Required practicals checklist: all 10 for AQA GCSE Physics
By Engr. Mehmood Kakar · Updated
Quick answer
AQA GCSE Physics has 10 required practicals; 8 of them are also in Combined Science: Trilogy (thermal insulation and light are Physics only). Exam questions ask about the method, variables, equipment, errors and calculations from your results. Tick each one off below as you revise it: your ticks are saved in this browser.
The checklist
Tick each practical when you can describe its method, variables and errors from memory.
Aim: Find the specific heat capacity of a material by heating a block and measuring the energy supplied and the temperature rise.
Equipment: Metal block, immersion heater, joulemeter (or ammeter, voltmeter and stopwatch), thermometer, insulation, balance
Equation: ΔE = m c Δθ
Aim: Compare how well different materials (or thicknesses) insulate, by measuring how fast a beaker of hot water cools.
Equipment: Beakers, kettle, thermometers, stopwatch, insulating materials
Aim: Investigate how the length of a wire affects its resistance, and the resistance of resistors in series and parallel.
Equipment: Wire on a metre rule, crocodile clips, ammeter, voltmeter, power supply, resistors
Equation: V = I R
Aim: Plot current against potential difference for a resistor, a filament lamp and a diode.
Equipment: Variable resistor or power supply, ammeter, voltmeter, the three components
Equation: V = I R
Aim: Find the density of regular and irregular solids and of a liquid.
Equipment: Balance, ruler or vernier callipers, eureka can, measuring cylinder
Equation: ρ = m / V
Aim: Investigate how the extension of a spring depends on the force applied, and find where it stops being proportional.
Equipment: Spring, clamp stand, ruler, pointer, slotted masses
Equation: F = k e
Aim: Investigate how the acceleration of a trolley depends on the resultant force and on its mass.
Equipment: Trolley, runway, pulley, string, slotted masses, light gates and data logger
Equation: F = m a
Aim: Measure the frequency, wavelength and speed of waves in a ripple tank and of waves on a string.
Equipment: Ripple tank, strobe or camera, ruler; vibration generator, string, pulley and masses
Equation: v = f λ
Aim: Investigate the reflection of light by different surfaces and the refraction of light by different substances.
Equipment: Ray box, glass and Perspex blocks, mirror, protractor, paper
Aim: Investigate how the amount of infrared radiation emitted or absorbed depends on the type of surface.
Equipment: Leslie cube (or cans of hot water with different surfaces), infrared detector or thermometer
What exams ask about practicals
- Method: a numbered set of steps (often 4–6 marks). Say what you measure, how, and how you keep it fair.
- Variables: independent (what you change), dependent (what you measure) and control (what you keep the same).
- Equipment: name it and give its resolution, for example a thermometer reading to 1 °C.
- Errors and improvements: random errors (reduce with repeats and a mean) and systematic errors (for example a balance that isn’t zeroed).
- Results: calculating a value, plotting a graph, drawing a line of best fit and finding a gradient.
Key words to know
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Accurate | Close to the true value |
| Precise | Repeated measurements close together |
| Repeatable | The same person, method and equipment give similar results |
| Reproducible | A different person or method gives similar results |
| Resolution | The smallest change an instrument can show |
| Anomaly | A result that doesn’t fit the pattern; check it and repeat |
| Random error | Unpredictable scatter in readings; reduced by repeats and a mean |
| Systematic error | Readings all shifted the same way, for example a zero error |
Frequently asked questions
How many required practicals are there in AQA GCSE Physics?
Ten. Combined Science: Trilogy students do eight of them; thermal insulation and the light (reflection and refraction) practical are GCSE Physics only.
Do required practicals come up in the exam?
Yes. Written exam questions test your understanding of the practicals: how to carry them out, the variables, the equipment, how to improve accuracy and how to process the results. At least 15% of the marks in AQA GCSE science papers are for the practical skills developed in these activities.
What is the difference between accuracy and precision?
An accurate measurement is close to the true value. Precise measurements are close to each other when repeated (little spread). Repeating and taking a mean helps reduce the effect of random errors.
Written by Engr. Mehmood Kakar
Physics educator and engineer (MSc Physics, B.Ed, M.Ed) with 8 years of hands-on teaching, from college students to teacher training. About the author · LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Checked against the AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification on 15 November 2026.