Experimental Sciences
Discussion of Sports, Exercise & Health Science, Design Technology and advice on which science to take (if more than one science is asked about, ask here).
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Hi, I'd doing my second year(10th Grade) of IGCSE, and next year I will be taking the IB. I am strong in all of the 3 sciences that will be offered at our school, but I can't decide which two to take at HL. Right now I am definitely taking; HL: Maths, Literature, (two sciences) SL: Geography, Language B German For my 'final' decision, I put both physics and biology. This is not final, but I need to change it soon if I would want to. The reason I chose these two is because the physics teachers at our school will guaranteed good ones, however, that will not mean that they are any easier. Can anyone give any advice to choosing sciences th…
Last reply by IB`NOT`ez, -
- 0 replies
- 915 views
I'm starting my computer science SL dossier soon and not sure what I want to do..my school's computer science quality is super low so all we're taught is some java programming, we don't cover databases etc. I love compsci, and I do a lot of programming outside class. I can make animated games and programs. What should I do for my dossier? Someone give me some fun idea
Last reply by chrisss, -
- 1 reply
- 899 views
So I'm currently a sophomore in the pre-IB program, about to pick my courses for the next two years. For some reason (read: Because of low budgets), my school STRONGLY discourages taking two HL sciences. They tell us that the workload is too excessive and so it is not recommended, but it is still an option. The problem is, I've always been strongly inclined towards the sciences, and my future career aspirations involve both a strong base of both Biology and Chemistry. So my question is, should I follow my initial goal to take HL Bio and HL Chem or play it safe like everyone wants me to do? I really don't have a problem with the anticipated workload and I'm pretty goo…
Last reply by IB`NOT`ez, -
- 7 replies
- 1.1k views
So say my teacher picked option A, which i found it very difficult. Can I teach myself option B and answer questions from option B?
Last reply by Vegar Andreas Bergum, -
- 1 reply
- 955 views
So, I'm two weeks into computer science HL and so far I feel really nervous and lost. It's the first time our teacher teaches CS at the same time as he is really unorganized and confusing(I had him before but in another subject) and all we've been doing for the last two weeks is basic programming in Python and HTML(very,very basic) without any real goal or objective. He also gives the impression that he doesn't really know the course since he hasn't really told us anything about it at the same time as he's kind of a nervwreck in class. To get to my point and question, what did you guys do in the beginning of Computer Science and how did your classes develope as the course…
Last reply by Vegar Andreas Bergum, -
- 2 replies
- 956 views
Hi, So I'm a year 11 currently deciding his IB choices. I'm sure on all subjects besides economics and physics. I am thinking of doing a bachelor of science when I go to university, So my current HL is chemistry and Chinese, but I'm unsure on economics and physics. I like both just as much, I want to do science in university but also economics for a plan B. I can take both at HL because the chinese choice allows me to. So what you guys recommend?
Last reply by Jhon, -
- 5 replies
- 997 views
I wanted to ask are there any university courses/universities that require you to study 2 HL sciences, and the 2 sciences I'm considering taking is physics and chemistry and in university something related to those science subjects.
Last reply by IB`NOT`ez, -
- 0 replies
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Im planning to do a SEHS EE next month, so i need some ideas. im very interested in topics related to track and field, but im not really good at choosing topics, so plzzzzzz i need some ideas Quote
Last reply by Samuel Chong, -
- 4 replies
- 5k views
Hi, I know that the page limit for Physics and Chemistry IA is about 12 pages but what if your page limit exceeds, how many marks penalty do you get? For chem, I only have the most important data tables and the evaluation is kinda long...Total actual IA leaving Bibliography and Appendix is about 18 pages. How much penalty do I get? Plus I also heard that the Appendix and Bibliography is included within the page count. Is that true? Actually I have lots of data tables and calculations in my appendix, so it went to a total IA + Appendix = 26 pages. Thanks.
Last reply by Msj Chem, -
- 1 reply
- 651 views
Hi everyone! I'll be taking the IB soon (sadly) and I'll have to choose between Physics and Chemistry for my last HL. I'm hoping to major in Architecture and already have Geography and Literature as my other two HLs. I'm interested in both subjects and generally get roughly the same scores for both of them (though slightly higher for Chemistry). In terms of rigour and appropriateness for my future major, what would you really suggest?
Last reply by kw0573, -
- 2 replies
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Hello everyone, just a quick question concerning my Biology IA. I am doing HL and my school set a deadline for the final draft of our Bio IAs for Tuesday. Is it true that the page limit is 12 pages????? And if so, does that include the title page and/or appendix?? All my raw data tables are in the appendix and they are massive. So far, I am 3 pages over..... Thank you soooo much for your help and advice in advance!
Last reply by isabel99, -
- 3 replies
- 951 views
Ok so I have a problem I am facing Its mostly a problem I have with chemistry and most of my seniors as well But what exactly defines a chem IA Essentially what is considered chemistry content I am being told by my chemistry teacher that In terms of a chemistry IA only the the "chemistry content" will be considered relevant But what defines this chemistry content. I have seen sample essays about eggs and vegetables...but they seem very biology Help is appreciated Thanks!!
Last reply by Msj Chem, -
- 1 reply
- 859 views
I may be doing 2-3 sciences for sophomore year. Current sophomore schedule: Algebra 2/Precalc honors Pre IB English 10 Ap U.S Gov and Politics Ap Physics 1 Ap Biology (a class for Juniors and seniors, but I have done really well in Biology Honors, so I am able to take it) Chemistry honors (will hopefully help with Ap Biology) Pre IB Spanish 3 (only class that is not weighted) Yup.... There is no off period for me, so this will be a tough schedule. I am also doing sophomore soccer, and plenty of extracurricular since I want to go into an ivy school. I have a passion for the sciences, but is this schedule a bit too hard…
Last reply by TheNintendoChip, -
- 1 reply
- 693 views
I suppose some teachers aren't as familiar with data processing and analysis and most students need some help. That is why I am offering my help, even though, of course, I don't know everything (especially physics data processing, I have Bio and Chem) so others who are savvy with this, please join! If you guys have questions about processing your results in Excel or LoggerPro, I will be happy to offer my help and I think this post can also be a place where those who struggle can ask and those who know can help. My IA was post praised for the "professional" way I analysed my data in Chemistry and Biology. I included st dev, x and y error bars on graphs, used the …
Last reply by Emi, -
- 1 reply
- 849 views
Hey all, So next year I'm entering the DP. These are my subjects: HL Chemistry, HL Biology, HL Language and Literature, SL Math, SL French, SL Business Management. Many people say that doing HL Bio and Chem together is going to be really hard, but I'm up for the challenge. Has anyone here done the two HL sciences together? Is there any way I can prepare (other than great time-management skills)? Is it possible to score high overall? And just curious to know: how much free time do you all have with this combination, just so I can predict how much I can do with my non-academic life !
Last reply by inriya, -
- 1 reply
- 841 views
Hello fellow sufferers, right now I am facing the GREATEST dilemma. I am starting the IB programme in September and have thankfully already decided on my SL subjects (World Arts and Cultures, Greek, English A Lang. & Lit.). I have also decided to take Math HL and Physics HL (both of them are requirements for undergraduates wanting to study Physics or Engineering). So now I have to decide on whether to choose Biology or Computer Sciences on HL. My parents do everything they can to get me to choose Bio, although both of them know I would be better in C.S. And yes, I do have a more positive feeling on C.S., but I know that Bio will be useful if, over the next couple…
Last reply by thecsstudent, -
- 1 reply
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Hey, my brother is applying to an IB school this year and the headmaster asked the applicants to provide him with 3 listed names of universities (anywhere in the world) which require all 3 sciences (not HL, but just all 3 of them instead of taking any group 4 subjects) to get into medical school. As my brother is determined to take Bio, Chem AND Physics (due to his interests), he needs to find the schools as soon as possible as the IB application is due tomorrow. We both looked everywhere and I found some info about universities in Sweden, Norway and India (and Poland, but unfortunately these must be foreign schools) and I've been on their websites but none of them state …
Last reply by beatriz, -
- 1 reply
- 2k views
Hi, I at the stage of choosing my IB subjects. I want to apply for chemical engineering course after I graduate from high school and I know that the best combination of subjects would be Math HL, Chemistry HL and Physics HL. However, my school requires me to take English B HL and taking 4 HL subjects is just out of question so I decided to take Math and Chem, as they are required by most of the universities. I have always thought I would take Physics SL as my 6th subject, but now I am considering Biology SL, as it seems that universities don't care about SL subjects anyway. I'm really interested in Physics and I'm good at Math so that would not be a proble…
Last reply by kw0573, -
- 1 reply
- 670 views
Hey, I'm planning to study law, politics or economy. Do you think I need a HL Science? I'm very good at science, I know I can manage it. I was thinking of choosing HL Math, Eco and English. But I'm afraid this might make my schedule look weak and kind of easy. Would it, just because I don't have a HL Science? Thanks
Last reply by AnjaDe, -
- 20 replies
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Hey. I want to study Computer Science in university, as a result, I chose Computer Science and Maths HL (also Physics HL as my third HL). Many people say that CS HL has some very tough concepts and is harder than Maths HL? Is this true, in your opinion? Also, is does taking Maths HL really make your university application more competitive if you apply for CS courses? Thanks! I would really like some comments from people who are currently taking or took IB CS HL.
Last reply by Rosalina, -
- 4 replies
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Hi, As you know the Physics paper 3 is due in exactly one week. It may sound totally nuts, but my physics teacher didn't even properly finish half the syllabus (not his fault, our previous coordinator thought 1.5 years of physics was nice and decided to give us a semester of chemistry instead, because it appeared nice to him). Anyway, I got to study a lot of maths and finish the syllabus on my own and read a lot of history and read a book for spanish and tonight finish reading Maus. Anyway, my point is that I have only two days reasonably available to study a topic for the P3 from beginning to end. I have all the materials from the latest edit…
Last reply by Jai Chandak, -
- 2 replies
- 951 views
Hey, Does anyone have or know where I can find a list of experiments that we need to know for the 2016 May exams? Thanks!
Last reply by Msj Chem, -
- 0 replies
- 907 views
hey guys, so apparently my data consists of both, the x and y uncertainties, and this is becoming a problem as my MS word only has the y error bar. The type of graph I need to make is the line graph. Anyone knows a good app for displaying both error bars, or to overcome this Y only error bar problem of MS word? Worst case scenario, am I allowed to draw the graph on paper and scan it for my IA?
Last reply by IBdoingnothing, -
- 0 replies
- 748 views
Hi everyone, So I'm doing a lab on the mass relationships between the reaction: 2AL(s) + 3CuCl2 * 2H2O (aq) ---> 3Cu(s) + 2AlCl3(aq) + 2H2O(g) Basically, I found my raw data, which is the mass of beakers with the CuCl2 * 2H2O solution, as well as the beaker mass, and the beaker mass with the solid Copper inside after the reaction has taken place. Now the aim of the lab is to pretty much find the percentage yield however, in my IB Chem HL Guidelines that my school provides, I'm told to create a graph of the processed data. No idea what to show though. I've converted all my masses to moles, so I've got that, but what can I really show on a graph with regards to p…
Last reply by poweroverwhelming, -
- 2 replies
- 1k views
Hey! Was wondering if we get assessed on things in the sciences syllabi like Applications and Skills and Nature of Science in the new syllabus? Or are these just gimmicks? Will we just be assessed on the Understanding points like it's always been in the old syllabus? Like, even if Applications and Skills are included in the exam, don't you think that considering this is the first year of the new syllabus, maybe the IBO would cut some slack and traditionally assess understanding points mainly since we haven't had exposure to papers with the nature of the new syllabus? And then maybe slowly drift more to the Applications questions as the years progress? Or would the syl…
Last reply by ultimateone, -
- 3 replies
- 10.9k views
Guys I did my biology IA in the first year of IB And I know my mark But I would like to know the grade boundaries for it? For HL biology?? Does anyone know where I can find them?
Last reply by Sandwich, -
Biology IA Yeast Help
by Guest- 2 replies
- 4.5k views
After failing two IA experiments, I have one more week to finish the experiment that my teacher chose for me: expansion of dough. I tried to make the dough mixed with yeast with following this recipe: 2 grams of all-purpose flour 1.4 ml of distilled water I am varying instant yeast concentration (0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25) and temperature (room temp, 30, 40, 50, 60°C) I tried doing it without sugar but the time taken is wayyyy too long I want to add sugar to the dough but should I? And also, how much sugar should I add?
Last reply by Xavier, -
- 0 replies
- 661 views
Hi!, In a physics lab report, I need to measure some angles. One of these angles is 0º. How can I calculate the relative uncertainty?? Thanks
Last reply by Ignacio, -
- 1 reply
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Hi guys, I am starting to revise and I'm looking for past papers to practice. As SEHS is a relatively new subject I can't find any past papers or anything to help me... Do you guys know where can I find past papers?? Thank you!!
Last reply by Gaby, -
- 0 replies
- 734 views
I have to do a biology presentation tomorrow on climate change. This is part of the ecology chapter, which I believe is chapter 4. One of the points I have to cover in my presentation is this: -The precautionary principal changes the responsibility of proof to the organization causing the effect from the regulatory authorities. (I.e- The polluter pays for research to show that pollution is safe) Can someone explain to me what on earth this means or is referring to? Any sort of explaination would be highly appreciated.
Last reply by usernamed, -
- 3 replies
- 900 views
Hi there, I have an absolute error question, regarding a chemistry lab report: I used a spectrophotometer which gives the absorbace with three decimal places (i.e. 1.234). The absolute error for this apparatus would be + 0.001 or half the last unit measurable, therefore + 0.0005? Thank you!
Last reply by Moma, -
- 1 reply
- 1.2k views
Hey! So I think I have a little problem because I just realized that both of my Science IAs (Biology and Chemistry) include the need of explaining Vitamin C content in citrus fruits... I did redox reactions for both of the sciences, for biology I did titration of DCPIP on orange juices, and see if the manufacturing process had any impact on the vit. C content, and for chemistry I measured the conductivity of citrus fruit juices. Am I in big trouble or is that fine? Cause I know I just couldn't do an experiment similar to the one I did for EE. My teachers didn't say anything about the IA topics tho so idk, maybe it's not even a problem.. or is it?
Last reply by Sandy, -
- 0 replies
- 993 views
http://www.ibsurvivors.com/new-blog/2016/1/24/secrets-steps-to-7s-in-hl-chemistry-and-hl-biology
Last reply by ibsurvivors, -
- 5 replies
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I'm still in pre-IB right now, so I'm trying to decide which of the IB sciences course I should take in my first year of IB. I know there's IB Biology, IB Physics, Environmental Sciences, (I'm not sure if there's IB Chemistry?). I'm pretty open to suggestions right now. Sciences hasn't necessarily been my strong point, so I don't really have any idea where I wanna go in terms of IB sciences. I guess it's pretty ironic, since I'm planning on majoring in biomedical engineering and instrumentation. Anyway, I'd really like to get an idea on what each of the IB science courses have to offer and which one you'd recommend. Thanks in advance! EDIT: I see some people taking …
Last reply by Siddhakshi, -
- 2 replies
- 1.1k views
Hello, So after two years of procrastinating to write up science notes, I finally decided to read the syllabus guide. Anyway, I've noted that understandings, applications, skills and guidance is definitely required, but what about the others? Are those (NOS, UT, IM) just for additional information we can look up if we are interested in, or will questions from them specifically come out in the test? My textbooks (for Chemistry and Biology) are the 2014 edition course companion, and for both, they are substantiate amount of information for utilization and nature of science. For chemistry, I am seriously considering skipping all those utilization parts because note wri…
Last reply by Elc, -
- 3 replies
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Hi guys, I need help with something... I've been able to find other specimen papers but I can't seem to find the D&T specimen one. If any of you have it, could you possibly send it to me or tell me how to find it? Thanks in advance!
Last reply by Yugalarex, -
- 0 replies
- 807 views
As title, I am currently trying to writting my lab report using LaTeX. I find it quite easy to use and it's fun to write. My teacher really like it (the format), although the context has some errors. Have you ever write a lab report using LaTeX or Markdown or any makeup language, but not the wordprocessor like Microsoft Office, Pages, LibreOffice, etc.? How was your experience and did your teacher recognize or like your lab report?
Last reply by My2ndAngelic, -
- 7 replies
- 1.5k views
Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing fine. I will be starting my IB course really soon, and i need to decide on what subjects I am going to be taking within the next 2 weeks. I am generally good in the sciences and mathematics, so these are what I intend to take HL Physics HL Math HL ?? SL Lang & Lit SL French Ab Initio SL ?? I have also made up my mind that I will be taking both Chemistry and Economics. So my question is: which one should i take in higher level and which one at standard, assuming I have roughly the same aptitude and interest in both? and which combo will allow me to have a higher chance of getting a 7 for both? In terms of what i want to st…
Last reply by alexalexalex, -
- 2 replies
- 740 views
For my school's science fair, the theme this year is 'Space'. I have to incorporate every IB science I'm in into the project somehow. I'm in Biology HL, Physics SL, and Chemistry SL. Does anyone know of any good resources where I could find ideas for a project that incorporates all of those sciences but falls under the topic of 'Space'? Thanks!
Last reply by Vioh, -
- 0 replies
- 710 views
PSOW includes practical activities and experiments that will comprise your practical scheme of work. For those who don't know what a PSOW is, it's basically a folder with all your labs from grades 11 through grade 12 to prove the work as the associated hours you have done over the past 2 years. Problem is I am missing more-or-less half my labs even though I have completed them. I also recently lost my biology binder containing all my lab reports from this year (cause you know, busy life being an IB Examiner). What do I do, is this 'PSOW' absolutely necessary?
Last reply by IB Examiner, -
- 6 replies
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This is the moment when I'm regretting taking two sciences... IAs are killing me. My chem IA just sucks (really, if I get 12 points I'll be happy), and my physics one turned out to be way more complicated than what I had thought. Anybody else feel like complaining about all the IA workload (instead of, you know, actually working on the IAs) ?
Last reply by PandaFromMars, -
- 4 replies
- 807 views
I got back my first mock IA and got an 18/24. I was wondering if this a good mark to strive for or if I should aim for better? Thank you.
Last reply by Hamza Hassan, -
- 6 replies
- 1.2k views
Anyone here have an issue on selecting optional topics for the sciences? For physics, we had to go for Astrophysics for our optional topic but I wanted to do Engineering physics and also for chemistry, we had to go for human biochemistry but I wanted to do energy option. I am not really happy with the options my school offers
Last reply by batool, -
- 13 replies
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Hello everyone! I started IB this August and one of my HL subjects is Physics. After roughly 3 months of studying, I realized that Physics is not really my thing, I don't really get it and I don't even like it. I sit down to do exercises and it feels easy, then I check the answers and the majority of them are wrong and I don't even know what I am doing wrong... Now to the point, I want to become a docor, but if I want to study in Sweden, where I live, then you need all 3 sciences, so at my school you must take Physics + Chemistry HL and do "extra Biology" beside IB. My plan is to study abroad in the UK or Hungary (my country of origin), but I thought that I can play it "s…
Last reply by Gaby, -
- 3 replies
- 958 views
Hey guys! Does anyone else find the previous science outcomes easier to understand and study? For instance, instead of "Distinguish between type I and type II diabetes", the new outcome is "Applications: Causes and treatment of type I and type II diabetes". While the old outcome tells you specifically what you need to know, the new outcome doesn't provide you any insight into what they expect you to know. My bio teacher doesn't know how to teach the new curriculum, so he just shows us ted talks in class. Our entire class has been asking about this: Do we need to know the "Application", "Skills", and the "Nature of Science" section for the 2016 Exams? Thank you fo…
Last reply by kw0573, -
- 1 reply
- 984 views
I'm not sure which one to take. I really don't want to do Biology or Physics as I find Biology to be quite boring, to be honest, and I'm not excelling in it, and I don't want to do Physics as I'm not a math-inclined person. However, I've always found Chemistry to be interesting and that it doesn't involve too much math (although, I don't know about IB Chemistry). I studied something similar to ESS (it was about pollution and geography) and I found it ridiculously easy and I got an easy A+ in that class. However, I didn't find it nearly as interesting as Chemistry. I don't know whether I should go for Chemistry or ESS, but I'm definitely not going to need it in the futu…
Last reply by Gaby, -
- 3 replies
- 984 views
Recently my chemistry teacher pulled up a grade sheet and wrote down the grades of our labs that we did since DP1. My grades were usually a 2 or 3 from the beginning because she was strict. She even marked us for plagiarism once because we were expected to look for online sources to write a good introduction. Seriously, a lab of thousand over words every single time and she gives us a regular 3, she rarely thinks that it deserves a 5 so it can be overwhelmingly stressful. I always kept in mind with my chemistry teacher's comments and applied to my biology lab report I could easily get a 5 or sometimes a 7. Well she did say that if she's strict we can do better. I understa…
Last reply by Littlelostattimes, -
- 1 reply
- 866 views
Hi guys, My physics teacher has been really angry lately which has caused his teaching to be not so good. He have recently been doing some pracs, and he said that they are all terrible and appauling, but yet wont give them to us back for any feedback, so we can't really improve all that much. He says he won't give us any of our lracs back as one of them with be in the exam and that we will lose them. I was wondering if anyone had any example pracs that scored high marks or a specific outline to be followed. Any help is appreciated. Thanks guys!
Last reply by Vioh, -
- 5 replies
- 1.2k views
everyone!!! please! help me to fill up the survey please!!!! It is about the solubility of pain relievers. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WSFX83D
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- 1 reply
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Hello Everyone, The time as come around for choosing a topic for our Science IA. I know that it's supposedly just a very well written lab report, but I have no idea how advanced this experiment needs to be... I really want to investigate the effect of concentration of H+ molecules in the water used to water seeds on the germination of these seeds. However, I this will be quiet easy to do... Does anybody know if it has to be more complicated? And if so, do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help!
Last reply by ultimateone,