What the Best IB Physics IA Examples Get Right
- What Is the IB Physics Internal Assessment?
- Is the IB Physics HL IA Different from the SL IA?
- What Makes a Strong IB Physics IA Research Question?
- IB Physics IA Examples across Different Topic Areas
- The Lessons These Physics IA Examples Teach Us
- Get Expert Guidance on Your IB Physics IA with BartyED
What Is the IB Physics Internal Assessment?
The IB Physics Internal Assessment is an essential component of the course for both SL and HL students. It consists of a scientific investigation in which the student determines their own research question, performs their experiment, and compiles the information into an independently written report.
The Physics IA is worth 20% of the final grade, making a strong performance absolutely vital for a strong overall grade in IB Physics. The IA has a maximum word limit of 3,000 words, and it is internally assessed, meaning that the Physics teacher will mark it, and then a selection will be moderated by the IBO.
The Physics IA’s assessment criteria cover the same skills as any other assessment within the course. However, they have been modified to introduce a stronger focus on the demonstration of laboratory and experimental skills, as per the criteria below:
Research Design: Research question, methodology selected, and clarity of explanation for experimental design choices. There are 6 marks available.
Data Analysis: How data has been processed, and later communicated to the reader. There are 6 marks available.
Conclusion: How the student justifies their conclusion, according to the collected data and the RQ. There are 6 marks available.
Evaluation: How the student identifies methodological weaknesses and potential for improvement in their experiment. There are 6 marks available.
It can be tricky to determine how these assessment criteria work in practice, but the below examples give some insight into how to succeed in the Physics IA.
Is the IB Physics HL IA Different from the SL IA?
In terms of weighting and word limits, there’s no difference between the HL Physics IA, and the SL one. All advice applies across SL and HL Physics IAs equally, as the primary distinction lies between the syllabus content covered. That’s not to say that HL Physics students are expected to use HL-exclusive content in their IA, but rather they have a larger range of content to draw from. Teachers often expect HL students to add a degree of complexity to their IAs, and engage with theoretical underpinnings of their topic. Ultimately, though, both the SL and HL versions of the Physics IA are assessed according to the exact same criteria.
What Makes a Strong IB Physics IA Research Question?
Perhaps the most essential component of a Physics IA is the research question (RQ). This will determine the success or failure of the project, and experienced tutors will often encourage students to spend appropriate time refining their RQ so it is the best it can possibly be.
There are 3 qualities that examiners look for in a strong RQ for the Physics IA: specific variables including units and range; a clear link to a topic from the syllabus; and a dependent variable that is measurable using school equipment.
For instance, a weak Physics IA RQ might look like this: ‘How does the temperature of water affect how fast it cools down?’
Meanwhile, a stronger version of the same RQ would be more specific, for example: ‘How does the initial temperature (T) of water in a cylindrical copper calorimeter affect its rate of cooling (Δ T / Δ t) over a 10-minute interval, per Newton’s Law of Cooling?’
The stronger version clearly defines its parameters, and suggests an appropriately narrow focus that is achievable within a school Physics lab. The specificity of the RQ would allow the student, with appropriate execution of the experiment, to score well in the Research Design criterion of the Physics IA assessment instrument.
IB Physics IA Examples across Different Topic Areas
When trying to determine an appropriate topic (and later RQ) for the Physics IA, it can be helpful to consider the various topic areas available for an investigation. From waves, to motion, and electricity, there are plenty of focuses for any HL or SL student within the overall IB Physics syllabus.
Each of the following RQ examples are drawn from distinct topic areas within the Physics syllabus, and are designed to give students a stronger understanding of the IB’s expectations on this project.
IB Physics IA example 1: Space, time and motion
Research Question:
‘To what extent does the initial release height (h0 ) of a rubber sphere impact its coefficient of restitution (e) on a hard steel plate, measured via 240 fps video tracking of maximum rebound height?’
Why This Research Question Works:
The RQ provides appropriate specificity and measurability. It’s also clearly linked to a specific part of the Physics syllabus, thus providing a strong focus for the student.
Experimental approach:
The student releases the rubber ball at a given height, with the camera 2.5 meters away from the apparatus. Adding in a levelled steel plate will help control other variables, thus making a more reliable experiment. Of course, students would be expected to repeat the experiment several times to acquire sufficient data.
What Strong Analysis Looks Like:
Students would have to be sure to include both vertical and horizontal error bars when processing their data, and not ignore outliers. Even if some data doesn’t ‘fit’ with the expected outcome, it’s important to remember that the IBDP expects students to demonstrate proper experimental rigour, without pretending that everything went perfectly.
Common Mistakes Students Make:
A key mistake to avoid is the Parallax error at the different drop heights. In addition, releasing the rubber ball by hand can also introduce human error which will also interfere with the experiment. Of course, there are other errors, from data processing to incorrect citations. This underlines the centrality of checking work consistently, no matter the topic.
IB Physics IA example 2: Particulate nature of matter
Research Question:
‘To what extent does the length (L) , measured from 0.100m to 1.000m0.001m) of a Constantan wire (28SWG) affect its electrical resistance (R, determined via I--V characteristic curves)?’
Why this RQ works:
In this instance, the student is being specific regarding their independent variables (the length of the wire). In addition, the specificity of the wire type and what is being measured (electrical resistance) further contributes to the scientific validity of the experiment.
Experimental Approach:
Carefully measuring the length of each wire to ensure accuracy will be very important for this experiment. In addition, students should make sure that each experiment is repeated.
What Strong Analysis Looks Like:
A strong Physics student will prioritise precision in all their analysis of their experiment. IB examiners are less interested in what went perfectly, than they are in ensuring that students can recognise and explore human error.
Common Mistakes Students Make:
However, the above is not to say that simply stating ‘human error’ is enough of an explanation. ‘I made a human error when conducting the experiment’ suggests imprecision and poor execution, not scientific understanding. Instead, discussion of these errors should still be framed scientifically. For example, ‘Parallax error when aligning the crocodile clip with the milimeter scale on the meter ruler introduced an absolute uncertainty of 0.001m in wire length’ would be more appropriate.
IB Physics IA example 3: Wave behaviour
Research Question:
‘To what extent does the frequency of a driving audio source (f, varied from 250Hz to 1000Hz1Hz) affect the fundamental resonant length (L, measured in meters 0.001m) of a one-end-closed resonance tube?’
Why This RQ works:
Giving indications of precise equipment tolerances is a great way to ensure that your RQ is suitably precise for the purposes of a Physics IA.
Experimental Approach:
It’s essential that a Physics IA experiment includes readily available equipment. An experiment centring on common objects (a 1 litre jug of water, a sound amplifier) are likely present in a high school physics laboratory.
What strong analysis looks like:
When conducting the analysis, students should be sure to include detailed evaluation of their data, both in textual and graphical formats. This will allow them to demonstrate their scientific literacy skills, and their ability to thoroughly explain their findings.
Common Mistakes Students Make:
Adding in control variables such as the temperature of the water will undoubtedly help improve the precision of the data, so students should be careful when designing their experiment to consider a multitude of factors.
The Lessons These Physics IA Examples Teach Us
The single most important element of any Physics IA is the research question. There’s simply no getting around the need for specificity and precision. Remember that the entire IA is shaped by the RQ, so it is worth spending time really refining it and ensuring that the RQ is as strong as it can be.
Consider that data analysis is not about how many data points you have. Instead, a Physics student should aim to showcase their graph handling skills, as well as how they deal with uncertainty in their own data.
Don’t blindly apply your textbook to conclude and evaluate your experiment. It’s okay if your data doesn’t match your hypothesis, because the goal is a rigorous evaluation of your experiment, not what you expected.
Throughout the IA, the student should be specific. It’s okay if you think certain aspects of your experiment could have been performed better, but being able to explain how and why these errors had an impact on your results is absolutely essential.
Get Expert Guidance on Your IB Physics IA with BartyED
Regardless of the topic, our expert IB Physics tutors are on hand to support any Physics IA, for both HL and SL students. We have a wealth of experience supporting each stage of the IA, from devising and refining research questions, to those final modifications to the evaluation.
Our tutors are available for one-to-one support, both in Hong Kong and online. To learn more, please contact us today by following this link to our contact page, or contact us by phone, email, or WhatsApp, or by completing the form below.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The IB Physics IA is worth 20% of your grade, regardless of if you are taking Physics at Higher Level or Standard Level.
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All IB Physics IAs have a maximum word limit of 3,000 words.
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The exact timings of the Physics IA is dependent on the school, but the IBO indicates clearly in the current Physics course guide that teachers should allow 10 hours of teaching time to the project.
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Good IB Physics IA topics are ones that are clearly derived from the IB Physics syllabus, but also suggest an extended personal engagement on the part of the student. Consider which topics you’ve enjoyed in your course thus far, and think about how you might extend your learning in this area.
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Yes, the IB Physics IA is the same for SL and HL students. However, there are perhaps higher expectations of personal engagement for HL students. In addition, HL students can of course choose to base their IA on HL-only topics in the course.
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