IB Physics IA: The Complete Writing Guide (Updated)

September 5, 2022

ib physics internal assessment

Are you struggling with IB Physics IA and need a guide to point you in the right direction? You’ve come to the right place.

The IB Physics IA is a subject that requires you to perform an independent physical experiment and write a report about your findings. It appears easy on paper, but it can be difficult to execute. However, we’ve put this guide together to help you get this right.

So in this lesson, we will teach you how to write a comprehensive IB Physics IA so that you can earn full marks in the subject.

Let’s get started.

How to Write IB Physics IA

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to write a comprehensive IB Physics Internal Assessment assignment:

Step 1: Choose the Right Topic

The first step to writing a comprehensive Physics IA is to choose a good topic.

Look through your syllabus and identify an interesting topic that you’ve learned in class. And even if the issue is on a subject your teacher hasn’t covered in a classroom session, but it’s an interesting one to investigate further, it might be a good fit.

The topic should allow you to test the correlation between two variables while keeping everything else constant.

While it’s okay to investigate a complex physics topic, simple and concise is better. At the very least, simple topics are easy to investigate and report within the time allocated.

The topic you choose should allow you to collect primary data and have the scope to find secondary sources that you can explore to approve or disapprove your hypothesis.

Lastly, your topic can be either experimental or simulation based. The chart below explains the difference between the two.

Step 2: Design Your IB Physics IA Experiment

Now that you have a topic to investigate, it’s time to develop a written plan for your physical experiment.

Your plan should not only highlight all the details relevant to the experiment, it should also be 100% practical.

In your plan, state the data you would like to record and how you intend to do that.

If during your planning you discover that you don’t have all the equipment necessary to run the experiment, it may be that our topic is too complicated. Should that be the case, go back to the first step and find a different topic to explore.

Step 3: Recording Your Data

The third step is to perform your experiment and record relevant data. Write down the numbers, which should include all the variables used.

You can record the data manually or key in the details in a software such as Microsoft Excel.

Your first record may not be accurate, and even if it is, it may not be easy to account for the data. So run your experiment at least five times to lower the possibility of random errors.

It’s important to note that no matter how many times you repeat the experiment, you should do so under the same conditions.

Step 4: Estimating the Uncertainties of Your Experiment

Repeating your physical experiment doesn’t eliminate errors, it only lowers them. In fact, your physical experiment will have random and systematic errors. So it’s important to estimate the uncertainties of your experiment.

Systematic errors come from tools such as digital meters and stopwatches in the association of ±1 on the last digit. They can also arise from the techniques you use to conduct your physical experiment. Some human factors, such as reaction to time, can also cause systematic errors.

Random errors are also a possibility in physical experiments, but they’re independent of your equipment and techniques. Often, they come from fluctuations in recording. And you can reduce the occurrence of these errors by repeating the experiment at least 5 times.

Step 5: Drawing a Linear Graph and Extracting Results

The fifth step in writing a comprehensive IB Physics IA is to determine if your physical experiment holds up to anything.

To do this, draw a linear graph and extract the results. You can draw by hand or use a software such as Microsoft Excel.

For a linear correlation, the graph should feature points that correspond to the measurements with a best-fit line passing through the points.

If the relationships between the variables aren’t linear, manipulate these variables to produce a linear curve so that they are proportionate to each other.

With your graph plotted, how do you extract the results?

You can do that by analyzing the linear fit parameters of your physical experiment. Since the gradient and y-intercept are quantities closely linked to the physical constants of the experiment, it’s easy to determine whether they align with your expectations.

Step 6: Determine an Estimate of Your Uncertainties

It’s difficult to compare the results of your experiment to the real values without determining the estimate of your uncertainties.

Note that some tools will give you these errors automatically. If not, calculate them manually.

You should check section 1.2 of the IB Physics IA core syllabus to learn how to come up with the estimate of uncertainties in your physical experiments.

Step 7: Evaluating Your Results

Up until this point, the practical part of the experiment is complete.

It’s now time to evaluate your findings, and this is worth 25% of the total mark of your IB Physics Internal Assessment assignment.

The objective here is to determine results and point out possible errors in your experiment.

Your graph should allow you to identify values of physical quantities with uncertainties. You can take this data and compare it with what you expected the results to be.

For clarity, it’s okay if the outcome isn’t consistent with your expectations. You can still earn some marks if you analyze the results and explain why you got the wrong results. To do this, go back to your procedure and identify the possible causes of the errors. Don’t forget to explain what your results mean as far as the relationship you’re investigating is concerned.

Step 8: Write a Report

Finalize your IB Physics IA assignment by writing a clear and comprehensive report for the physical experiment.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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