Practical skills — IGCSE Physical Science (0652) questions by topic
Practical skills questions ask candidates to plan an experiment, such as investigating how the diameter of conducting putty affects its resistance, describe how to separate a precipitate by filtration, or find the refractive index of a transparent block from a ray-trace diagram. Draw, suggest, describe, explain and find are the command words, with draw meaning a correctly wired circuit diagram, not a sketch of apparatus.
22 real questions from 2023 papers make up this page, worth 1 to 14 marks. Precision in measurement and graph work is what separates full from partial marks here, so submitting your plans and readings for instant marking catches ammeter and voltmeter placement, missing units, or a line forced through the origin before they recur across a whole practical.
What examiners look for
- A recurring mistake is drawing voltmeters in series and ammeters in parallel, omitting a ruler to measure diameter, and failing to control the length of the putty being tested.
- Examiners also flag not labelling residue and filtrate, reading a protractor incorrectly to give the complement of the angle, and forcing a graph line through the origin or drawing two lines when only one could be credited.
- A further common mistake is giving vague answers such as saying the reaction is over or one reagent is in excess, without specifying which reagent.
- Most candidates correctly identified the gas as carbon dioxide using the limewater test, and most showed clear working on a graph, reading to the required accuracy.
- Strong answers measured lengths to within 1 mm and calculated a refractive index within the expected tolerance, and supported a conclusion with a valid percentage calculation.
October–November 2023, Paper 21
The diagram shows a piece of apparatus. [A measuring cylinder is shown.] What is measured using this apparatus? A mass B temperature C time D volume
Answer this question and get it marked →Which quantity is measured using a micrometer screw gauge? A the diameter of a thin wire B the mass of an atom C the small current in a circuit D the wavelength of a light wave
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 22
The diagram shows a piece of apparatus. [A measuring cylinder is shown.] What is measured using this apparatus? A mass B temperature C time D volume
Answer this question and get it marked →Which quantity is measured using a micrometer screw gauge? A the diameter of a thin wire B the mass of an atom C the small current in a circuit D the wavelength of a light wave
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 41
A student measures the diameter of a wire. Name an instrument used to measure accurately the diameter of the wire.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 42
A student measures the diameter of a wire. Name an instrument used to measure accurately the diameter of the wire.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 51
You are going to investigate the amount of precipitate formed when aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with aqueous barium nitrate. Word equation: sodium carbonate(aq) + barium…
Answer this question and get it marked →You are going to investigate further the reaction in Question 1. When aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with aqueous barium nitrate a white precipitate forms; the precipitate is…
Answer this question and get it marked →You are going to investigate the refraction of light by a transparent block using Fig. 3.1 (a ray-trace diagram with normal NL, incident line FE meeting the long side AB of a…
Answer this question and get it marked →Conducting putty is modelling clay that conducts electrical current. Plan an experiment to investigate the relationship between the diameter d of the conducting putty and its…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 52
You are going to investigate the amount of precipitate formed when aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with aqueous barium nitrate. Word equation: sodium carbonate(aq) + barium…
Answer this question and get it marked →You are going to investigate further the reaction in Question 1. When aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with aqueous barium nitrate a white precipitate forms; the precipitate is…
Answer this question and get it marked →You are going to investigate the refraction of light by a transparent block using Fig. 3.1 (a ray-trace diagram with normal NL, incident line FE meeting the long side AB of a…
Answer this question and get it marked →Conducting putty is modelling clay that conducts electrical current. Plan an experiment to investigate the relationship between the diameter d of the conducting putty and its…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 61
A student investigates the amount of precipitate formed when aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with aqueous barium nitrate. Word equation: sodium carbonate(aq) + barium nitrate(aq)…
Answer this question and get it marked →When aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with aqueous barium nitrate a white precipitate forms; the precipitate is separated by filtration. Draw a labelled diagram of the assembled…
Answer this question and get it marked →A student investigates the refraction of light by a transparent block. Fig. 3.1 shows the student's ray-trace sheet: a rectangular block outline ABCD, the normal NL on side AB, an…
Answer this question and get it marked →Conducting putty is modelling clay that conducts electrical current. Plan an experiment to investigate the relationship between the diameter d of the conducting putty and its…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 62
A student investigates the amount of precipitate formed when aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with aqueous barium nitrate. Word equation: sodium carbonate(aq) + barium nitrate(aq)…
Answer this question and get it marked →When aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with aqueous barium nitrate a white precipitate forms; the precipitate is separated by filtration. Draw a labelled diagram of the assembled…
Answer this question and get it marked →A student investigates the refraction of light by a transparent block. Fig. 3.1 shows the student's ray-trace sheet: a rectangular block outline ABCD, the normal NL on side AB, an…
Answer this question and get it marked →Conducting putty is modelling clay that conducts electrical current. Plan an experiment to investigate the relationship between the diameter d of the conducting putty and its…
Answer this question and get it marked →