IB Physics HL Internal Assessment Example

The student framed a focused research question and placed it in a meaningful applied optics context.

The student identified several relevant controls such as fixed geometry, repeated readings, reduced ambient light, and temperature awareness.

The student included enough procedural detail that another student could broadly follow the investigation.

The scientific basis of the investigation is not fully secure because the liquids differ in more than refractive index.

Some important procedural details are missing, such as the exact solution preparation and alignment procedure.

The design does not clearly show how refractive index was isolated from absorption, scattering, and composition changes.

The student presents raw data before processing, which makes their work traceable.

The student calculates means, standard deviations, and compares repeated trials in a structured way.

The student shows awareness of uncertainty and acknowledges several possible sources of variation.

The uncertainty treatment is incomplete and sometimes unclear, especially when distinguishing standard deviation from uncertainty in the mean.

Important systematic uncertainties such as alignment, path length, sensor geometry, and temperature are not fully addressed.

Some processing and interpretation steps rely on unsupported or inconsistent numerical claims.