Desperately need suggestions for my IB physics extended essay

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on selecting a suitable topic for an International Baccalaureate (IB) Physics Extended Essay (EE). Participants emphasize the importance of choosing a specific and manageable topic, recommending against complex scientific experiments due to the high expectations of examiners. Suggestions include focusing on descriptive topics like string theory, which is accessible through popular science literature. The consensus is that a well-defined topic can be completed within the 4000-word limit and timeframe of five months.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program structure
  • Familiarity with Extended Essay (EE) requirements and assessment criteria
  • Basic knowledge of physics concepts, particularly in theoretical physics
  • Research skills to locate and analyze popular science literature
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the topic of string theory and its implications in modern physics
  • Explore the IB Extended Essay guide for specific assessment criteria
  • Investigate alternative descriptive topics in physics that require minimal experimentation
  • Review successful Extended Essays in physics for inspiration and structure
USEFUL FOR

IB students, particularly those pursuing a Physics Extended Essay, educators guiding students in research topics, and anyone interested in the intersection of physics and popular science literature.

Charonic
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Basically the extended essay is a piece of independent research done during the course of IB. I'm planning to do a physics EE, but now it's mid April and I still failed to find a simple yet specific topic to do reasearch on. My last few ideas were too complex or not specific enough.

My imagination's failing me at this point, and I'm starting to fall behind for my EE. Can anyone suggest a topic which I can complete with a simple experiment, yet is not too hard for a high school student to complete in 5 months?
 
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Do no do it in anything related to science! This is my personal recommendation as I know that the science correctors tend to have a very high opinion of themselves and will expect a rigorous work which a High School student cannot hope to achieve. I'd say go with something that touches actuality or maybe an interesting event in history. Those always seem to score well. 5 months? The extended essay is only 4000 words, it's perfectly writable within a week!
 
I've already chosen so it's too late, can someone please provide a direct answer to this question?
 
What do you mean by physics EE? Electrical engineering?
 
Extended essay, and beg your coordinator to change. Science ones get low marks and are next to impossible to do when compared to the other subjects, do it in philosophy about science if you must but avoid experiments.
 
Ok just realized you meant extended essay by EE. Well, are you looking for something descriptive or experimental? There's obviously not allot of place for theoretical discussion since the mathematics the IB allows are very limited. I could give you an idea of something descriptive: What is string theory? You could focus on string theory, a field that tries to come up with the theory of everything by avoiding the conflicts between quantum theory and relativity. There allot of pop science book about this out there, so that's definitely feasible.
 

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