IB Physics HL Internal Assessment Example

The research question is focused and clearly tied to a relevant physics relationship.

The student places the investigation in an appropriate scientific context by introducing Malus’ law and the role of the polarisers.

The overall method is mostly reproducible and includes helpful choices such as repeated trials, fixed angle intervals, and controlled ambient light.

Some important operational details are missing, especially exact distances, sensor settings, and the calibration of the zero-angle position.

Several methodological choices are described but not fully explained in terms of why they are sufficient for a robust investigation.

The wording of the research question could be tightened for clarity and precision.

Raw and processed data are presented in a clear, structured way with units, repeated trials, and calculated means.

The student makes meaningful use of uncertainty estimates, including trial spread, percentage uncertainty, and error bars.

The processing follows an appropriate overall route for the investigation, including normalization and comparison with theoretical values.

The treatment of uncertainty is not fully consistent, especially for the normalized 0° point and the omission of angle uncertainty.

The comparison with theory is weakened by the lack of a genuine statistical test or residual analysis.

Some presentation issues reduce precision, including inconsistent figure references and less-than-clear distinction between plotted series.