How to do well for IB Physics IA?

Hi everyone, recently I went through a workshop on Physics IA organised by IB Organisation. Physics teachers around the world attended it to help them guide students better and mark the IA reports properly. As a physics tutor, here are some suggestions for IB students to tackle this IA project.

1. Talk with your school teacher about the topic and methodology first. The topic chosen should be of great interest to you and is feasible as a high-school project. It could be real experiments done or it could be simulations with online simulators. Getting the methodology planned properly is crucial in launching your IA project.

2. Work out theoretical predictions or equations based on your knowledge of physics. This usually involves some algebraic deviations based on fundamental equations. For example, to get acceleration of free fall of a small ball, we use s = ut + 1/2at^2. Rearranging it, we get a = 2s/t^2. So we know that if s is a constant, then a is inversely proportional to t^2. The data collected should follow the same pattern. 

3. Really do the experiment or simulation and take pictures to show that you really do the real work. 

4. After collecting data, do a preliminary data analysis to see if it matches with the theoretical predictions. If not, we will need to go back to double check each step.

5. Write up the first draft properly, let your school teacher read it up first. They will give you some comments and suggestions. 

6. Do exactly as what your teacher suggested. If in doubt, clarify with him or her. If it is a matter of style or personal preference, just follow your teacher’s suggestions. The school teachers are the workforce that mark your IA report. :)

7. Pay close attention to uncertainties and how you calculate them along the way. 

8. Even if the report is not 100% perfect or correct, it could still earn you 20~24 marks out of 24 marks! It is like getting an A grade for Physics, you do not have to score 100% correctly to get an A grade! 

If you need specialised VIP 1-1 tutoring for IB Physics, please feel free to contact us through WhatsApp at +659646-7611. You could improve to a 6~7 in a few sessions!

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