Subscriber comments

  • 10 May 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C4 MCQs: Standing waves
    Hi, the relationship between standing wave parameters and string tension/diameter isn't in the syllabus, correct?
  • 7 May 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C2 MCQs: Wave properties
    Done!
  • 7 May 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C2 MCQs: Sound waves
    Correct, thanks Benson!
  • 7 May 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C3 MCQs: EM waves
    Hi Benson, thanks for your thoughts. It's not possible for subscribers to remove specific questions from an 'author quiz' like this one. However, you can build bespoke multiple-choice quizzes using the qBank.This quiz requires knowledge of...
  • 6 May 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C3 MCQs: EM waves
    Hi again, Could we please remove the polarisation question? (or alternatively, am I able to remove specific questions when setting MCQs as a task?)Also, many of these topics belong to C.3, right?Thanks,Benson
  • 6 May 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C2 MCQs: Sound waves
    Hi,Regarding Q1, polarisation is no longer in the syllabus, correct?Thanks,Benson
  • 6 May 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C2 MCQs: Wave properties
    Hi, perhaps Q4 would best be moved to the C.4 MCQ quiz?Thanks,Benson
  • 29 April 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Examinations
    Hi Benson, I think the same as you!
  • 29 April 2024
    Benson Wallace
    Examinations
    Hi, so based on the specimen papers, would it be fair to say that the nature of the MCQs isn't going to change much (in comparison to the previous course), even though calculators are now allowed while students do them? And as such, that using...
  • 28 April 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C1 test: Resonance
    The Guide is the ultimate source: "Only a qualitative analysis is required concerning the impact of damping on the frequency response of a driven oscillator." I'd say you're right.
  • 27 April 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C1 test: Resonance
    Fair enough. What about something like if an oscillating system undergoes critical damping, the system returns its equilibrium position within one oscillation. Critical vs light vs heavy damping should only be treated qualitatively, right?
  • 24 April 2024
    Chris Hamper
    Changes from 2014 to 2023
    I think you have highlighted the main point about the I is proportional to A2 relationship. When two sources add the amplitudes add so if we have two identical sources with amplitude A they will add to give 2A which means intensity is 4I. The...
  • 23 April 2024
    Chris Hamper
    The charge to electric vehicles
    Norway is leading the way in terms of electric cars. Last year 82.4 % of new cars were electric. I have an electric car a VW ID3. We rarely drive further that 300 km so we charge the car at home. People go on about the time taken to charge...
  • 23 April 2024
    Benson Wallace
    Changes from 2014 to 2023
    Hi Emma,I've reached the point where I need to decide how much I'm going to include on intensity, and I'm considering doing intensity vs distance explicitly, but not intensity-amplitude (for now). Regarding intensity-amplitude, where/how/in...
  • 21 April 2024
    Chris Hamper
    Flashcard glossary
    Hi; They do sort of exist here too. On each activity e.g. fuels there is a set of flashcards of what you need to know and what you will learn in that activity. There are also the "mind-flashes" which are a kind of flashcard.
  • Difficult to say but if you follow the instructions it should work. A short cut is to use the send into orbit option under velocities.
  • Hello Emma and Chris.I am trying to run the experiment beore giving it to my class.The second mass just moves in a straight line upwards.Please help on how to set it in an orbit
  • 10 April 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Problems: Electric field
    I have deleted the correct answer that was posted in a comment on this page so that it cannot be seen by students directed here by their teachers. The solution is linked in the left-hand menu, provided that access has been given by the teacher.
  • 10 April 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Flashcard glossary
    Hi Luke, thanks for the question! This is a resource that we currently only have set up on the InThinking revision site (StudyIB.net). You as an InThinking teacher have free access to the full site (instructions here), but this is certainly...
  • 9 April 2024
    Luke Pinney
    Flashcard glossary
    How can I get flashcards for just one topic?
  • 9 April 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    B4 Thermodynamics
    Hi Shaqeel, you are right that the site currently goes into more depth than the new Guide requires. This is because some schools and students are using it for the Option in the outgoing Guide. So, if possible, I would ask that you steer your...
  • 8 April 2024
    Shaqeel Baksh
    B4 Thermodynamics
    Hey so I saw on question bank one or two questions on Micro and Macrostates. They also seem to be very in-depth. My assumption from the text books and kognity was we just needed to understand the theory. Am I wrong? Also they have no questions...
  • 3 April 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Cat 2 agenda
    Thanks to you too, Colin! I might have news to share in the coming months about a Cat 1 workshop (stay tuned) but nothing pending for Cat 2 as things stand.
  • 2 April 2024
    Colin Cuthbert
    Cat 2 agenda
    Ah, it's an IBAEM workshop. I see now. Thanks.
  • 2 April 2024
    Colin Cuthbert
    Cat 2 agenda
    Great!When is this though? I don't see anything for a Milan workshop. I would be interested since I sadly missed the Stockholm one before it was full.
  • 14 March 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Start here: teachers
    Hi Nuria, anywhere is good! Chris and I get notifications about comments on all pages a day after they arrive - so we'll see it.
  • 14 March 2024
    Nuria Benitez Rajal
    Start here: teachers
    Where can I post a question about an IA? 
  • 12 March 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C1 test: Resonance
    Hi Benson, I'm not an examiner but I think it would be possible if enough information were provided in the question: "the nature of resonance including natural frequency and amplitude of oscillation based on driving frequency".
  • 12 March 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C1 test: Resonance
    Sorry, me again - do you think phase difference between driver and driven object would be examined?I only see reference to amplitude vs frequency in the new guide. Thanks,Benson
  • 10 March 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C1 test: Damping (extension)
    This is great feedback, Benson. Thank you! Something for the jobs list :)
  • 9 March 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Nice! Good thinking. I'll take stock of all feedback on this page in the summer, so keep it coming!
  • 8 March 2024
    Colin Cuthbert
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Hi Emma, I think D2 might need teaching before E1 because in E1 they will need energy in eV and it is in D2 that electric potential is covered. Only at HL though. Alternatively one just needs to explain the conversion at the start of E1.
  • 6 March 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C1 test: Damping (extension)
    Hi Emma,From my perspective, accessible enrichment stuff that helps students dive a bit deeper into a topic is good; as long as it is clear what would and would not (likely) be examined!Benson
  • 5 March 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C1 MCQs: SHM
    Hi Benson, I don't think so, but we've kept things here for the HL crowd. Interestingly, this was a really tricky area to write about in our textbook because Pearson asked us to try to delineate what was distinctly HL-only.
  • 5 March 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C1 interactive: Oscillations
    Nice! Thanks!
  • 5 March 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C1 test: Damping (extension)
    You are correct from what I can see :)For now, we have erred on the side of providing more resources rather than fewer because we feel this gives maximum flexibility for teachers to decide which to choose for their classes. I'd be interested...
  • 4 March 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C1 MCQs: SHM
    Hi guys, do you think SL students would be expected to do questions like these?Thanks,Benson
  • 4 March 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C1 interactive: Oscillations
    Hi Emma, SL A&A Maths students also study the derivatives of sine and cosine functions. So perhaps "If you do HL Mathematics..." above could be changed to "If you do HL Mathematics (or SL A&A Mathematics)..."Thanks!Benson
  • 4 March 2024
    Benson Wallace
    C1 test: Damping (extension)
    Hi Emma; the way I read the new guide, calculations with Q value are no longer required, no?
  • 4 March 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Hi Colin, thanks for the update! It sounds like you're doing well.I must confess I have only SL classes this year to accommodate my IB Coordinator hat, so I can't speak for the scheme as a whole. However, I am pretty much on track - just finishing...
  • 3 March 2024
    Colin Cuthbert
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Hi Emma, thanks again for this sequence. I've been following it and it is going well. I'm about to start E1. D1 didn't take me very long at all. E1 also seems quite short, I can't see it taking 9 hours, maybe half that. Are you finding...
  • 1 March 2024
    Michael Tharamangalam
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Thanks Emma! That makes sense. 
  • 29 February 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Student course (first exam 2025)
    Hi Tracy, thanks for the praise! I'm glad to hear your November cohort will be making use of the site. We do indeed have everything organised for this course as well, with student materials and teaching materials as follows: https://www.thinkib.net/physics/page/36214/student-course-2024https://www.thinkib.net/physics/page/47005/teaching-plans-2024(Speaking...
  • 28 February 2024
    Tracy Getts
    Student course (first exam 2025)
    Hi Chris and Emma. Thank you for this excellent resource! We've recently switched to InThinking from Kognity. However, we are a November session school and still have our last year of 2014 syllabus students going through. Were there any pages...
  • 26 February 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C3 MCQs: Interference
    Hi Rich, all our questions have randomised orders of answers. This is actually an attempt to help teachers by reducing the likelihood of students copying. I'm sorry that it's unpopular in this case!
  • 26 February 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    C3 MCQs: Diffraction
    Spot on, thanks Marc. I have now 'resolved' the issue :)
  • 26 February 2024
    Rich Walrath
    C3 MCQs: Interference
    In question 6, why are the responses ordered D A B C? Have to agree with one of my students that is a bit extreme.
  • 24 February 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Teaching plans (first exam 2025)
    Hi George, I can't speak for any textbook except our Pearson one, but I assume other IB-approved books went through the same procedure: the IB provided an additional edit to the book in which material was added and taken away. Therefore, I...
  • 24 February 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Hi Michael, many of my students have never studied the components of the atom (or indeed any charged particles) before DP. Therefore, the atom seems the most natural place to discuss these. I also think teaching Fields then Fields can lead...
  • 23 February 2024
    Michael Tharamangalam
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Hi Emma, could you tell me the rationale behind having Structure of the Atom(E.1) between the Gravitational (D.1) and Electric fields (D.2)? I am currently teaching the Gravitational fields and deciding how to proceed with subsequent units. 
  • 23 February 2024
    Michael Tharamangalam
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Hi Emma, could you tell me the rationale behind having Structure of the Atom(E.1) between the Gravitational (D.1) and Electric fields (D.2)? I am currently teaching the Gravitational fields and deciding how to proceed with subsequent units. 
  • 23 February 2024
    Michael Tharamangalam
    Teaching Sequences for the 2023 Guide
    Hi Emma, could you tell me the rationale behind having Structure of the Atom(E.1) between the Gravitational (D.1) and Electric fields (D.2)? I am currently teaching the Gravitational fields and deciding how to proceed with subsequent units. 
  • 23 February 2024
    George Were
    Teaching plans (first exam 2025)
    Hello Emma and Chris. Just coming to the end of Theme B now. We notice that sometimes, the suggested textbooks deviate from the syllabus guidance. What's your advice on this? Should we assume that the textbook topic material must be covered,...
  • 22 February 2024
    Marc Hughes
    C3 MCQs: Diffraction
    I didn't think resolution was still in the new sylabus.
  • 20 February 2024
    Paul Morris
    pARTicle physics
    Love this!
  • 19 February 2024
    Chris Hamper
    Activity answers: Exponential decay
    i made this video some time ago:
  • 19 February 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Activity answers: Exponential decay
    Hi Benson, I think this is possible. If the data is uncorrected, I imagine that the question would draw attention to the background in some way (e.g. a non-zero asymptote or unequal fractional changes in equal time intervals). I'm not sure...
  • 19 February 2024
    Benson Wallace
    Activity answers: Exponential decay
    Hey guys, would students be expected to subtract background radiation levels from experimental data, for example in a Paper 3 Section A question? Do you have an example analysis of the half-life of Protactinium video? Thanks,Benson
  • 18 February 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Being a Supervisor
    Hi George, sure! Head to My IB then Programme Resource Centre. Within the Diploma Programme section, look for the EE pages (not Physics pages). It might be referred to as a 'subject report'.
  • 18 February 2024
    George Were
    Being a Supervisor
    Hello Emma and Chris. Are you able to guide me to where I can get and read last year's EE Examiner report? Thank you.
  • 16 February 2024
    Emma Mitchell
    Scientific investigation
    Hi George, I'd go with plus/minus the resolution of the instrument, unless it's something like a timer that involves human reaction time. Taking repeats is also a worthwhile check, to see if the range/2 exceeds the measurement uncertainty.
  • 16 February 2024
    George Were
    Scientific investigation
    What is the hard and fast  "uncertainty rule"  for a digital device measurement, for example, a digital stopwatch? Is it the same for smartphone sensors( they are digital too !) I am introducing my Physics Scientific Investigation...