IB Physics
Internal Assessment
Investigation Ideas
Investigation Title
Area of Interest
How does the tension and diameter of a string eect the fundamental frequency?
Guitar strings
How does sugar concentration aect the refractive index of water?
Refractometers / fizzy drinks / wine etc
How does the voltage across the accelerating electric field aect the spacing of the diraction pattern for electron
diraction (using a Teltron Tube)
Telescopes, etc
How does temperature aect the viscosity of fluids?
Particle accelerators / electron microscopes
Investigate factors that aect 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 aect it? e.g, temperature of battery? Type of battery?
Fishing line? Suspension bridges
Investigate the factors that aect 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 aect the surface tension of water
Magnetic suspension systems
Investigate factors aecting the lift produced by a model helicopter
Pond skaters etc
How does sugar concentration aect the optical activity of a solution? (i.e. rotation)
Flight
Investigate the factors aecting the eciency of a motor (e.g. no. of coils, strength / shape of magnets, etc)
Motor Sport, ecologically sound machines (e.g. washing
machines, etc)
Factors aecting the eciency of a transformer
Global energy transportation, electrical engineering,
globalisation
Determine the width of a human hair using diraction
Hair!, optics, lasers
How the voltage across two oppositely charged metal plates aects the frequency of metal-covered a ping pong ball Time, clocks, electrostatics, high voltage supplies
oscillating between them!