IB Physics — notes, questions, and the skills Paper 1B is built on

Free notes, practice questions and formula summaries for IB Physics, HL and SL, written for the 2025 syllabus. I teach IB Physics one to one full time; these are the materials my own students work from.

The part of the course most students never revise for is Paper 1B — the data-analysis section. Twenty marks, the same at SL and HL, and almost nothing anywhere that treats it as a topic in its own right. That is where this site starts.

Paper 1B — the skills it is built on

Units, prefixes and scientific notation →

The seven SI base units, how to build derived units, the full prefix table, and the writing conventions the IB marks you on.

Significant figures →

How to count them, how to round, and the two different rules for adding and multiplying — with the subtraction case that catches everyone.

Uncertainties →

Absolute, fractional and percentage uncertainties, the three rules for combining them, and how to quote an answer. With four worked examples.

Vectors →

Resolving into components, adding vectors, and the inclined-plane, projectile and relative-motion setups the IB keeps returning to.

Data analysis →

Linearising a relationship, error bars, best- and worst-fit gradients, and how to structure an answer for all 20 marks.

Formula Sheet →

Every equation you need for HL and SL, organised by theme — including the ones the data booklet does not give you.

Questions, corrections, or something you'd like added? Email me at yutao.jan@gmail.com —
I read every message and usually reply within two working days.

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