Planning, analysis and evaluation
Planning an investigation
Paper 5's planning question gives you a suggested relationship, such as , and asks for a full plan. Identify the independent variable (what you change), the dependent variable (what you measure) and the control variables (what you keep constant). Describe exactly how each is measured, with named instruments and a labelled diagram. Say what graph you'll plot to get a straight line, how to find constants from it, and include specific safety precautions and extra detail for reliability.
≈ 40 minAnalysis, error bars and evaluation
In Paper 5's analysis question, you calculate derived values (like , or ) with their uncertainties, plot them with error bars, then draw the best-fit line and a worst acceptable line that still passes through all error bars. The uncertainty in the gradient is the difference between their gradients; similarly for the intercept. Use these to find a constant with its uncertainty, and say whether the data support the hypothesis.
≈ 40 min