IB Physics IA Ideas

IB Physics Internal Assessment Investigation Ideas Investigation Title

Area of Interest

How does the tension and diameter of a string effect the fundamental frequency?

Guitar strings

How does sugar concentration affect the refractive index of water?

Refractometers / fizzy drinks / wine etc

How does the voltage across the accelerating electric field affect the spacing of the diffraction pattern for electron diffraction (using a Teltron Tube)

Telescopes, etc

How does temperature affect the viscosity of fluids?

Particle accelerators / electron microscopes

Investigate factors that affect the flight of an elastic band

Sweet making / ketchup etc

Investigate the Young Modulus of materials

Catapults, etc

Investigate the internal resistances of cells and what factors affect it? e.g, temperature of battery? Type of battery?

Fishing line? Suspension bridges

Investigate the factors that affect fluid damping of an object in SHM. e.g. Area of damping card, viscosity of surrounding fluid, etc.

Battery life in high tech appliances

Investigating magnetic braking. e.g. magnets through copper pipes, rolling down an aluminium rail

Suspension systems

Investigate factors that affect the surface tension of water

Magnetic suspension systems

Investigate factors affecting the lift produced by a model helicopter

Pond skaters etc

How does sugar concentration affect the optical activity of a solution? (i.e. rotation)

Flight

Investigate the factors affecting the efficiency of a motor (e.g. no. of coils, strength / shape of magnets, etc)

Motor Sport, ecologically sound machines (e.g. washing machines, etc)

Factors affecting the efficiency of a transformer

Global energy transportation, electrical engineering, globalisation

Determine the width of a human hair using diffraction

Hair!, optics, lasers

How the voltage across two oppositely charged metal plates affects the frequency of metal-covered a ping pong ball Time, clocks, electrostatics, high voltage supplies

oscillating between them!

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