Required Practical: Light

This lesson covers the Required Practical on investigating the reflection of light by different types of surface and the refraction of light by different substances, as required by the AQA GCSE Physics specification (4.6.1). You must know the equipment, method, variables, how to record results, and how to analyse them.

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Overview

AQA requires you to investigate:

1. Reflection of light — verifying the law of reflection using a ray box and plane mirror.
2. Refraction of light — investigating how light refracts as it passes through a glass block.

These experiments test your understanding of how light behaves at boundaries and your ability to take accurate angular measurements.

Exam Tip: This required practical is frequently examined. You may be asked to describe the method, draw the ray diagram, identify sources of error, or interpret results presented in a table or graph. Practise drawing ray diagrams accurately using a ruler and protractor.

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Experiment 1: Investigating the Reflection of Light

Equipment