Physics
For Physics Discussions
1,008 topics in this forum
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- 4 replies
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Hi I'm currently revising Physics SL Topic 8 but I don't understand something about nuclear energy. During the process of producing nuclear energy, how does the role of moderator and control rods differ? I know that both has the role of slowing down fast neutrons and I vaguely remember my teacher emphasizing on some kind of a difference but I don't remember the specifics. Thank you in advance!
Last reply by Award Winning Boss, -
- 1 reply
- 647 views
So I've been working a bit looking up Venusian transits for my IA ideas and I found this video (It's only 7 minutes long). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwP8wCzbFLc Unfortunately, I've been having trouble understanding one part of it which I hope someone might help me get. What exactly is delta T? I understand it's the time difference, but time difference of what exactly? Would it be considered the time difference between the duration of observations at A and B from external ingress/egress (or could it be internal)? Or is it the time difference between egress of Observer A and egress of Observer B? Logically speaking, it should be the latter, because we're measuri…
Last reply by Vioh, -
- 1 reply
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TLDR: Should I use an online simulation for my physics IA or will the moderator not appreciate it as much as a hands on experiment? I want to do my physics IA on Coulomb's law, and would like to use an online simulation to 'obtain' the equation, since it is quite easy and practical that way, and I don't have the necessary lab equipment available. However, I was wondering whether using a simulation is a good idea. It seems that it might be rejected as good methodology and engagement by moderators, because it is in some way circular reasoning and perhaps not as legitimate. Will the moderator(s) view it as a bad investigation if I basically find the relationship the force,…
Last reply by Fiona, -
- 2 replies
- 2k views
I have a vague idea for my IA but I never discussed it with my teacher properly and so I have no idea if it would be good enough to do an IA on, I want to base it on how sugar concentration affect the refractive index, but I am not sure if that is good enough... Please help! Really appreciate it
Last reply by kevG, -
- 1 reply
- 917 views
I want to do my extended essay on physics of guitar, but that is a very vast topic and i need help narrowing it down..any ideas?
Last reply by theswizzlerbruh, -
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Could someone please tell me how to get a 7 in a Physics Extended Essay, and if I can with my Topic? My Topic is: How does Wing Length affect the trajectory, time in the air, and the overall range of a glider? Thanks A Bunch in Advance! Btw this is my first post here
Last reply by theswizzlerbruh, -
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Does the addition of salt to water affect the degree of polarization?
Last reply by Ossih, -
- 4 replies
- 553 views
so for my ee i will investigate how do different colors of light affect (something). i found a light bulb on amazon that can emit different colors of light, but i am not sure whiling changing the light colors, will the light intensity still be the same? it says the light bulb uses 3 watt of power. thank you for reading
Last reply by JTFreitas, -
- 4 replies
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Hey Guys, So I decided to start with my Physics IA and I did my experiment today. There is just one problem: I have to calculate the speed of an object after it is given some acceleration, and to do that, I am measuring the time taken by the object to travel a fixed distance of 1 m. The values for the time I am measuring have an approximate 40% error. This is huge, and I am guessing is caused by the small time interval (<1 s) the object takes to travel that distance of 1 m. Should I go ahead with my IA, despite the huge inaccuracy (which will get propagated as I do further manipulation of the data) or should I look for another IA topic, one without this limitati…
Last reply by JTFreitas, -
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Hi, I feel a bit lost. I am struggling to understand the difference between "interpret" and "analyze" command terms. Now, I found the definitions: Interpret: Use knowledge and understanding to recognize trends and draw conclusions from giving information. Analyze: Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure. (To identify parts and relationships, and interpret information to reach conclusions.) So, this means that "analysis" includes "interpretation". But what does it mean exactly? If the task is to "interpret" then all the "breaking down" has been done for me? On the other hand, If I am to "analyze" - it means I have to show that I have fo…
Last reply by AlexStrinda, -
- 7 replies
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So I'm done with IB, and I'm pretty bored at the moment until I go to uni. I want to learn how to make cool stuff with electronics, and i don't think Physics HL taught me very much. I am wondering if anyone is good with electronics. How should i further develop my knowledge in electronics after IB physics? I want to actually make stuff but i don't know where to start. A lot of the stuff on the internet look pretty complicating. Any got any ideas? thanks! GOD
Last reply by Emmi, -
- 4 replies
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HI Every one, I was doing some word problems from the Physics course of MECHANICS and came up with three questions I couldn't do... 1) A rocket in space is initially stationary and has a total mass of 5000 kg. The motors are started and exhaust gases are ejected at the rate of 1250 kg per minute with a velocity of 600 m/s. a) Calculate the magnitude of the force which the rocket motor produces b) Calculate the initial acceleration of the rocket. 2) Steel balls each of mass 0.5g fall from a height of 1m onto a horizontal surface. In balls hit the surface at the rate of 200 per minute. Assuming that the collisions between the balls and the surfac…
Last reply by Cerafina.info, -
- 8 replies
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Hi~ I'm currently scheduling right now to decide which classes/exams I'll be taking for the next two years. I was originally signed up for the Math HL exams but my sister told me (&the internet told me) that the exam is super hard and is more like competition math. I'll be doing calc as a junior but I think I'd rather take the SL exam and get like a 7....So... My two replacement options are History HL and Physics HL. I'm leaning towards Physics HL since I'll be taking IB Physics as well as AP physics before my exam. Please let me know your personal experience with Physics HL. How is the exam? Especially in comparison to Math HL? Thank you~
Last reply by God, -
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I recently got the results for my physics IA draft and to my surprise, I got a 9/24. I had been marked down in several areas, for which I thought I would be able to score high marks in. My topic revolves around calculating the conversion factor from joules to calories, but I don't have any research that I could use on this. I am trying to relate this to resistors but I can't seem to find anything. Could someone please recommend some exemplar level 7 lab reports for physics as well as some guides to help me score a higher mark for my final draft? Thanks in advance!
Last reply by kevG, -
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hello everyone, we were asked to look for a topic for our IA and I'm stuck here cant find any. I was thinking to do something on damped simple harmonic motion using spring and mass system but I don't know from where to start or what to really investigate .. if anyone can provide help it would be highly appreciated i'm taking physics SL btw
Last reply by UncleChopChop, -
- 1 reply
- 881 views
Which physics videos on Khan Academy should I watch, to study for IB physics sl in advance during summer break? I want to make sure I know everything before school starts, so it'll be easy. Need to learn everything in the curriculum.
Last reply by Vioh, -
- 3 replies
- 2k views
Hi, I'm having trouble calculating the uncertainties in an average value. I have obtained several values for VIt (Voltage x Current x Time) and wish to average the values. How do I calculate the uncertainty in the average value of VIt? The issue I'm having is that each value of VIt has a different uncertainty. How do you calculate the uncertainty in the average value if each value has a different uncertainty? Thanks, abarnes98
Last reply by kw0573, -
- 1 reply
- 1.7k views
It's to do with Archimedes principle, what happens if an object is floating? Wouldn't the bouyancy force then equal to the weight of the body that's floating, even if it doesn't make much sense, but there are no more forces acting are there?
Last reply by Slovakov, -
- 2 replies
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Hiya everyone, so my Physics teacher is making us work on our IA now so he can correct it and help improve it in the months to come, but our first draft is due this week. I don't have much experience writing lab reports or IAs, in fact our class hasn't done a single lab report so far, so I've just been going through my friend's IAs from last year to get a sense of what to do. My problem is that this year our IA is supposed to have an introduction with a meaningful heartfelt reason for why we chose our individual experiments. I'm not really sure how to write this, my experiment is based on the effect of shade on solar panels and I've always been passionate about renewa…
Last reply by pieispi, -
- 2 replies
- 853 views
My teacher told us that we would be marked down if we used calculus on IAs or the exam. I find this really hard to believe, especially since the course companion uses calculus sometimes. Is this true? What can I do if it isn't?
Last reply by ultimateone, -
- 1 reply
- 586 views
For my individual investigation in Physics i want to do something on friction few topics i came up with is how does limiting friction changes with mass how does mass affect the velocity needed few more ideas if anyone could help if u write the procedure as well that would be alot helpful
Last reply by Slovakov, -
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- 463 views
For my individual investigation in Physics i want to do something on friction few topics i came up with is how does limiting friction changes with mass how does mass affect the velocity needed few more ideas if anyone could help if u write the procedure as well that would be alot helpful
Last reply by Mohammad Saud Deathwalker, -
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Hi all. Mitch here (IB teacher and silly joke teller). I was thinking that with the upcoming IB Physics exams on May 8th (yes, that's THIS Friday) for Paper 1 and 2, and the following Monday for Paper 3, I'd try to post all my resources for you in one place. They're all free, of course. I wish you the very best of luck! You show those exams who's the boss! Cheers, Mitch 1. A 5-day revision course for IB Physics SL. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6LH0ngwf3HtX-zu3skDM2MKCUiWjVu_H Description: This was designed for students in a 5-day revision course, and does NOT cover everything from the two-year syllabus. That would be crazy. But it is going through what I…
Last reply by MitchCampbell, -
- 3 replies
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OK, so I think it has been 3 hours since we started being able to discuss the exams, so how did you find the exams and what were the options that you chose?
Last reply by Alex Jordan, -
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- 736 views
To practice for our actual IA's next year, our teacher assigned us a lab for determining the spring constant 'k'. We have to do it following the actual format and criteria. I used the formula T = 2Ï€ sqrt (m/k) and rearranged it to find k. But when I sat down to write the lab, I got stuck on the research question and the hypothesis / prediction part. Normally the labs I did were focused on finding a relationship between two things but I never wrote a lab on finding a constant. Does anybody know how I would phrase my question and hypothesis / prediction?
Last reply by Vioh, -
- 7 replies
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Hi, could anyone explain to me how to calculate the net wheel-power of a radio-controlled car, when I know the following things: - Acceleration between a few different distance points, graph as a curve (time taken between the different points) - weight of rc car - maximum speed Any suggestions?
Last reply by Slovakov, -
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So how was it. Personally I found Paper 1 quite hard. By the way which questions did you answer in section b and what time zone are you?
Last reply by Alex Jordan, -
- 1 reply
- 778 views
Hello all! I am doing Physics SL and I don't really understand the explanations of my teacher, so I am a bit afraid of my end of year one exams... I wanted to ask you, if someone could recommend some good resources like exam prearation guides or study guide for the May 2016 examination? Thanks a lot!
Last reply by King112, -
- 5 replies
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I Have finalized my topic and now I have to show it to my supervisor to draft the topic. But I want to know is this good a topic for a 4000 word essay or no...,..,. EE topic- To what extent does the no. of blades in a wind turbine affect its rotational velocity and how that influences the turbine's energy input(electrical energy which will be stored in battery)? Independent Variables:- Wind speed(Using a Fan) No. of blades used in the setupDependent Variables:- Rotational Velocity of the turbine energy input by the turbineControlled Variables:- The Material of the blades The Design Patterns of the blades the Distance of the fan to the wind turbine. The Height of the wi…
Last reply by That_IB_Guy, -
- 1 reply
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Hey guys, I was doing a multiple choice question with de broglie wavelength and mass. In short, I know that lambda = h/square root(2meV) for an electron, and so that implies that lambda is inversely proportional to the square root of m, which is the answer, and is what I chose. The derivation is straightforward for this formula, its using lambda = h/p, replacing p as square root of 2m * Ek which is 2meV. However, my friend did lambda = h/p and p = mv, which implies that lambda = h/mv and so lambda is inversely proportional to v. I know that the first one is right but why is the second one wrong Mathematically, it makes sense to me.
Last reply by Ossih, -
- 4 replies
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Hey guys, I lost all my physics notes an dI'm freaking out. My final exams are in May 2015 and I dont have enough time to make new notes all over again. Was windering if theres anyone out there that can help me out? :help: Thank you in advance.
Last reply by MitchCampbell, -
- 4 replies
- 841 views
Hi all. I made a series of Physics SL revision videos for you and put them up as a Youtube playlist. These can't possibly cover everything from Physics SL, but they're what I would do with my students if I only had a week. I hope you can benefit from them. They go through what I think are the key things you need before you go into an exam. It also includes videos on the data booklet (I go through every equation and how to use them). https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6LH0ngwf3HtX-zu3skDM2MKCUiWjVu_H I have topics 1,2,3 and 4 up now, with topics 5,6,7,8 and a couple of options (Sight and Wave, Quantum and Nuclear, and Astrophysics) on the way in the next couple …
Last reply by MitchCampbell, -
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Solved. Thread closed by user.
Last reply by Magician, -
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Hi, we've just been told to chose our experiments to design the lab for our Internal Assessment and I'm having trouble thinking about what to do. I had an idea about the ratio of the bounce of a dropping ball but it was already taken. Could anyone help me brainstorm an idea that doesn't have to be done in an electronic simulator or processed in Newton TV? Also, it should be best related to the SUVAT, Energy & Power, Circular motion, and Gravitational fields. Thank you soo much!
Last reply by ibprincess, -
Design Lab
by Awi- 1 reply
- 629 views
Hi! I am doing my final design lab in physics but I have no idea what to do it on? After three design labs my creativity is all gone. I would appreciate some ideas!
Last reply by cielo, -
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- 534 views
My finals are coming within a month from now and I'm struggling for ways to study and get the grip of the whole thing in Physics. Are there any tips that any of you used to ace Physics Higher/Standard Level? Thank you so much!
Last reply by FrozenUnicorn, -
I am doing physics SL and paper 3 I know is the option paper. And according to the syllabus we will have studied 2 options. However, in the exam do we need to do both options or chose one?
Last reply by MitchCampbell, -
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Helicopter
by Awi- 5 replies
- 1.1k views
I am working on my last design lab and decided to do the helicopter experiment. Can my question be: To find the relationship between the wing length and the time for the helicopter to fall from a fixed height ? And the variables would be: - the length of the wing -air resistance -time -how you drop it is there any more variables? Thank you!
Last reply by Awi, -
- 2 replies
- 825 views
my brother is really struggling in physics sl, he does study but he says he doesn't get it, how can he improve in this class?
Last reply by Vioh, -
Designing Lab
by Awi- 10 replies
- 1.2k views
I would really need help with designing a lab. It should be something with cones. Please help! Thanks.
Last reply by Awi, -
- 4 replies
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I am studying and all, doing questions but in a test, I just can't score well. Before a test I feel prepared, I have revised my concepts and diagrams but still. Btw I am in the IB Diploma programme, and I am 15. HALP MEH
Last reply by James Yang, -
- 3 replies
- 2k views
Hi guys, I'm currently in the pre-IB year and we will soon have to pick our subjects. I would really like to have physics HL but all my friends in the 1st and 2nd IB year are saying that if one is to take HL physics, they have to have a talent for math. I'm an average student in mathematics and this is what worries me. So should I take physics HL or perhaps not? Thanks
Last reply by Djsporting, -
- 2 replies
- 1.8k views
What do you do if the value if your maximum slope is less than the value of your minimum slope? Do you still find the uncertainty by subtracting the minimum slope from the maximum slope and divide the sum by two? Or will it be the other way around?
Last reply by King112, -
- 2 replies
- 970 views
Hi, I have a few questions regarding magnetic levitation achieved by using alternating current to induce eddy current on a non-ferromagnetic conductor plate to provide the levitation force. 1. Can it be stabilized? If yes, in what ways? 2. Are there any equations/formulae or ways to calculate the levitation force provided by eddy current in this case? Which physics laws and equations should I apply in this case? (Except Faraday's and Lenz's law) 3. Is there a direct relationship between the frequency of alternating current and levitating force? I've looked up the Internet for the whole day but still could not find an answer, your help is appreciated. P.S. I am…
Last reply by smokedvanilla, -
- 1 reply
- 765 views
Hello, This question appeared in one of our exams. I need help in deciding which so solution is correct. The question is as follows: 200 kg of air moving at 15m/s is incident each second on the vanes of a windmill. Estimate the maximum output power on the mill. [take g = 10m/s^2] During the exam I solved it according to the formula given in our textbook. The solution was as follows: Power = work/time => power = Force*displacement/time => power = force * velocity. since displacement over time is velocity. Therefore after calculation one would get : Power= 2000*15 = 30,000 watts. At home, after further analysation of the question I thought that what I did in sc…
Last reply by Raptor123a, -
- 11 replies
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Hi, What is the most exact method to measure the acceleration of gravity? Keep in mind that I'm in IB1 so the method should be understandable and possible to carry out as a lab with the knowledge I have. Thanks, Daniel
Last reply by TDgen47@IB, -
- 1 reply
- 1.9k views
Can anyone please give me a link to past paper questions of oscillation and waves and wave phenoma for HL. It would be very helpful... THANKS!
Last reply by Emmi, -
- 4 replies
- 953 views
which is the most scoring option if you don`t know what will help you in university ?????
Last reply by MitchCampbell, -
SHM and Waves HELP!
by Guest Aniruddh- 2 replies
- 721 views
Hey Guys, I recently missed quite a few classes on both SHM and Waves and I have test on both the topics next week, but have trouble catching up because its very confusing, and it is not clear which sections are in the syllabus, and which are not. Can anybody please link me to clear notes that will get me started because I even have to do practice questions, and can't spend more than couple hours on this. Please help me out! Aniruddh
Last reply by MitchCampbell, -
- 9 replies
- 777 views
Does wavelength determine the colour of light? Is wavelength the ONLY difference among different light colours ? How to change the light colour in an experiment for EE, i mean is there anything that I need to be aware of ?
Last reply by Raptor123a,
