1

Core Practical
Investigate the effect of caffeine on heart
rate in Daphnia.

"Techniques and appara

3
4
5

Investigate the vitamin C content of food

and drink.

Investigate membrane structure, including

the effect of alcohol concentration or
temperature on membrane permeability.

Investigate the effect of enzyme and

substrate concentrations on the initial rates
of reactions.

Prepare and stain a root tip squash to

observe the stages of mitosis

Identify sclerenchyma fibres, phloem sieve

tubes and xylem vessels and their location
within stems through a light microscope.

Investigate plant mineral deficiencies.

Determine the tensile strength of plant

fibres.

Investigate the antimicrobial properties of

plants, including aseptic techniques for the
safe handling of bacteria.

10

Carry out a study on the ecology of a

habitat, such as using quadrats and
transects to determine distribution and
abundance of organisms, and measuring
abiotic factors appropriate to the habitat.

11

Investigate photosynthesis using isolated

chloroplasts (the Hill reaction).

12

Investigate the effect of temperature on the

rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction, to
include Q10.

13

Investigate the effects of temperature on

the development of organisms (such as
seedling growth rate, brine shrimp hatch
rates).

14

Use gel electrophoresis to separate DNA

fragments of different length.

15

Investigate the effect of different antibiotics

on bacteria.

16

Investigate rate of respiration practically.

17

Investigate the effects of exercise on tidal

volume, breathing rate, respiratory minute
ventilation and oxygen consumption using
data from spirometer traces.

18

Investigate habituation to a stimulus.

niques and apparatus" - Appendix 5c

6
7
8
9
10

CPAC
11

12

1a
1

y
y

10

11

2b

2a

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

2c

CPAC statements
2d
3a
3b

4a

4b

5a

5b

y
y

y
y

y
y

Core Practical
1

Investigate a factor affecting the initial rate of

an enzyme controlled reaction.

"Techniques and appa

3
4

Use of the light microscope, including simple

stage and eyepiece micrometers and drawing
small numbers of cells from a specialised
tissue.
Make a temporary squash preparation of a root
tip to show stages of mitosis in the meristem
under the light microscope.

Investigate the effect of sucrose concentrations

on pollen tube growth.

Investigate the effect of temperature on

beetroot membrane permeability.

6
7
8
9

Determine the water potential of a plant tissue.

Dissect an insect to show the structure of the
gas exchange system.
Investigate factors affecting water uptake by
plant shoots using a potometer.
Investigate factors affecting the rate of
respiration using a respirometer.

10

Investigate the effects of different wavelengths

of light on the rate of photosynthesis.

11

Investigate the presence of different

chloroplast pigments using chromatography.

12

Investigate the rate of growth of bacteria in

liquid culture.

13

Isolate individual species from a mixed culture

of bacteria using streak plating.
Investigate the effect of gibberellin on the
production of amylase in germinating cereals
using a starch agar assay.

14

15

16

Investigate the effect of different sampling

methods on estimates of the size of a
population.
Investigate the effect of one abiotic factor on
the distribution or morphology of one species.

"Techniques and apparatus" - Appendix 5c

5
6
7
8
9
10

11

12

11

12

13

14

15

y
y

9
10

2a

1a

16

y
y

2b

2c

CPAC statements
2d
3a
3b

4a

4b

5a

y
y

5b

y
y

y
y

y
y

y
y

y
y
y

Core Practical
Measuring the molar volume of a gas.
Preparation of a standard solution from a solid
acid.

3
4

"Techniques and appa

3
4

Finding the concentration of a solution of

hydrochloric acid.

Investigation of the rates of hydrolysis of

halogenoalkanes.

The oxidation of ethanol.

Chlorination of 2-methylpropan-2-ol with
concentrated hydrochloric acid.

Analysis of some inorganic and organic

unknowns.

To determine the enthalpy change of a reaction

using Hesss Law.

Finding the Ka value for a weak acid.

10
11
12

13

14

Investigating some electrochemical cells.

Redox titration.
The preparation of a transition metal complex.
Following the rate of the iodine-propanone
reaction by a titrimetric method and
investigating a clock reaction (HarcourtEsson, iodine clock).

Finding the activation energy of a reaction.

15

Analysis of some inorganic and organic

unknowns.

16

The preparation of aspirin.

"Techniques and apparatus" - Appendix 5c

5
6
7
8
9
10

11

12
2

7
8

2a

1a
1

10
11
12

13

14
15
16

y
y

2b

2c

CPAC statements
2d
3a
3b
y
y

4a

4b
y

5a

5b

y
y

y
y

y
y

y
y

y
y

y
y
y

y
y

y
y

Core Practical
Determine the acceleration of a freely falling
object.

Determine the electrical resistivity of a

material.

Determine the e.m.f. and internal resistance of

an electrical cell.

Use a falling-ball method to determine the

viscosity of a liquid.

5
6

Determine the Young modulus of a material.

Determine the speed of sound in air using a 2beam oscilloscope, signal generator, speaker
and microphone.

"Techniques and appa

3
4

Investigate the effects of length, tension and

mass per unit length on the frequency of a
vibrating string or wire.

Determine the wavelength of light from a laser

or other light source using a diffraction grating.

10

11

Investigate the relationship between the force

exerted on an object and its change of
momentum.

Use ICT to analyse collisions between small

spheres, e.g. ball bearings on a table top.

Use an oscilloscope or data logger to display

and analyse the potential difference (p.d.)
across a capacitor as it charges and discharges
through a resistor.

12

Calibrate a thermistor in a potential divider

circuit as a thermostat.

13

Determine the specific latent heat of a phase

change.

14

Investigate the relationship between pressure

and volume of a gas at fixed temperature.

15

Investigate the absorption of gamma radiation

by lead.

16

Determine the value of an unknown mass

using the resonant frequencies of the
oscillation of known masses.

"Techniques and apparatus" - Appendix 5c

5
6
7
8
9
10

11

12
1

1a

y
y

2a

10

11

12

13
14

15
16

2b

2c

CPAC statements
2d
3a
3b
y

4a

4b

5a

5b

y
y

y
y

y
y

y
y
y

y
y