Setting up a Physics Lab at Home for IP, A Levels

Q: What does Setting up a Physics Lab at Home for IP, A Levels cover?
A: A step-by-step handbook for parents and IP / JC students who want a safe, low-cost but A-Level-ready physics lab at home.

TL;DR
You can assemble a compact home lab that trains examinable skills in IP WAs and H2 Paper 4: measuring $g$ with a phone accelerometer, logging $V-I$ data with an Arduino, and analysing gradients with a spreadsheet. Follow the three build tiers below, respect the PPE checklist, and slot the 12-week lab-skills sprint before the next practical WA.

1 | Why a Home Lab Still Matters

• Practical is ten to twenty percent of the Physics grade from Sec 3 to JC 2, yet most schools limit students to < 15 h of apparatus time per year.
• Smartphone sensors - accelerometer, gyroscope, light, mic - and $5 micro-controllers now rival school bench gear in resolution.
• Early lab fluency shrinks the theory-to-practice gap, so students hit JC Paper 4 knowing $R = \frac{\Delta V}{\Delta I}$