Physics Practical Notes

Friday, December 15, 2023 6:17 PM

• Least count of apparatus:

1. Micrometer Screw Gauge: 0.01 mm
2. Meter rule: 0.5 mm
3. Vernier Caliper: 0.1 mm
4. Protractor: 0.5 degrees
5. Time: 1 decimal place
• Make sure to take average of readings and show its working as well
• Measurements being taken should be in a wide range and with equal distributions
in experiments where 2 variables are changed this difference doesn’t need to be constant with
every set of readings u take.
• Better to write original readings instead of made up ones
• Make sure to write headings in table with units
• Number of decimal places for values obtained should be consistent and in accordance with the
instrument least count.
• For graphs:
- On the graph grid provided, there are about 8 big boxes horizontally & 12 big boxes vertically
(when the paper is viewed in portrait form). Therefore, the graph you draw must cover
ATLEAST 4 boxes horizontally and 6 boxes vertically - appropriate scales must be chosen to
ensure this.

• Finding constant's relationship (for question 2):

• If the % difference is more than 20% reject the relationship, if it is less than or equal to 20%
accept the given relationship.
If u are given more than 2 readings select 2 readings which are closer together and ignore the
rest

Error Improvement
-Fast moving - Difficult to judge when a ball is at - Use sensor or record with camera
objects e.g. max displacement frame by frame
- Hard to see when the object - Use a pressure sensor to stop
strikes the floor timer
- Difficult to judge the end point - Mark distance with lines
- Difficulty in deciding the toppling - Move by increments
point
- Releasing object - Difficulty in releasing object due - Use remote controlled
from rest to e.g. force clamp/electromagnet
experiment - Rod falls sideways - Keep rod vertical/use guide
- Oscillation - Time taken (T) too short or large - Time object at max disp. With
experiment in T motion sensor/video and playback
- Object doesn’t swing in slow motion/ time more
 freely/friction between pivot and oscillations
object - Make hole bigger/ bush or bearing
- Non- uniform oscillations data
- Oscillations die out quickly - Turn off fan (if light object being
- Difficult to judge used)
end/start/complete swing - Increase thickness of object
- Retort stand moves - Use fiducial marker
- Add weights or clamps to keep the
retort stand balanced

- Electricity - Resistance/ current fluctuating - Clean contacts

experiment - Voltmeter scale not sensitive - Use digital voltmeter
enough - Tape to ruler/hang weights off
- Wires not straight end/clamp wire
- Force experiment - Reach max force suddenly - Force sensor w/data logger
- Weights move off path - Fix cotton loop to rule e.g. tape,
glue
- Magnetism - Effect of surrounding e.g. - Use various materials to separate
experiment glass/magnetic material magnets and test if the material
affects results
-meter rule - Parallax error - Put colored paper behind/ eye-
- Difficult to hold rule still level perpendicular/ extend mark
- Difficult to measure because the to wood/ shadow projection
ruler moves - Mount ruler in stand
- Clamp rule/ ensure rule is vertical
using set square
- Newton meter - Difficult to pull newton meter - Ensure force parallel to ruler e.g.
parallel to ruler/ bench use a long string/ pulley and
- Difficult to judge reading on weights
meter when detached: ruler - Use Newton meter with a 'max
moves suddenly/ force = 0 after hold' facility/video and playback or
detachment freeze frame/ use force sensor or
- Difficult to zero Newton meter logger
when horizontal - Use system of pulley and weights/
use force sensor with data logger
- Objects with - Difficult to measure diameter - Use Vernier calipers or micrometer
unfixed diameter because object flexible/ not screw gauge to measure average
(circular objects) circular diameter
- Difficult to form perfect sphere/ - Method to make uniform spheres/
diameter varied discs e.g. molds
- Protractor - Protractor "wobbles"/ difficult to - Sue protractor with horizontal line
measure; container curved at the level to table top/ freestanding or
bottom/ difficult to line up clamped protractor
- Parallax error in theta - Use mirror scale

• General ----> error = two readings not enough

-----> improvement = take several readings and plot a graph
• How to use a Micrometer screw gauge:
- place objects between anvil and spindle
- rotate the thimble until object firmly held by jaws
- add together value from the main scale and circular scale
- a formula to use maybe: M.S + (C.S x L.C)-(+ - Z.E)
• How to use Vernier scale:
- place object on rule
 - push the slide scale to the edge of the object
- the sliding scale is 0.9mm long and divided into 10 equal divisions
- check which line division on sliding scale matches with a line division on rule
- subtract the value from the sliding scale (0.09 x Divisions) by the value from the rule.
• Some systematic errors:
- constant error in one direction; too big or too small
- cannot be eliminated by repeating or averaging
- if systematic error is small, measurement is accurate
- Accuracy: refers to the degree of agreement between the result of a measurement and true
value of quantity
• Some random errors:
- random fluctuations or scatter about a true value
- can be reduced by repeating and averaging
- when random error is small, measurement is precise
- Precision: the number of repeated measurements you take of the same quantity regardless
of it being correct or not
• Calculating Uncertainties:
- Absolute uncertainty: Δ𝓍 (write number to 1 d.p and '±' in the beginning)
- Fractional uncertainty: Δ𝓍/𝓍
- Percentage uncertainty: Δ𝓍/𝓍 x 100
- Combining these errors:
 When the values are being added or subtract add the absolute error
 When multiplied or divided, % add the errors.
 Power is multiplied with the error
- Uncertainty of instruments:
Instrument Uncertainty
Ruler 0.1 cm
Protractor 2°
Stop watch (t1-t2)/2

• Always give calculated quantity to sig fig equal or one less than measured value