OPTION B

ENGINEERING
Revision Notes

1 IS THIS TOPIC A HEAVILY EXAMINED TOPIC?

YES.
In Higher level it accounts for roughly 16% of your final IB Physics mark
In Standard level it accounts for roughly 13% of your final IB Physics mark

2
Formulae

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Required Definitions

Standard Level Definitions

First Law of Thermodynamics – The thermal energy transferred to a system from its
surroundings is equal to the work done by the system plus the change in internal energy of the
system.

Second Law of Thermodynamics – The overall entropy of the universe is increasing.

Entropy – a system property that expresses the degree of disorder in the system
Isovolumetric (isochoric) – a process that occurs at constant volume

Isobaric – a process that occurs at constant pressure

Isothermal – a process that occurs at constant temperature

Adiabatic – a process that occurs without the exchange of thermal energy

Q Factor - dimensionless number describing how underdamped an oscillator is

Critical Damping - provides the quickest approach to zero amplitude for a damped oscillator.

Additional Higher Level Definitions

Archimedes’s Principle - any body completely or partially submerged in a fluid is acted upon
by a buoyant force which is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.

Pascal’s Principle - when there is an increase in pressure at any point in a confined fluid,
there is an equal increase at every other point in the container.

Hydrostatic Equilibrium - when the flow velocity at each point is constant over time.
Bernioulli Effect - the lowering of fluid pressure in regions where the flow velocity is

increased

Laminar Flow - smooth flow / non-turbulent flow or flow with low Reynold’s number

Turbulent Flow - flow in which the fluid undergoes irregular fluctuations


Natural Frequency of Vibration - The frequency or frequencies at which an object tends

to vibrate with when disturbed


Resonance – an oscillating force that matches the natural frequency of the system

Common Diagrams

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Common Graphs

Other Notes / Learned From Past Papers

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