IB Physics HL
Study Notes, Exam Preparation Guides, Internal Assessment Guides, Syllabus Checklists, and more
Teaching Hours
External Papers
Internal Assessment
External/Internal
Approach
4. Waves
4.3 Wave Characteristics
4.4 Wave behaviour
4.5 Standing Waves
5. Electricity and Magnetism
5.4 Magnetic Fields
6. Circular Motion and Gravitation
7. Atomic, Nuclear, and Particle Physics
7.1 Discrete Energy and Radioactivity
7.2 Nuclear Reactions
7.3 The structure of matter
8. Energy Production
8.1 Energy Sources
8.2 Thermal Energy Transfer
9. Wave Phenomena
9.1 Simple Harmonic Motion
9.2 Single-slit diffraction
9.3 Interference
9.4 Resolution
9.5 The Doppler effect
10. Fields
10.1 Describing Fields
10.2 Fields at work
11. Electromagnetic Induction
11.1 Electromagnetic Induction
11.2 Transmission of Power
11.3 Capacitance
12. Quantum and Nuclear Physics
12.1 The interaction of matter and radiation
12.2 Nuclear Physics
Table of Contents
IB Physics Higher Level is one of the hardest IB subjects.
The IB challenges students to analyse, evaluate, and synthesize difficult scientific concepts.
Students will develop a deep understanding of physics and they will realize the need for effective collaboration and communication.
IB Physics Higher Level (HL) is the most difficult physics course the IB offers and most universities regard it as equivalent to introductory physics one and two.
A course guide is a large and official IB document to provide students, teachers, and parents with a better understanding of a course.
It includes details such as the syllabus, prior learning topics, assessment outlines, notation lists, and a glossary of command terms for the IB Physics course.
Even though we try our best to provide you with the most important information from this and a multitude of other IB documents, we still recommend reading through this guide to better understand this course.
Assessments
| Type of Assessment | Format | Time | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 40 multiple-choice questions | 1 hour | 20% |
| Paper 2 | Short answer and extended response questions | 2.25 hours | 36% |
| Paper 3 | Data response, short answer and extended response questions | 1.25 hour | 24% |
| Internal Assessment |
Exploration - application of skills and knowledge |
10 hours | 20% |
Textbooks
The IB Physics HL course is highly competitive.
In order to succeed, we recommend you consult multiple textbooks.
The most common approach is to buy an extra textbook additionally to the one you are already using in school.
This way, you significantly increase your chances of succeeding in Physics HL.
We have outlined the best textbooks for the IB Physics HL curriculum below.
| Ranking | Name | Type of Book | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Cambridge | Textbook | $29 |
| No. 2 | Oxford | Textbook | $59 |
| No. 3 | Hodder | Revision Guide | $34 |
| No. 4 | Purplewave | Workbook | $19 |
The official formula booklet contains all the formulas that are given to you during the exam.
This doesn’t mean that it contains all formulas you need to know.
Further, looking at the formulas takes time and should only be done when absolutely necessary.
To waste less time, know the position of every formula in the formula booklet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most frequent questions and answers
How to study for IB Physics HL?
We recommend that you consistently study one hour every day. When learning a new concept try to read about the concept in multiple books or on the internet in order to fully understand the concepts with all its facets. After understand the concept make sure to do some basic questions. After that we recommend you look at our detailed study notes to remember the important parts of the concepts and learn about IB Tips for said concept. After that you should buckle up and do as many IB Questions and Practice Papers about that concept as possible to truly understand it.
What is International Baccalaureate Physics HL?
IB stands for International Baccalaureate and HL stands for Higher Level. Thus IB Physics HL stands for International Baccalaureate Physics Higher Level.
What is Exam Mate IB Physics?
Exam Mate is a (probably illegal) platform that provides users with IB Physics Past Papers/Exams.
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