OCR A Level Physics B Paper 3 2025 Question Paper

Download the official OCR A Level Physics B H557/03 Practical Skills in Physics question paper from the June 2025 examination series. This downloadable PDF contains the complete OCR A Level Physics B Paper 3 exam sat on Tuesday 17 June 2025, including uncertainty calculations, graph-analysis tasks, practical-investigation questions, experimental-design activities, resonance investigations, and extended evaluative Physics responses in the original OCR exam format.

The OCR H557/03 June 2025 question paper focuses heavily on practical Physics investigations, uncertainty evaluation, graph interpretation, experimental methodology, and analytical reasoning. Major topics include terminal velocity and drag using cupcake cases, magnetic-field strength measurements, Hall probes, diffraction gratings, oscillating spring-mass systems, resonance, uncertainty bars, spring constants, and experimental determination of resonant frequency.

Section A contains practical investigations involving falling cupcake cases, drag force, terminal velocity, uncertainty calculations, average velocity analysis, current-balance experiments, magnetic-field calculations, Hall-effect semiconductors, and diffraction-grating measurements using laser light. Students are required to calculate uncertainties, analyse graphs, determine gradients, evaluate practical methods, and apply AO1 knowledge, AO2 application, and AO3 analytical reasoning to experimental Physics scenarios.

Question 1 explores drag forces and terminal velocity using stacked cupcake cases, including uncertainty calculations, average velocity analysis, proportionality between terminal velocity squared and the number of cupcake cases, and evaluation of whether measured average velocity approximates terminal velocity closely enough for drag calculations.
Question 2 investigates magnetic-field strength using a current balance and Hall probe, requiring students to determine staple mass, calculate magnetic force from repeated measurements, analyse force-current graphs, calculate magnetic-field strength from graph gradients, and explain the Hall effect in semiconductors.

Question 3 focuses on diffraction gratings and laser experiments, including angle calculations, determination of diffraction-grating line density, methods for improving experimental accuracy, and evaluation of uncertainty in published grating values.

Section B centres on oscillating spring-mass systems, uncertainty analysis, plotting T² against mass graphs, calculating spring constants, and resonance investigations using a signal generator and vibrator setup. Students are required to draw lines of best fit, analyse uncertainty bars, evaluate resonance behaviour, describe amplitude-frequency relationships, and suggest methods for measuring mass in zero-gravity environments using oscillation systems.

This OCR A Level Physics B Practical Skills in Physics question paper is ideal for timed exam practice, uncertainty-analysis training, graphing revision, resonance modelling, and improving AO1 knowledge, AO2 application, and AO3 practical-evaluation skills under authentic OCR examination conditions. Pair this paper with the official OCR H557/03 June 2025 mark scheme on markscheme.net for complete examiner-standard revision and self-assessment. Updated for the 2025/2026 academic year, fully mobile-friendly, and instantly downloadable.

This document is designed for OCR A Level Physics B students preparing for the 2026 examination series, resit candidates improving Practical Skills in Physics exam performance, home-educated learners, and independent candidates studying OCR A Level Physics B. It is especially valuable for students practising uncertainty calculations, graph interpretation, practical investigations, resonance analysis, and AO1/AO2/AO3 Physics exam technique under real OCR exam conditions.

Teachers, Physics departments, tutors, revision-course providers, intervention coordinators, and parents can use this official OCR question paper for mock examinations, laboratory-skills workshops, graph-analysis exercises, retrieval practice, and benchmarking student responses against live June 2025 OCR assessment standards.