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 For under $300, you can assemble a compact home lab that trains every examinable skill 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 10-20 % 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=ΔIΔV
"Is $300 mandatory?" No. The Starter tier already hits pendulum, speed-of-sound, basic circuits and uncertainty - enough for Y3 WA1.
"Do I need coding experience for Arduino?" No; copy-paste the 25-line CSV logger sketch from Arduino IDE > File > Examples > SD > Datalogger.
"Can I submit home-lab data for school WAs?" Check with teacher - many schools allow supplementary evidence in RE or Fusion projects if safety rules are documented.
