Class 10 Science: Here’s Why You Should Pay Attention To Experiments

A student who learns through experience not only develops a more thorough understanding of a subject but also learns more quickly and clearly. You remember more vividly what you put your own hands to and this practical, experiential learning, in turn, encourages and supports self-learning. It helps students become familiar with laboratory equipment and the materials they will be using.

This Story also Contains

1. CBSE Class 10 Science Practicals
2. CBSE Class 10 Practicals Marking Scheme
3. Important Points For Performing Experiments
4. Class 10 Science Practical Important Viva Voce Questions

The Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) Class 10 practicals are crucial in helping students develop their knowledge, building on the theory they are taught in classrooms. Laboratory experiments form the bedrock of most scientific discoveries and inventions. Additionally, lab work can spark a real and lasting interest in science. Students learn to question and begin to think scientifically. Here are a few tips to help students do well in practicals, especially in the CBSE Class 10 exams for all three subjects – Physics, Chemistry, Biology.

CBSE Class 10 Science Practicals

CBSE Class 10 Physics Practicals

The prescribed syllabus for experiments are related to light and electricity. The experiments require students to trace paths of rays or beams of light passing through glass slabs and prisms, calculating the angles of incidence, refraction and emergence. Students are also taught to calculate the focal points of convex and concave lens. Another segment of experiments are on electricity.

CBSE Class 10 Chemistry Practicals

These experiments are on studying a range of reactions; properties of acids and bases; finding the pH of various compounds and liquids; reactions of metals with salt solutions; action of soap when mixed with hard and soft water and more.

CBSE Class 10 Biology Practicals

These include experiments on respiration; studying the reproduction of amoeba and yeast; studying parts of leaves and seeds.

CBSE Class 10 Practicals Marking Scheme

From the perspective of the Class 10 CBSE board exams, science experiments may not seem very important. The main science theory paper carries 80 marks, and the remaining internal assessment carries 20 points. The marking scheme for internal evaluation is tabulated below:

While practical experiments carry just five marks, that weightage does not represent the importance of lab work in the study of science. All those who wish to continue to study science in high school or even beyond, it is important to pay attention to experiments and understand how they relate to “theory”.

Important Points For Performing Experiments

Here’s a step-by-step way to organise your experiment using examples.

i. Aim: First, understand the experiment’s goal. It can be to demonstrate that gas is released and that gas is carbon dioxide, CO2.

ii. Theory: Every experiment has an underlying scientific theory or multiple laws and theories that are applied or tested. For an experiment, list out the related laws or hypotheses. At this point, you can also note the formulae you might have to use.

If you are testing the pH of unknown materials – a Chemistry experiment – you need to first understand and define all the underlying principles and theories – from the basic definition of pH to the pH scale, indicators and how they are used to differentiate between acidic and basic solutions.

iii. Materials needed: List out the necessary materials and equipment.. The “reactivity series” experiments require students to test the reactions of metals – zinc, iron, copper, aluminium – in salt solutions and then list them in decreasing order of their reactivity.

For this, you’ll need: a test tube, a test tube stand, four 50 ml beakers, iron fillings, zinc granules, copper, aluminium foil, zinc sulphate solution, aluminium sulphate solution, and copper sulphate solution. Think about why you must work with a sulphate solution and what the displacement reaction you see tells you about iron and zinc.

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IV. Procedure: Explain how to conduct an experiment following the right sequence of steps using diagrams, tables, or charts.

For example, if you are studying binary fission in amoeba, you just need to prepare a slide, and then put it under the microscope. First focus on the slide with low power and then with high resolution power and you will be able to examine the different stages of binary fission in amoeba.

v. Observation: Here, discuss the outcomes of the experiment. It must be displayed in the form of a table. Make sure to use the correct units while recording observations.

Studying the path of a ray through a glass slab, we may have observed the following:

vi. Calculations: Use the formulae and include graphs where necessary when performing calculations.

vii. Results and Discussion: Discuss the final outcome of the experiment.

viii. Precautions and Sources of Errors: List the safety precautions that must be taken. Mention any sources of error, such as equipment limitations, as well.

For example, precautions for the reactivity experiments could include using dry beakers to ensure the volume doesn't fluctuate; avoiding direct contact with chemicals and so on. Errors could be introduced by wrong measurement of volumes; taking down incorrect values; contamination of samples; an inaccurate instrument and others.

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Class 10 Science Practical Important Viva Voce Questions

There are a few questions in the lab manual at the conclusion of each experiment. These questions test students’ learning from a particular experiment. A few of these questions are listed below.

1. What do you notice when copper is added to an iron (II) sulphate solution?

2. Why is sulphur dioxide collected by the upward displacement of air?

3. How do carbon dioxide gas molecules get into the leaves?

4. Which by-product of fermentation is useful in the brewing industry?

5. In the case of a rectangular glass slab, why are the incident and emergent rays parallel to one another?

6. What are the factors on which the refractive index of a medium depends?

7. How do the magnetic field lines of a bar magnet and a straight current-carrying wire differ from one another?

8. Why is it recommended to clean the ends of connecting wires before connecting them?

9. When demonstrating various stages of yeast budding under a high-power microscope, which adjustment screw (coarse or fine) were you asked to turn in order to focus the slides?

10. What method does an amoeba use to reproduce?

11. Mention the four events that happen when an amoeba undergoes binary fission.