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AQA GCSE
Required Practical Activities
Recall tests
Paper 1
Biology 4.1 Cell Biology – RPA Microscopy
Biology 4.1 Cell Biology – RPA Microbiology (biology only)
Biology 4.1 Cell Biology – RPA Osmosis
Biology 4.2 Organisation – RPA Enzymes
Biology 4.2 Organisation – RPA Food Tests
Chemistry 4.4 Chemical Changes – RPA Making Salts
Chemistry 4.4 Chemical Changes – RPA Neutralisation (chemistry only)
Chemistry 4.4 Chemical Changes – RPA Electrolysis
Chemistry 4.5 Energy Changes – RPA Temperature Changes
Physics 4.1 Energy – RPA Specific Heat Capacity
Physics 4.1 Energy – RPA Insulation (physics only)
Physics 4.2 Electricity – RPA Resistance
Physics 4.2 Electricity – RPA I-V characteristics
Physics 4.3 Particle Model – RPA Density
Biology 4.1 Cell Biology – RPA Microscopy
Light microscopes let us see very small structures such as the cells in an onion skin.
① Draw a labelled diagram of a microscope.
② Describe how you could prepare an onion skin to be investigated under a microscope.
- peel off a thin layer of epidermal tissue from the inner surface
- use forceps to put this thin layer flat onto a drop of water on a microscope slide
- put two drops of iodine solution onto the onion tissue
- carefully lower a coverslip onto the slide
- view and sketch the cells at different magnifications
- expected result:
Biology 4.1 Cell Biology – RPA Osmosis
Osmosis is the movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high concentration of water to an area of lower concentration of water. Plant tissues, such as potato, can be used to investigate osmosis.
① Draw a labelled diagram of an experiment to investigate the effect of a range of concentrations of sugar solutions on the mass of potato cylinders.
② Describe how you could conduct the investigation of osmosis in potato tissue.
- cut three potato cylinders of the same diameter and length
- measure the length using a ruler
- determine the mass of each potato cylinder using scales
- add one potato cylinder to a tube of 10 cm^3 of 1 M sugar solution, one to a tube of 10 cm^3 of 0.5 M sugar solution and a tube of 10 cm^3 distilled water
- leave the potato cylinders in the boiling tubes overnight in the test tube rack
- re-measure the length and mass of each cylinder
- draw a graph of change in mass against concentration of sugar solution
Biology 4.2 Organisation – RPA Enzymes
The enzyme amylase controls the breakdown of starch in our digestive system. We are able to simulate digestion, using solutions of starch and amylase in test tubes, and find the optimum conditions required.
① State the equipment used and draw a labelled diagram of an experiment to investigate the effect of temperature on the enzyme amylase.
- boiling tubes
- water bath
- spotting tiles
- pipettes
- stop clock
- starch solution
- amylase solution
- iodine solution
② Describe how you could conduct the investigation of the effect of temperature on the enzyme amylase.
- mix same volume of 1% starch solution 20°C with amylase solution 20°C
- after 30 seconds, add a drop of the starch and amylase mixture to a drop of iodine solution in one well of a spotting tile
- repeat every 30 seconds until the iodine solution no longer changes colour
- repeat the experiment at 40 °C and at 60 °C and at 80 °C
Chemistry 4.4 Chemical Changes – RPA Making Salts
A salt is any compound formed by the neutralisation of an acid by a base.
① Draw a labelled diagram showing how the apparatus used to prepare pure dry copper sulfate crystals could be arranged.
② Describe how you could prepare pure dry copper sulfate crystals.
- react sulfuric acid and copper (III) oxide powder to prepare an aqueous solution of a salt
- filter the unreacted base from the reaction
- evaporate the filtrate to leave a concentrated solution of the salt
- which will crystallise as it cools and evaporates further o when dry the copper sulfate crystals will have a high purity
Chemistry 4.4 Chemical Changes – RPA Neutralisation (chemistry only)
A reaction of an acid with an alkali to form neutral products is called neutralisation.
① Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus used to determine the concentration of solutions of a strong acid and a strong alkali by titration.
② Describe how you could use the apparatus to determine the concentration of solutions of a strong acid and a strong alkali.
- pipette a volume of sodium hydroxide of known concentration into a conical flask
- add a few drops of methyl orange indicator
- add sulfuric acid from burette until the indicator changes colour
- measure volume of acid used
- calculate the concentration of the acid
Chemistry 4.5 Energy Changes – RPA Temperature Changes
Exothermic reactions transfer heat to the surroundings. Endothermic reactions take in heat from the surroundings.
① Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus used to investigate the temperature changes which take place when an acid is neutralised by an alkali.
② Describe how you could investigate the temperature changes which take place when an acid is neutralised by an alkali.
- measure a volume of hydrochloric acid into a polystyrene cup
- record the temperature
- add a given volume of sodium hydroxide solution
- record the temperature
- repeat, using the same volume of sodium hydroxide solution each time, until the temperature decreases again
- plot a graph of temperature against total volume of sodium hydroxide
- draw to intersecting lines of best fit
- where the lines meet indicates the volume of sodium hydroxide needed to neutralise the hydrochloric acid
Physics 4.1 Energy – RPA Specific Heat Capacity
The specific heat capacity of copper can be determined by experiment.
① Draw a labelled diagram showing how the apparatus used to determine the specific heat capacity of copper should be arranged.
② Describe how you could use the apparatus you drew to determine the specific heat capacity of copper.
- measure energy transferred from the heater using joulemeter
- determine mass of the block using electric balance
- measure temperature change using thermometer
- calculate specific heat capacity using ∆𝐸 = 𝑚𝑐∆𝜃
- repeat practical and calculate a mean
- insulate block to reduce heat lost to surrounding
Physics 4.2 Electricity – RPA Resistance
The specific heat capacity of copper can be determined by experiment.
① Draw a labelled diagram showing the circuit used to investigate how the resistance of a wire depends on its length.
② Describe how you could use the circuit you drew to investigate how the resistance of a wire depends on its length.
- measure potential difference and current using the voltmeter and ammeter for different lengths of wire from 10 cm to 90 cm
- calculate the resistance for each measurement using 𝑅 = 𝑉𝐼
- plot resistance in Ω against length of wire in cm
- switch off power supply between readings so the wire doesn’t get too hot
Physics 4.2 Electricity – RPA I-V characteristics
What happens to the current through a component when the potential difference across it changes?
① Draw a circuit diagram to investigate the behaviour of a resistor, a lamp and a diode. In each one you are going to measure electric current in the component as you change the potential difference across it.
Resistor Lamp Diode
② Describe how you could use the circuits you drew to investigate the I-V characteristics of a filament lamp, a diode and a resistor at constant temperature.
- record the readings on the ammeter and voltmeter
- adjust the variable resistor and record the new ammeter and voltmeter readings
- repeat this to obtain several pairs of readings
- repeat for negative values
- plot a graph of current in A against potential difference in V
- expected graphs for resistor, lamp and diode:
