Table of results 1 mark Graph 2 marks Conelusion 3 marks Treatment of uncertainties 3 marks “The remaining § marks will be allocated across the skills in this grid and their allocation may vary from paper to paper. 56 www.cievorgwuklalevel Back to contents pageCambridge International AS & A Level Physics 9702 syllabus Practical assessment Syllabus for examination in 2019, 2020 and 2021 4.3.2 Expectations for each mark category (Paper 5) Planning Defining the problem Candidates should be able to: ‘© identify the independent variable in the experiment ‘* identify the dependent variable in the experiment ‘+ identify the variables that are to be kept constant. Methods of data collection Candidates should be able to: ‘* describe the method to be used to vary the independent variable '* describe how the independent and dependent variables are to be measured ‘* describe how other variables are to be kept constant + describe, with the aid of a clear labelled diagram, the arrangement of apparatus for the experiment and the procedures te be followed. full credit to be awarded in this section, the overall arrangement must be workable, that is, it should be possible to collect the data required without undue difficulty if the apparatus were assembled as described. The measuring instruments chosen should be fit for purpose, in thal they should measure the correct physical quantity to a suitable precision for the experiment, Method of analysis Candidates should be able to: + describe how the data should be used in order to reach a conclusion, including details of derived uantities to be calculated and graphs to be drawn as appropriate. Additional detail including safety considerations Up to six marks will be available for additional relevant detail including safety precautions How these marks are awarded will depend on the experiment that is to be planned, bul they might, for example, include marks for describing how additional variables are to be kept constant, of for a diagram of a circuit needed to make a particular measurement or a description of initial experiments or an explanation of how to obtain calibration curves. r safety considerations, candidates should be able to: ‘* assess the risks of their experiment ‘* describe precautions that should be taken to keep risks to a minimum. Marks may also be awarded for detailed use of apparatus, Candidates should be able to: * describe the use of an oscilloscope {or storage oscilloscope) to measure voltage, current, time and frequency + describe how to use light gates connected to a data logger to determine time, velocity and acceleration + describe how other sensors can be used with a data logger, e.g, motion sensor. Back to contents page wwwcieorguklalevel 57Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics 9702 syllabus. Practical assessment Syllabus for examination in 2019, 2020 and 2021 Analysis, conclusions and evaluation Data analysis Candidates should be able to: ‘+ rearrange expressions into the forms y= mx+ ¢, y= ax’ and y= ae" * plot a graph of yagainst x and use the graph to find the constants m and ¢ in an equation of the form. y=mxte + plot a graph of log y against log xand use the graph to find the constants a and n in an equation of the form y= ax” ‘and use the graph to find the constants a and kin an equation of the form '* decide what derived quantities to calculate from raw data in order to enable an appropriate graph to be plotted ‘* calculate other quantities from their raw data © use the correct number of significant figures for these calculated quantities following the conventions required for Paper 3. Where logarithms are required, units should be shown with the quan’ e.g. In (d/ cm}. The logarithm itself does not have a unit. whose logarithm is being taken, For logarithmic quantities, the number of decimal places should correspond to the number of significant figures. For example, if L/ cm is 76.5 (2 sf), then Ig (L/ cm) should be either 1.884 (3 dp) or 1.8837 (4 dp}. Table of results Candidates should be able to: * complete a table of results following the conventions required for Paper 3. Graph Candidates should be able to: * plot a graph following the conver ‘+ show error bars, in both dire: ns required for Paper 3 ins where appropriate, for each point on the graph * draw a straight line of best fit and a straight worst acceptable line through the points on the graph when the trend on the graph is linear + draw 2 curved trend line and a tangent to the curve where appropriate. The worst acceptable line should be either the steepest possible line or the shallowest possible line thal passes through the error bars of all the cata points. It should be distinguished from the line of best fit either by being drawn as a broken line or by being clearly labelled, Conclusion Candidates should be able to ‘* determine the gradient and intercept of a straight-line graph or tangent to a curve + dorive expressions that equate to the gradient or the y-intercept of their straight lines of best fit ‘© draw the required conclusions from these expressions. 58 wwwcie.org.ub/alevel Back to contents pageCambridge International AS & A Level Physics 9702 syllabus Practical assessment Syllabus for examination in 2019, 2020 and 2021 Treatment of uncertainties Candidates should be able to: * convert absolute uncertainty estimates into fractional or percentage uncertainty estimates and vice versa + show uncertainty estimates, in absolute terms, beside every value in a table of results, ‘© calculate uncertainty estimates in derived quantities ‘+ show uncertainty estimates as error bars on a graph * estimate the absolute uncertainty in the gradient of a graph by recalling that absolute uncertainty = gradient of line of best fit - gradient of worst acceptable line ‘+ estimate the absolute uncertainty in the intercept of a graph by recalling that absolute uncertainty = intercept of line of best fit - yintercept of worst acceptable line + exoress a quantity as a value, an uncertainty estimate and a unit, Back to contents page wwwcieorguklalevel 59