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Form 4 Basics in Practical Work 2023-1

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7 views4 pages

Form 4 Basics in Practical Work 2023-1

Learn the craft

Uploaded by

atlangtemo69
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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FORM 4

1. BASICS IN PRACTICAL WORK

INTRODOUCTION

Biology is a practical subject which involves a lot of experimental work. This section contains the
basics you will need in your practical work.

MEASUREMENT Using scientific equipment and carrying out measurement and observations.

S. I. Units - International System of unit

Variable S. I. units Abbreviation of units


Energy Joule J
Length Metre M
Light intensity candela Cd
e.t.c

SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT in the laboratory (Show them scientific equipment and their use)

Instrument Use
Test tube holder - Hold test tube when heating it.
Mortar and Pestle - Used for grinding.
Petri dish - Used to fill nutrient agar to feed microbes.
- Placing specimen’s during observations of colour changes or
White Tile
dissections.
Scalpel - Cutting specimens.
Spatula - Spoon for dishing dry substances.
Hand lens - Viewing speciemen by hand.
e.t.c

2. SAFETY IN THE LABORATORY


e.g. Heating a substance in a test tube, e.t.c.

Satfey Symbols used in Biology practicals

INTRODUCING VARIABLES

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A variable is any quantity that can be measured e.g. length, mass, temperature, e.t.c.

Types of Variables

Independaent Variable - Whose values you decide on before you start the experiment.

Dependent Variable - Variable that you measure as your results. Its values depend on or are
affected by independent variable. Its values are unknown to person carrying out experiment before
actually doing experiment.

Constant Variable - Whose values remains same throughout for all experimental and control set
ups.

3. GRAPHS

Learners should learn how to draw and interpret graphs.

Drawing graphs

Points on graphs
- Draw border lines.
- Correct scale that allow for maximum use of graph paper i.e. cover 75% of grid provided.
- Correct orientation.
- Labelling of axis together with units.
- Mark your point either an X or a dot in circle. e.g. x or ʘ
- Join your points once with a sharp pencil. I.e ensure there is only one line joining your points

Types of errors
Two common errors include parallax and instrumental error.

▪ Parallox – when reading is not taken as it should be. It occurs when a reading is taken at an angle
instead of directly above the pointer.
▪ Instrumental – Every instrumental gives a measurement that is not exact. There is a level of error
or uncertainty attached to each instrument.

4. BIOLOGICAL DIAGRAMS

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▪ Make large diagrams.
▪ Use sharp pencil.
▪ You should not lift pencil until you have completed drawing.
▪ Draw clean and clear diagrams i.e. no woolly lines, no shading, no sketching, no dark line.
▪ Realistic – Draw only structures you see not those you think you should see.
▪ If there are lots of details in your diagram. Draw only few to illustrate their arrangement.
▪ In biology, a single line may represent a membrane or a wall and a double line may represent
double wall.
▪ Labels may be required. A horizontal line that starts in the middle of the part you are labelling
should go up to the word label. The lines should not cross each other. Do not use label arrows.

5. MAGNIFICATION

The magnification is calculated as

Diameter of Drawing
M=
Diameter of Specimen

▪ Specimens are observed objects in biology.


▪ The value for magnification should be written to 1 decimal place. There is no units as such units
have cancelled out during calculations.
▪ An X should be written behind the value for magnification to indicate how many times the
specimen have been enlarged.

MAGNIFYING DEVICES

▪ The hand lens – simple instrument moved by hand when viewing specimen. It has a magnification
of x8 or x10.

MICROSCOPE – enlarges specimen and enables viewing of fine details.

▪ The light microscope


It is the most commonly used in classroom teaching. It is used to show detail in structures of
observed objects that could not be seen with naked eye.

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Fig. Showing light mirocope

▪ The electron microscope


More advanced than light. It uses electron beams, where electrons travel through vacuum between
their source and screen. This microscope has a very high magnification of up to x500,000.

Magnification and microscope

Magnifaction = eyepiece lens x objective lens

e.g. If the specimen is seen clearly with eyepiece magnification of x5 and for the objective is x40,
then the magnification is 5 x 40 = x200. Thus, the observed parts have been enlarged 200 times more
than life size.

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