IB Physics Revision Guide
Everything you need to revise for IB Physics — the five themes broken down, a revision timetable, exam tips for Paper 1A, Paper 1B and Paper 2, and AI-powered study tools.
IB Physics Topics to Revise
A — Space, time and motion
Kinematics, forces and momentum, work, energy and power, and circular motion and gravitation.
B — The particulate nature of matter
Thermal energy transfers, the ideal gas law, current and circuits, and the kinetic model.
C — Wave behaviour
Simple harmonic motion, wave models, wave phenomena, standing waves, and the Doppler effect.
D — Fields
Gravitational and electric fields, magnetic fields, motion in a field, and induction.
E — Nuclear and quantum physics
Atomic structure, radioactive decay, fission and fusion, and the quantum and photoelectric effects.
Physics Revision Timetable (10 Weeks)
Week 1–2Theme A: kinematics, forces, momentum, energy, circular motion
Week 3–4Theme B: thermal energy, gas laws, current and circuits
Week 5–6Theme C: SHM, wave models, standing waves, Doppler
Week 7–8Themes D & E: fields, induction, nuclear and quantum physics
Week 9–10Past papers (Paper 1A, 1B & 2) and weak topic review
Top Physics Revision Tips
- Know your data booklet inside out — every equation you are given lives there, so practise locating and rearranging them fast.
- Always show your working with units and rearrange the equation symbolically before substituting numbers.
- Paper 1B and Paper 2 test data analysis — practise drawing best-fit lines, reading gradients, and finding uncertainties.
- Quote answers to a sensible number of significant figures and never forget the unit — examiners deduct marks for both.
- Master vector diagrams (free-body, momentum, fields) — a clear, labelled diagram earns marks and prevents sign errors.
- For "explain" and "discuss" questions, link cause and effect step by step rather than just stating the result.