Physics extended research essay (IB)

[sagarbiswas]

hello,

I am an IB student and i am suppose to write a 4000 word own researched essay. I have decided to do it on experimental physics. In this essay our first objective into make a very specific research question on which my essay will be build. My favorite choice of topics are mechanics and electricity. But my teacher says i need to submit a more specific idea, then only she will let me start my further research. It is my kind request to you all to give me your valuable opinions on topics. to make your work more easy can you tell me is there any thing i could do on hydro electric power house. I mean i could make some kind of model..and investigate on it... but investigate what ? what sort of things i should investigate on in a model like this. ( will this hydro electric power model be appropriate or a 4000 word essay). An example of an essay like this is "Investigating the limitations affecting maximum braking on a freeride bicycle" so i have to some up with a specific question like this ..but for now i need to know. is it possible to start an investigation on my topics (hydro electric power house). In this power house what kind of things which can be investigated ?
or may be any other topics on electricity and mechanics, but it should fit in 4000 words.


I will be great full you for your help

 

[Joona]

Hi

I'm also an IB student and I'm also doing my extended essay on physics. I also had some difficulties choosing the research question. Right at the beginning I wanted to do my essay on something related to aeronautics, but I dropped that idea because I read from some extended essay guide that essays involving aeronautics are discouraged. Also an experiment would have been difficult to carry out for an essay dealing with aeronautics.

First I started doing the essay on the relationship between the mass of a skier and the angle of the slope. But then when I went to the slopes to do some experiments, the data collection software (vernier lab quest) stopped working in the cold, (a GPS would have been perfect for measuring the velocity, but I couldn't find one).

So then I decided to dump that idea and make up a new one. Now I'm researching the relationship between the apparent area of contact of surfaces and the resulting frictional force.

I would suggest choosing a subject that you can do an experiment whilst controlling the variables effectively.

 

[sagarbiswas]

... thanks for replyng... when did you start your essay...bec in our skol we just started it.

 

[sagarbiswas]

and ya...can you tell me... to wat extent is ur teacher helpng u with ur selection of idea. i mean is it u bringing her the ideas or she gave u the idea and u r developing it.

 

[shanerm09]

Actually we did an essay in our Physics last semester and it is entitled "The Physics of Baseball". In this essay, we explain the air dynamic behind the curve ball and second how to throw a curve ball.