Finding the best IB Physics IA topics to explore within the scope of the syllabus isn’t as easy.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to struggle for days fumbling for a topic to work on.
In this short guide, you’ll learn how to choose the right Physics IA topic to work on.
On top of that, we’ll give you a list of some of the best Physics IA topics for inspiration.
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If you’re here to learn more about topic selection, or you’re just looking for a topic idea to work on because you still have time, continue reading.
How to Choose an IB Physics IA Topic
Before we look at some ideas to explore in the subject, we want to make sure you know exactly how to choose the right topic to explore.
Based on our experience as professional academic writers as well as what we know about IB Internal Assessments so far, choosing a topic in physics is easy and straightforward.
1. Identify Your Area of Interest
We can’t stress enough how important it is to focus on your area of interest. Doing so ensures you end up exploring a topic that you can work on without struggling and within the scope of the assignment.
Ask yourself:
- What topic spiked my interest in a recent physics class?
- Do I have any hobbies with physics related concepts?
- What do I enjoy doing the most in my free time that I can easily relate to physics?
Feel free to add more questions to the list. Doing so will make it easier for you to identify an area that you’ll find interesting enough to explore.
2. Pick a Changeable Independent Variable
Every IB student has one wish:
They hope that after tirelessly working on their Physics IA, they’ll score great marks that contribute to their final grades.
With this respect, you need to have a focus research question, which is the issue you’ll be exploring in the 1,500-word limit.
To construct a sensible research question, you’ll need first come up with an easy to change, independent variable.
The key point here is easily changeable variable about your topic of interest.
Keep in mind that the variable you select has to be measurable on a scale. Temperature, time, pressure, and mass are good examples. Avoid anything that’s a discrete property such as type of material.
3. Identify an Easily Measurable Dependent Variable
A dependent variable is a quantity that changes when you adjust the independent variable. Make sure your dependent variable is easily measurable.
4. Write Your Research Question
The last step in selecting the right IB Physics Internal Assessment topic is to write down your research question. Then, read the question to make sure it makes sense.
20+ Physics IA Topics
The following are 20+ examples of Physics IA topics to investigate:
- What effect does temperature have on the spring constant?
- What effect does temperature have on the speed of sound in a solid (or liquid)?
- How does the football's cross-sectional area impact its final velocity?
- How does a string's diameter affect its fundamental frequency?
- How does sugar content influence water's refractive index?
- What effect does temperature have on the viscosity of liquids?
- How does the length of a violin/guitar string impact the sustain duration of a plucked violin/guitar string?
- How does temperature impact the flying distance of an elastic band?
- How does temperature impact a battery's internal resistance?
- How does the angle of a toy helicopter's rotor blades impact its lift force?
- How does the number of coils in an electric motor impact its efficiency?
- How does temperature effect a transformer's efficiency?
- How does the intensity of a magnet's magnetic field impact the performance of an electric motor?
- How does temperature impact the Young Modulus of a copper wire?
- How does the salt content of water influence the capacity of the heart?
- How does the cross-sectional area of a sail impact the initial acceleration of a toy boat?
- What effect does temperature have on the rebound of a bouncing ball?
- How does the cross-sectional area of the card linked to a vibrating mass influence the mass's displacement after twenty oscillations?
- How does the football's circumference affect its momentum when kicked?
- How does adding mass to an inflated balloon impact its final velocity as it falls?
- What effect does the breadth of the rotor blades have on the final velocity of a paper helicopter?
- How does the paddle area of a waterwheel affect its efficiency while turning water into electricity?
- How does the initial angle of a pendulum's release affect the subsequent computation of g?
- How does the temperature of the water in a wine glass influence the resonance frequency of the sound generated when the glass is struck and the rim begins to vibrate freely?
- How does the amount of water in a wine glass influence the resonance frequency of sound generated when the glass is struck and the rim begins to vibrate freely?
- How does the temperature of grease affect the depth of a crater made by dropping a mass from a known height?
- How does the distance between double-glazed glass panes influence the rate of heat loss?
- How does the amount of glass panes in double, triple, and quadruple glazing impact the rate of heat loss?
- How does the cross-sectional area of the pipe in a siphon affect the water's volumetric flow rate?
- How does ramp height affect the time required for a cylinder to roll down a ramp?
- How does the distance between two towers supporting a flat metallic bar influence the vertical depression/sag caused by the addition of a known mass?
- How does the width of a flat bridge influence the vertical depression/sag caused by the addition of a known mass?
- How does the solid sphere's radius influence the oscillation period of a solid sphere on a curved track?
- How does temperature affect the strength of a permanent magnet's magnetic field?
- How does the amount of dust on a solar panel influence the panel's efficiency?
- How does a block's mass affect the distance it recoils after being struck by a continuous external force?
- How is the distance between the screen and the laser responsible for the laser's slit spacing?
- What effect does rubber temperature have on the coefficient of static friction between rubber and a surface?
- How does the temperature of a guitar string influence its frequency when plucked with a consistent force and allowed to vibrate freely?
- How does density affect the angle subtended by diffracted waves when a liquid is passed through a single slit in a ripple tank?
- How does the radius of a copper pipe influence the time required for a magnet to fall through it?
- How does the resistivity of a metal pipe influence the time required for a magnet to fall through it?
- How does temperature effect castor oil viscosity?
- How does the temperature of a lubricant applied to the underside of a solid influence the coefficient of dynamic friction when the solid is pulled along a surface?
- How does the diameter of a battery copper coil train's coil effect the train's speed?