Physics
For Physics Discussions
986 topics in this forum
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- 49 replies
- 30.3k views
Update (May 2014) - Added all of topic 3: Thermal Physics I've been an IB teacher for many years, and enjoy helping out more than just my own students. With this in mind, I am working on a series of free videos on my own studynova website (they are all free there, plus you can get all the notes I make), but am also mirroring them on Youtube. These videos are about specific topics within the IB Physics SL or HL curriculum. So if there are specific topics that you'd like to see done in detail with lots of examples, just post it in this thread. I'll take a look and see if there is any overwhelming consensus on any topics, and then start doing videos on those ones. I can go…
Last reply by lizgrey, -
Physics HL/SL Help 1 2 3 4 21
by Drake Glau- 419 replies
- 67.7k views
There's a biology and chemistry help thread, figured a physics one would be appreciated by a few people Hoping some people will check here and help people who have questions, I'll try my best but my knowledge of physics does not go very far honestly and it's not my best science
Last reply by Cici2017, -
- 20 replies
- 12.3k views
Hello IB physicists! I just made an app that includes comprehensive notes for the 2016 first assessment IB Physics syllabus. The app has detailed notes with colorful pictures for all topics plus option D (astrophysics) (engineering physics coming soon) and are made perfectly according to the new syllabus by subtopics so it makes sure that you don't miss out any content that you need to learn for the exams! The link to the app is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.gonative.android.qnjjl&hl=en. Feel free to check it out! Happy revising! :') Update: All notes are also available on https://ibphysics.org/!
Last reply by SamirAliyev, -
Hello people, Are there any sites with Physics IB exercises to practice on? Not past papers.
Last reply by Ludwig S, -
Thought I would follow the trend and make one of these threads for poor, forgotten Physics. B) My class is doing Biomedical Physics and Optics. I actually think there are a lot of fascinating options for Physics. I was reading through my textbook, and the one where people fly into outer space and age slower is really interesting. Not that I believe that it would actually happen. I don't care which genius came up with that theory, I refuse to believe it. Prove me wrong.
Last reply by Magician, -
- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 16 views
hello, please help me i have a question for my EE. for a set of measurements or calculations, should i make them have the same sig figs or same decimal places?
Last reply by Indiaca, -
- 1 follower
- 6 replies
- 3.6k views
Heya, So in the beginning of IB11, my teacher advised us all to do an IA on a topic we actually like and are interested in. I had two main ideas in mind, one was doing an experiment on something related to hurling - a Gaelic sport which I've recently picked up through the wonders of CAS, and the other idea was doing something related to solar power - because I'm big on renewables and my dad used to be a lobbyist for solar power companies. My teacher said no to the hurling idea because he thought it would be too hard to find enough controlled variables, so I went with the solar power topic. I did that. It failed miserably. I'm not gonna lie, Physics is probably my weak…
Last reply by subho, -
- 3 followers
- 2 replies
- 141 views
Helppppp! I can't think of any ideas to do for my physics ia... Could anyone give me some physics ia ideas??
Last reply by EmSu2020, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 77 views
Hello, I teach IB Physics and have uploaded close to 150 videos on Youtube with key concepts, past exam video solutions and IA tips. Here is an example playlist I hope you find it useful Would love to hear your feedback! Thanks!
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 0 replies
- 49 views
I am currently writing my physics IA and I do not know what to do. My teacher is new so she doesn't understand the IB system and I don't know if I can even use my current experiment. From what I have now, I can make graphs and compare results - but I can't do any calculations whatsoever. How badly will this affect my grade, are calculations a requirement or is it just a formality? I would get the same result, but calculating would just be another approach. Please help me if anyone can!
Last reply by Ast, -
- 0 replies
- 76 views
Hello there, I am a student that takes physics HL. I have been looking for a topic that is not very complex to be able to go in-depth into but I don’t know if it’s a good idea to take an easy topic. I am doing the relationship between time period and length of a string. It looks like an easy IA and done many times previously, (according to my teacher doesn’t matter if it is done a lot I just have to interpret it in my own way) Do you recommend me to continue with this topic or not? Also how can I increase the complexity incase it is needed? (I looked at different amplitudes but the difference is almost nothing so I decided to avoid amplitude) Thanks a lo…
Last reply by General_MO, -
- 0 replies
- 60 views
Hello there, I am a student that takes physics HL. I have been looking for a topic that is not very complex to be able to go in-depth into but I don’t know if it’s a good idea to take an easy topic. I am doing the relationship between time period and length of a string. It looks like an easy IA and done many times previously, (according to my teacher doesn’t matter if it is done a lot I just have to interpret it in my own way) Do you recommend me to continue with this topic or not? Also how can I increase the complexity incase it is needed? (I looked at different amplitudes but the difference is almost nothing so I decided to avoid amplitude) Thanks a lo…
Last reply by General_MO, -
- 10 replies
- 13.4k views
Starting IB soon and I was wondering how hard is Physics at a HL, I mean do you need to know anything beforehand (as my school's Physics department was REALLY bad so I didn't really learn much). How much math is involved (I chose math SL)? Anything helpful would be appreciated, as I'm pretty nervous!
Last reply by Abhinav2703, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 91 views
Hi, I'm really desperate, I've been all this month trying to get help from my teacher to help me a little with my internal idea. I wanted to do something that has to do with sound and I thought about sound absorption but I don't know how to formulate the internal in order to get something that could mark high. I'm doing Physics SL. Thank you
Last reply by riki631, -
- 4 replies
- 2.6k views
Greetings fellow IB (ex)students! I have written my Physics IA under the title "Investigating the Relationship between the Type of Material and the Coefficient of Static Friction". In my lab , I have used 6 blocks of different materials and put them on a wooden ramp. I then tilted the ramp until the block would start to slide, hence recording the angle of inclination and finding out the coefficient of the block's static friction by a derived formula. I conclude stating which one of the tested materials has the highest coefficient of static friction and that there is a direct relationship between material and friction. Is this a valid IA topic or too simple? Thanks i…
Last reply by ojas123456, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 134 views
Hello, I teach IB Physics and just wanted to let you know about the latest videos I uploaded on Youtube in addition to over 100 other videos: Sub-topic 4.1 - Simple Harmonic Oscillations I hope that it is useful for you
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 139 views
I have been cracking my head on this one MCQ for too long now. For the following question, I am getting the answer W > P + R which is wrong: The diagram shows a girl attempting (but failing) to lift a heavy suitcase of weight W. The magnitude of the vertical upwards pull of the girl on the suitcase is P and the magnitude of the vertical reaction of the floor on the suitcase is R. Write an equation correctly relates W, P and R. The answer is W = P + R As the question said that she is failing to lift the suitcase, I thought the Weight acting downwards would be more than the sum of P and R. Why is that wrong? Also, just to confirm, R is the force actin…
Last reply by snehahahal, -
- 1 follower
- 11 replies
- 30k views
Hey guys, I'm new here. Could you help me out with the solutions to "Test yourself" in the Tsokos book(physics). I know there are answers in the back but i seek detailed answers. Thanks! Shrish.V IB DP Class of 2018
Last reply by 26110767, -
- 2 followers
- 1 reply
- 187 views
Hi everyone. I have been researching a topic for my physics IA for a while now, and have already got all my equipment + formula ready to start. To my shock though, after doing more research I found my experiment is quite similar to an example EE on the IB website, but only after I already started! I have never had any intention to copy, but I want to be sure it doesn't seem like I did. Thankfully, I believe my work is a big improvement on it. Firstly, I derive many of the formulae the example simply states without explaining, showing my understanding of the concepts and explaining them step-by-step. The example and mine are trying to prove the same relationship (alth…
Last reply by kw0573, -
- 0 replies
- 111 views
I have come across a little addin for excel that helps you visualize the equations that you have entered in excel. Its called fxrender . This is wonderful when trying to put equations into excel since you can see the equation as you would write it. . https://fxrender.codecogs.com/home. What's even better its cheap!
Last reply by Twink, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 203 views
Hello, I have made and uploaded over a hundred IB Physics videos on Youtube and will be adding more during the coming weeks. Feel free to check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGZ55FHT1TEHVh1grhOBReA I hope you find them useful
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 183 views
Hello everyone, Anyone knows a good topic to write a physics IA preferarably something about energy generation? Thanks in advance.
Last reply by Dabber, -
- 2 followers
- 2 replies
- 280 views
I want to research about thermal physics on my IA, but don't have any idea about where to start. Can someone give me some suggestion?
Last reply by RayY1105, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 218 views
Hi Everyone, I created a condensed version of the interactive IB Physics Revision Calendar for the November 2020 exams that I posted earlier and attaching it here. Feel free to have a look and share with friends if you find it useful Take care and stay safe! IB Physics November 2020 Exam Revision Calendar.pdf
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 748 views
Hello IB Physics Students, I am an IB Physics teacher with over ten years of teaching experience. IB Physics is challenging, difficult and can be very frustrating at times. My goal is to help you on your IB Physics journey any way I can. As part of this mission, I am starting a blog on the website that I recently opened (https://paperplainz.com). A few examples of possible blog post topics are: Top tips for scoring well on your IA. The most common definition-type questions that appear on Paper 2. How to create an effective study calendar (including resources) before you exams? As you see, I have some ideas about blog post topics; h…
Last reply by baccalaureateclass, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 304 views
Hello November 2020 IB Physics students! Our team at PaperPlainz.com created this calendar to help you save time and energy when getting ready for your IB Physics exams. The calendar is attached and here is a short Youtube video with helpful tips on how to maximise the use of this calendar. Enjoy Peter from the PaperPlainz Team November 2020 IB Physics Revision Calendar.pdf
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 2 followers
- 1 reply
- 274 views
Hi, I am doing my physics ia project about lift force. I have done a lot of research on how to measure the lift force with Bernoulli principle, and after I done the experiment. I found that it may not followed that principle As a result, I searched the other ways to explain the lift force, and realized probably Bernoulli principle was not the best explanation. However, I did found some trend and relationship between variablesin my data, which obeys the Bernoulli principle but not correct according to the real life. That's why I come here and ask for help. THANKS!
Last reply by sarahaction, -
- 6 replies
- 3.9k views
What can i do/find with a ping pong ball? Any ideas? I was thinking of finding the time it takes for the ball to stop bouncing as you change the height!! LOL
Last reply by godxy, -
- 5 replies
- 476 views
I'm a first year IBDP student learning measurements and uncertainties I was doing past paper questions and their involved questions where you have to draw the line of best fit. In this the line of best fit is a curve. I'm unable to draw a smooth and continuous curve any suggestions or tips on what to do?
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 3 replies
- 830 views
Hi! I wanted to do a topic on wien's displacement law but I do not have a research question. Any suggestions?
Last reply by IBchemistry, -
- 4 replies
- 4.1k views
Hello, We are now getting started with our IA labs in SL Physics, however I'm not sure if the topic I've chosen is appropriate. I have chosen to find the correlation between the time needed for a coffee filter to drop from a certain heightand its mass (increased by adding washers to the inside of the filter). I was going to focus on how the increased mass would lead to increased acceleration and speed. Is this experiment too simple for an IA design lab? Or does IB simply grade you on the basis of how well you identify variables, perform an experiment in an organized fashion, and be able to understand errors made? I was also considering adding an element of air resistance …
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 0 replies
- 615 views
Hello IB Physics Students, We are excited to share with you our newest addition: The complete, step-by-step, simple-to-use PaperPlainz IB Physics Internal Assessment Guide! To give you even more support with your IA work, we also launched the PaperPlainz Facebook IA Community where you can ask questions, clarify doubts and most importantly support each other during the IA process. Click here when you are ready to join Just a reminder that our offer to give full access, free of charge to all PaperPlainz resources to schools that are closed due to the COVID-19 situation is still ope…
Last reply by PeterK, -
Physics EE
by Kek- 0 replies
- 465 views
Hi guys, could someone please help me to find a formula to calculate the center of gravity for an object with a mass that is not uniform.
Last reply by Kek, -
- 2 replies
- 505 views
So in about a month I have to finalise my RQ, and my supervisor insists on before picking a topic to find 2 contrasting research papers. he says that without 2 conflicting research papers the highest grade I can get is a C. I am really stuck and cannot think of anything. I must have spent 7 hours just researching for a topic. I would like to know if any of you guys have any ideas. The topic which I am interested in is mechanics in general, electricity is a possibility as well. It doesn't have to be a topic which has 2 conflicting theories, it could also just be a good idea, and i'll do the research for the research papers after that. Thank You
Last reply by Pol_Recasens, -
- 2 replies
- 568 views
Hi, I wanted to do an IA investigating the relationship between either: - the refractive index of a material and Brewster's angle, or - the wavelength of incident light and Brewster's angle I am not sure how to even measure the wavelength of incident light, and to calculate Brewster's angle I would also need the wavelength of the refracted light which I don't know how to measure either. I also don't know how to measure refractive index, so I'm kinda stuck there. I was wondering if someone could help me find a source which would explain how to carry out an experiment to find the relationship between the two variables (I already know that refractive inde…
Last reply by MA123, -
- 6 replies
- 2.9k views
Hi! im wondering how to solve these projectile motion problems: A particle is launched horizontally with a speed of 8.0 m s−1 from a point 20 m above the ground. a Calculate the time when the particle lands on the ground. b Determine the speed of the particle 1.0 s after launch. c Find the angle between the velocity and the horizontal 1.0 s after launch. d Determine the velocity with which the particle hits the ground. A soccer ball is kicked so that it has a range of 30 m and reaches a maximum height of 12 m. Determine the initial velocity (magnitude and direction) of the ball
Last reply by kw0573, -
- 0 replies
- 546 views
Hello IB Physics Students, Our team at PaperPlainz.com decided to provide temporary full access, free of charge, to all of our resources to support your online learning during the COVID-19 school closures. If your school is affected, please ask your IB Coordinator, Science department head, or Physics teacher to send us an email to [email protected] for details. Looking forward to hearing from your school! The PaperPlainz Team
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 0 replies
- 533 views
Hi guys, can anyone explain to me what we need to know about the practicals for paper 3? Are the questions usually focused on method or outcomes? What should I expect to be tested on? I remember the experiments we did in class but I don't know if I am ready to answer questions about them...
Last reply by Le Chair, -
- 0 replies
- 555 views
Hello IB Physics Students, We are currently working hard to make our new IB Physics website even better and we are looking for website testers Would you like to get free access to all resources on PaperPlainz for three months? In exchange, we only ask you to let us know if you spot something that you think we can improve on. Interested? Send us an email to [email protected]! Peter from the PaperPlainz Team
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 1 reply
- 842 views
Hello, I have been thinking about what I would like to do for my extended essay and I have come up with two ideas that I would like to share to you to ask for some advice about whether or not these are suitable for a possible EE in physics; The first idea is about the science behind projectiles where I was thinking about researching the science behind the centre of gravity and the centre of pressure while the rocket is in flight and how this can affect the stabilisation of it. However, my Physics teacher told me that it would be too difficult to measure which means that I had to do it with paper airplanes instead. my research question for this would have been someth…
Last reply by louisb, -
- 1 reply
- 1.2k views
There is this one problem from past exam papers which I cannot seem to do: The air in a kitchen has pressure 1 .0 x 105 Pa and temperature 22'C. A refrigerator of internal volume 0.36 m^3 is installed in the kitchen. (a) With the door open the air in the refrigerator is initially at the same temperature and pressure as the air in the kitchen. Calculate the number of molecules of air in the refrigerator. (b) The refrigerator door is closed. The air in the refrigerator is cooled to 5.0'C and the number of air molecules in the refrigerator stays the same. (i) Determine the pressure of the air inside the refrigerator. (ii) The door of the refri…
Last reply by kw0573, -
Okay, I'm new here and I need help regarding my IA. My experiment is as I've described in the title, my problem right now is, I couldn't get the data similar to what I've researched. From my background research, the graph should be in "n" shape. Increase a bit in the beginning and then it should decrease as density increases. What I've got is complete opposite of that. I got a "v" shaped graph. And now I' stuck as I cannot make any sound argument. Has anybody else carried out this experiment before? I really appreciate it if anyone can share their thoughts regarding my IA. The materials that I've been using are oil, water, methanol, detergent and …
Last reply by fatakkk, -
- 1 reply
- 604 views
Hi everyone, I'm in the first year of DP, and I was wondering if you guys could offer advice on my physics topic. It's not entirely finalized yet, but I was thinking of a research question along the lines of "In what circumstances would it be faster for a racecar driver to drift around a corner than gripping the road around the corner," and I'd probably specifically look at time attacks (since other races would probably need more pit stops during races if drivers wore down the tires from drifting so much). I'm not sure if this is that viable of a topic or not, and I'm especially not sure about what experiments I would conduct for this topic. Also, I don't know any p…
Last reply by BudyH, -
- 6 replies
- 852 views
Hello, I have been an IB Physics teacher for several years and I started creating videos for my students and for my Physics website (PaperPlainz.com). I started uploading some of them on Youtube and I just wanted to let you know that you can watch them here. I am continually working on videos, practice questions and other IB Physics materials, so keep checking for new resources from time to time. Have a nice day, Peter
Last reply by sunsally, -
- 0 replies
- 690 views
Hey guys. I just got a physics design IA about balloons. Do you guys have any ideas, it would be very helpful. Please feel free to share.
Last reply by Abi2003, -
- 0 replies
- 618 views
Hello IB Students, This week we added a full SL Paper 2 exam and a full HL Paper 2 exam to https://paperplainz.com. We also extended both SL and HL questionbanks (52 new questions in SL and 73 new questions in HL). Visit us on PaperPlainz.com The PaperPlainz Team
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 8 replies
- 17.7k views
So, as soon as I got back from the summer break, my physics teacher put up an assignment to send her our IA topics, methods and materials needed. I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I came up with the idea of testing how the force of attraction and repulsion between two magnets varies with distance. As we haven't studied magnetism yet, I thought this would be interesting to test. I would use a scale to see how the "weight" measured of the magnet changed as I approached a magnet from the top, while measuring the distance between them. However, on the first class we had after sending her the topic, she told everyone on the class our topics were "too simple", and we shou…
Last reply by mmhaj, -
- 0 replies
- 664 views
Hello IB Physics Students, I just wanted to let you know that we added a full-length Paper 2 SL and a full-length Paper 2 HL practice exam on the www.PaperPlainz.com website. You can access these new materials by becoming a full member. We also have lots of resources (over 200 videos, dozens of practice questions and a full-length Paper 1 SL and a full-length Paper 1 HL practice exam) that you can use by becoming a basic member (free of charge). Please let me know if you have any questions. I will be happy to answer them. Peter from the PaperPlainz Team
Last reply by PeterK, -
- 7 replies
- 55.2k views
Hey Guys, For AGES, our class has been having disputes about how the average uncertainty is calculated in physics. Here are 2 options that we are confused between So if we want to know the Avg uncertainty and values are 44.3 ± 0.2 , 44.7 ± 0.2, 44.9 ± 0.2 and 44.1± 0.2 1) Average uncertainty = (Max value - Min value)/Total number of values Avg uncertainty = (44.9-44.1)/4 We got this from an IB Physics uncertainties book... I can't remember how old it was but i think maybe around 2007 or more recent. But this seems outrageous! You honestly can't just do that can you?!?! 2) We think it should be the way we do it in chem and maths and everywhere else! Avg uncert…
Last reply by Rodrigo_Reyes, -
- 0 replies
- 772 views
Hello IB Students, I have been working on a new IB Physics website (www.paperplainz.com) for the past months and it is now open. The website has over 800 past exam question video solutions (all Paper 1 and Paper 2 SL and HL questions from May 2016 until November 2018), practice exams and a growing questionbank (for now Paper 1 only, Paper 2 questions are coming soon!). Many of these resources are free of charge. Click here to check out the website: www.paperplainz.com If you would like to watch some of the videos on Youtube, just follow the link below: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGZ55FHT1TEHVh1grhOBReA/playlists Please let …
Last reply by PeterK,