1.

It is apparent from the very even spread of answers that many candidates are unsure of the difference between fundamental units and derived units.

2.

Although it may not be clear what the precision of the ammeter is the greatest precision would be 0.01 A so the % uncertainty in I would be 10% therefore the % uncertainty in I2 would be 20%. Any other ammeter precision will give an I2 value of greater than 20%. Thus D is the only answer possible.

3.

No specific comment available.

4.

No specific comment available.

5.

Many teachers stated, quite correctly, that magnetic flux was not on the SL syllabus. This question was therefore discounted.

6.

No specific comment available.

7.

A majority of candidates clearly had not translated the absolute uncertainties into percentages.

8.

No specific comment available.

9.

Many found this straightforward but a sizeable minority at both levels failed to multiply by 100 to convert to a percentage.

10.

Candidates needed to take care here and many did not. Three, one or no vector quantities are all possible and incorrect. Candidates were probably careless in their reading.

11.

No specific comment available.

12.

No specific comment available.

1

IB Questionbank Physics

13.

No specific comment available.

14.

No specific comment available.

15.

As the weights of different objects are plotted against the corresponding masses of those objects, it is expected that the data plotted would yield a best fitting straight line that passed through the origin. Given that the best fitting line for the data plotted is straight but does not pass through the origin and that the uncertainty bars are small, it is indicated that the measurements show a significant systematic error but a small random error.

16.

A number of teachers indicated their reservation toward this question involving purely memorization. The syllabus indicates that such a question can be expected. The correct response proposes a number for the mass of the universe clearly different from the other distractors and representative of the lower limit of the values presently accepted.

17.

No specific comment available.

18.

No specific comment available.

19.

No specific comment available.

20.

No specific comment available.

21.

Most students incorrectly chose D. If potential gradient had been automatically equated with field strength in students minds, then its vector nature may have been more transparent.

IB Questionbank Physics

22. No Report available for this question.

23. No Report available for this question.

24. No Report available for this question.

IB Questionbank Physics