SCE3105 PHYSICS IN CONTEXT

Practical Investigation Involving PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge)

of the Primary School Science Curriculum.

Table Of Contents

PCK Topic Page

1 Newton’s laws of motion 2-3

2 Buoyancy, floating and sinking 4-5

3 Equilibrium and thermometry 6

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Practical Investigation Involving PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) of the
Primary School Science Curriculum.

PCK 1: Work and machines

Learning Outcome: To build a simple and compound machine.

Materials:

Inclined plane, load, pulley and block of wood

Activity: Building a simple and compound machine.

Procedures:

1. Set up two sets of inclined plane as shown below:

1m
0.5 m
block of
10 10
cm
wood cm

Try pushing the same load up both inclined plane. Which is easier?

When you double the length of an inclined plane, you _____________ the
mechanical advantage.

2. Build 4 sets of pulley with the same load attached as shown below.

Which set of pulley requires the least force to lift the load? Explain.

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3. Identify a problem eg how to pluck fruits from a tall tree. Plan and design a model
that incorporate simple machines to overcome the problem. Explain how you can
improve your model’s mechanical advantages and efficiency.

4. Write a report on the above 3 activities based on the following format: Identifying the
problem, forming a hypothesis, testing your hypothesis, recording and analyzing your
data and conclusions.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. At the end of these activities, answer the following questions:

(a) What have you learnt from these activities?

(10 marks)

(b) Which part of the primary science curriculum teaches this particular topic?

(2 marks)

(c) Discuss how you can use these activities in your teaching and learning?

(10 marks)

(d) What was the role of the teacher in these activities?

(3 marks)

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Practical Investigation Involving PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) of the
Primary School Science Curriculum.

PCK 2: Buoyancy, floating and sinking

Learning Outcome: To investigate conditions essential for buoyancy, floating and sinking

Materials:

Two measuring cylinder, saline solution, 2 eggs, water trough, and 5 balls of plasticene
(each 50g).

Activity : Investigating why a body float or sink in a body of liquid

Procedures:

1. Fill two measuring cylinder full, one with tap water and the other with saline solution.
Place an egg in each and observe what happens.

2. Take 3 balls of plasticene, each measuring 50g. Fashion 2 of the balls into the shape
of a boat, one with low sides and the other with higher sides.

3. Place the 50g ball and the two boats into a water trough filled ¾ full with water.
Record your observations.

4. Now take another two 50g ball and slowly place each of them at the centre of each
boat. Record your observations.

5. State the inferences for each of these observations.

6. Write a report on the above activity based on the following format: Identifying the
problem, forming a hypothesis, testing your hypothesis, recording and analyzing your
data and conclusions.

Questions:

1. Why does an object float or sink in a body of liquid?

2. Can an object which is denser than water float on water? Explain.

3. State the factors which affect the buoyancy of an object.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. At the end of these activities, answer the following questions:

(a) What have you learnt from these activities?

(10 marks)

(b) Which part of the primary science curriculum teaches this particular topic?

(2 marks)

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(c) Discuss how you can use these activities in your teaching and learning?

(10 marks)
(d) What was the role of the teacher in these activities?
(3 marks)

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Practical Investigation Involving PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) of the
Primary School Science Curriculum.

PCK 3: Equilibrium and thermometry

Learning Outcome: To design and build effective food containers to keep your things hot
and cold.

Materials:

Food (hot chicken and coco-cola), polystyrene sheet (1 m X 1m), ice, cardboard box, brown
paper, cotton wool, plastic bags, sawdust, coconut husk, glue, string, and cellophane tape.

Activity : Building food containers to keep your things hot and cold.

Procedures:

1. First identify the materials that are good heat insulators.

2. Design food containers to keep your food hot and cold. Draw your plans.

3. Explain your plans.

4. Make your models.

5. Test them out.

6. Write a report on the above activity based on the following format: Identifying the
problem, forming a hypothesis, testing your hypothesis, recording and analyzing your
data and conclusions.

Questions:

1. Are your models effective? Why or why not?

2. We use a refrigerator to keep our food cold. How does it perform this task?

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. At the end of these activities, answer the following questions:

(a) What have you learnt from these activities?

(10 marks)

(b) Which part of the primary science curriculum teaches this particular topic?

(2 marks)

(c) Discuss how you can use these activities in your teaching and learning?

(10 marks)

(d) What was the role of the teacher in these activities?

(3 marks)

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 SCE3105 PHYSICS IN CONTEXT

Practical Activities

Table Of Contents

Practical Topic Page

1 Measurement in everyday life 8-9

2 Force and motion 10-11

3 Making music – Sound quality 12-13

4 Microscopes and telescopes 14

5 Electrical circuits 15-16

6 Induction and transmission of electric current 17-19

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Practical 1: Measurement in everyday life (4 hours).

Learning Outcome: To take and compare measurements using different types of

instruments.

Instruments & Materials:

Meter rule, vernier calipers, micrometer screw-gauge, beam balance, electronic balance, a
piece of copper wire, pencil, hair and a teaspoon of sand.

Activity 1: Measuring length

Procedures:

1. By using the meter rule, vernier calipers and micrometer screw-gauge, measure the
diameter of a pencil, piece of copper wire, and a strand of your own hair.

2. Repeat your measurements.

3. Tabulate your results.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. Of the three measuring instruments used to measure length, which is the most
precise? Which is the most accurate?
(4 marks)

2. If a student uses a meter rule to measure the thickness of an object, it is not realistic
for him to record the reading as 4.32 cm. Explain why?
(3 marks)

3. What instrument would you use to measure the thickness of a piece of paper?
Explain.
(4 marks)

Activity 2: Measuring mass

Procedures:

1. By using the beam balance and the electronic balance, measure the mass of a piece
of pencil and a teaspoon of sand.

2. Repeat your measurements.

3. Tabulate your results.

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Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. Of the two measuring instruments used to measure mass, which is the most precise?
Which is the most accurate? Explain.
(6 marks)

2. Name another balance which can be use to measure mass in everyday life.

(2 marks)

3. What have you learnt from the above two activities?

(6 marks)

NOTE:

1. The accuracy of a measured value: how close it is likely to be to the true value.

2. Precision is not the same as accuracy. A cheap digital watch that says the time is
9:34:45 a.m. is very precise (the time is given to the second) but if the watch runs
several minutes slow, then this value isn’t very accurate.

3. A grandfather clock might be very accurate (i.e. it displays the correct time) but if the
clock has no second hand, it isn’t very precise.

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Practical 2: Force and motion (4 hours).

Learning Outcomes:1) To identify the different types of force in different contexts.

2) To measure the acceleration of a freely falling object.

Materials:

A wooden block, a ping-pong ball, a stretched wire on a wooden block, a beaker and a book

Activity 1: Identifying different types of force in different contexts.

Procedures:

1. Place a wooden block on the floor. Give the wooden block a push and record your
observations.

2. Throw a ping-pong ball up into the air. Record your observations.

3. Tie a piece of wire tightly between 2 nails hammered into a piece of wood. Touch the
wire. Record your observations.

4. Place a ping-pong ball into a beaker of water. Try pushing the ball into the water.
Record your observations.

5. Place a book on the palm of your hand. Record your observations

6. State the inferences for each of these observations.

Activity 2: Measuring the acceleration of a freely falling object.

Materials:

A ticker-timer, ticker tape, clamp, power pack, connecting wires, masses of 300 g, 450 g and
600 g and cello tape

Procedures:

1. Place a chair on top of a table. Clamp a ticker-timer onto the upper side of the chair.

2. Fix a piece of ticker tape through the ticker-timer and then cellotape a 300g mass to
the tape.

3. Switch on the ticker-timer and let the mass fall freely downwards.

4. Cut the tape into 2 dots strips and arrange them to form a graph.

5. Repeat step 3 by using masses of 450 g and 600 g.

6. For each case, build a graph from their strips and then determine their accelerations.

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Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. Are the values of acceleration of the different masses obtained equal to g

(acceleration due to gravity on earth)? Explain.
(6 marks)

2. What conclusion can be made about the force acting on a freely falling object?

(5 marks)

3. If this experiment was done on the moon, will the value of acceleration of the different
masses obtained be equal to g? Explain.
(6 marks)

4. What have you learnt from the above two activities?

(8 marks)

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Practical 3: Sound quality (4 hours).

Learning Outcome: To demonstrate and explain how different sound quality is produced.

Materials:

3 identical glass bottles, water, tuning fork, bowl, meter rule, and pencil.

Activity : Demonstrating the production of different sound quality.

Procedures:

1. Fill a bowl with water. Tap a tuning fork against the sole of your shoes. Place the tip
of one of the prongs in the water. What do you observe?

2. Tap the tuning fork again. Predict what will happen when you hold it near your ear.
What do you hear?

3. Put water into 3 identical glass bottles so that bottle A is ¼ full, bottle B is ½ full and
bottle C is ¾ full.

4. Measure the distance from the top of each bottle to the surface of the water. Then
measure the height of the water in each bottle. Record your measurements.

5. Predict the difference in pitch you will hear if you blow across the top of each bottle in
turn. Give reasons for your predictions.

6. Test your prediction by blowing over the top of each bottle. Listen to the sound you
produce. Describe each sound in terms of its pitch – low, medium or high. Record the
pitch of each sound.

7. When you gently tap the side of a bottle with a pencil, you produce another sound.
Do you think the sound will be similar to or different from the sound produced by
blowing across the top of the bottle? Explain.

8. Test your prediction by tapping on the side of each bottle with a pencil. Record the
pitch of each sound.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. In procedure 6, which bottle produced the highest pitch? What caused the change in
pitch from bottle to bottle?
(4 marks)

2. Describe how the sound is produced in procedure 8? Which bottle produced the
highest pitch? What caused the change in pitch from bottle to bottle?
(6 marks)

3. Compare the sounds you produce by blowing across the top of the bottles with those
produced by tapping on the bottles. What was the difference in pitch for each bottle?
Explain your observations.
(4 marks)

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4. By looking at your data table, how does the length of the column of air affect the
pitch? How does the height of the water affect the pitch?
(4 marks)

5. What conclusions can you draw about the relationship between the sounds produced
and the medium through which the sound travels?
(3 marks)

6. THINK: Violins are stringed instruments. Flutes and clarinets are woodwinds, and
trumpets are brass instruments. What do all these musical instruments have in
common?

(4 marks)

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Practical 4: Microscopes and telescopes (4 hours).

Learning Outcome: To determine the conditions essential for increasing the magnification
power of both the astronomical telescope and compound microscope.

Materials:

Mounting rod, plasticene, lens holders, convex lenses (+2.5 D, +7 D, +14 D, + 20 D)

Activity 1: Building a simple astronomical telescope.

Procedures:

1. You are given converging lenses of different focal lengths. Describe with the help of a
diagram how you set up a simple astronomical telescope.

2. Build your simple astronomical telescope and test it out by focusing on a distant
object. Determine the magnification of your telescope.

3. How can you increase the magnification power of the telescope? Test out your idea.

Activity 2: Building a compound microscope.

Procedures:

1. You are given converging lenses of different focal lengths. Describe with the help of a
diagram how you set up a compound microscope.

2. Build your compound microscope and test it out by focusing on a tiny object.
Determine the magnification of your compound microscope.

3. How can you increase the magnification power of the compound microscope? Test
out your idea.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. State the functions of both the objective and eye lenses of the astronomical
telescope.
(4 marks)

2. How do you increase the magnification power of both the astronomical telescope.
and compound microscope?
(5 marks)

3. What precautions have you taken in undertaking the above projects? Why?

(8 marks)

4. What have you learnt from the above two activities?

(8 marks)

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Practical 5: Electrical circuits (4 hours).

Learning Outcome: To determine the advantages and disadvantages of series and parallel
circuits.

Materials:

Battery holder, batteries, several insulated wires, ammeter, voltmeter and light bulbs

Activity 1: Building a simple series and parallel circuits.

Procedures:

1. Construct both the circuits shown below by using a battery holder, a battery, several
insulated wires and two light bulbs for each circuit.

2. Connect all wires and observe the light bulbs.

3. Now connect the ammeter and voltmeter in both the above circuits. Construct a
suitable table to record the readings.

4. Now unscrew one bulb in each circuit. Observe the remaining bulbs and also record
down the readings of both the ammeter and voltmeter in each circuit.

5. Now connect another bulb in series to circuit A. Observe the remaining bulbs and
also record down the readings of both the ammeter and voltmeter.

6. Now connect another bulb in parallel to circuit B. Observe the remaining bulbs and
also record down the readings of both the ammeter and voltmeter.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. What happens to the bulbs in a series circuit if one of the bulbs burns out? Explain.

(3 marks)

2. What happens to the bulbs in a parallel circuit if one of the bulbs burns out? Explain.

(3 marks)

3. You are building a string of lights using several bulbs. How is the brightness of the
lights related to whether you connect the bulbs in series or in parallel?
(4 marks)

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4. What happens to the bulbs in a series circuit if another bulb is connected in series to
it? Explain
(3 marks)

5. What happens to the bulbs in a parallel circuit if another bulb is connected in parallel
to it? Explain.
(3 marks)

Activity 2: Building a combined series and parallel circuit

Procedures:

1. Construct the circuit shown below by using a battery holder, a battery, a switch,
several insulated wires and three light bulbs.

2. Connect the switch and observe the light bulbs.

3. Now connect the ammeter and voltmeter to measure the current and potential
difference through each bulb. Construct a suitable table to record the readings.

4. Now remove bulb 1. Observe the remaining bulbs and also record down the readings
of both the ammeter and voltmeter.

5. Now remove bulb 2. Observe the remaining bulbs and also record down the readings
of both the ammeter and voltmeter.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. What happens to the other bulbs in the circuit when bulb 1 is removed? Explain.

(3 marks)

2. What happens to the other bulbs in the circuit when bulb 2 is removed? Explain.

(3 marks)

3. Would you want the circuits in your home to be series or parallel circuits or a
combination of both? Explain your reasoning.
(3 marks)

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Practical 6: Induction and transmission of electric current (4 hours).

Learning Outcome: To investigate the factors which affect the magnitude of the current
induced.
Materials:

Copper coil, galvanometer, and magnets,

Activity 1: Investigating induced currents.

Procedures:

1. Wind a copper coil of 10-20 turns around two fingers. Connect their free ends to a
sensitive galvanometer.

2. Investigate what happens when the:

(a) North pole of magnet is moved into the coil?

(b) North pole of magnet is moved out of the coil?
(c) North pole of magnet is moved very quickly into the coil?
(d) coil is moved over the magnet?
(e) magnet is kept stationary in the middle of the coil?

3. Repeat procedures 2 (a) to (e) using the South pole of the magnet.

4. Now wind a copper coil of 40 turns around two fingers. Connect their free ends to a
sensitive galvanometer. Repeat procedures 2 (a) to (e) using the North pole of the
magnet.

5. Make a stronger magnet by using two or three magnets fastened together with their
North poles all at the same end. Repeat procedures 2 (a) to (e) with this stronger
magnet.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. What happens when a magnet is moved into the coil? Explain.

(2 marks)

2. What happens when a magnet is kept stationary in the middle of the coil? Explain.

(2 marks)

3. What happens when a magnet is moved very quickly into the coil? Explain.

(2 marks)
4. What happens when a stronger magnet is moved into the coil? Explain.

(2 marks)
5. What happens when a magnet is into a coil with more turns? Explain.

(2 marks)
6. What must you do to increase the magnitude of the current induced?
(1 marks)

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Activity 2: Building a step-up and a step-down transformer

Learning Outcome: To demonstrate the use of transformers in the transmission of

electricity.
Materials:

PVC covered copper wire, soft iron C-core, a.c. power supply, switch, bulb, a.c. ammeter,
a.c. voltmeter, and C-core clamp.

Procedures:

1. Wind about 10 turns of PVC covered copper wire around a soft iron C-core and
connect the coil to a a.c. power supply and a switch. This coil is referred to as the
primary coil.

2. Wind about 25 turns of wire around another C-core and connect the ends of the coil
to a bulb. The diagram below shows how meters are connected to measure the
current and the potential difference in the primary coil.

3. Now reconnect the meters to measure the current and the potential difference in the
secondary coil as shown in the diagram below.

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4. In the above transformer, the number of turns in the secondary is larger than the
primary. What is the name of this transformer? Turn on the switch and record your
measurements.

5. Now reverse the connections of both the primary and secondary coils. The number of
turns in the secondary is now smaller than the primary. What is the name of this
transformer? Turn on the switch and record your measurements.

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1. For a step-up transformer, which current do you expect to be the larger – primary
current or secondary current?
(1 marks)

2. How do you measure the power input and power output for the step-up transformer
and what are their values?
(2 marks)

3. Calculate the ratio of the power output to power input. What is this ratio called?

(2 marks)

4. In the transmission of electricity, the power loss in each electric cable is calculated by
using the formula,

Power loss in each cable = I2 R where I is the current and

R is the resistance of a cable

How can this power loss be reduced?

(2 marks)

5. Explain the role of the step-up transformer in helping to reduce power loss during the
transmission of electricity.
(2 marks)

6. For a step-down transformer, which current do you expect to be the larger – primary
current or secondary current?
(1 marks)

7. What are the values of the power input and power output for the step-down
transformer?
(2 marks)

8. Explain the role of the step-down transformer in the transmission of electricity.

(2 marks)

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