Tools and Inquiry — IB Physics skills
T.1.1 Safety, Ethical and Environmental Issues in Physics — IB Physics HL Revision Notes & Topical Questions
5 min read 9 parts Lesson 2 of 22 1 quiz
Curriculum Equation Key قوانين الرقم الهيدروجيني والاتزان الأيوني - pH & Acid-Base Equilibrium FormulasFast Exam Solution
pH = -log[H⁺] | pOH = -log[OH⁻] | pH + pOH = 14 | [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴
Word Equation & Conditions: الرقم الهيدروجيني = -لوغاريتم تركيز أيون الهيدروجين | pH + pOH = 14
Location & Specifications: الاتزان الأيوني، كيمياء 3 ثانوي، التحصيلي، و AP Chemistry.
Lesson summary
T.1.1 Safety, Ethical and Environmental Issues in Physics — IB PHYSICS SL notes: Carry out a risk assessment for a physics experiment and describe sensible safety, ethical and environmental precautions.A hazard = anything that could cause harm — a risk = the chance of harm combin…
- Think through each stage
- Know where the power cut-off, first-aid kit and eye-wash are
- Name the specific issues of your own investigation
- Protective wear
- Falling or swinging masses
- Avoid careless handling
Section 1 of 9Risk assessment
1A hazard
A hazard anything that could cause harm — a risk = the chance of harm combined with how serious it would be.
2
A risk assessment identifies possible hazards, assesses the level of risk and alters the procedure to reduce it.
3Think through each stage
- Think through each stage setting up, running, taking readings and clearing up.
4Know where the power cut-off, first-aid kit and eye-wash are
- Know where the power cut-off, first-aid kit and eye-wash are and report accidents and near-misses.
5Name the specific issues of your own investigation
- Name the specific issues of your own investigation not a general list.
Section 2 of 9General lab risks
1Protective wear
- Protective wear goggles and gloves when handling hot equipment, glass or chemicals.
2Glassware
- Glassware risk of breakage, so handle carefully and avoid over-tightening stoppers.
3Falling or swinging masses
- Falling or swinging masses use a foam pad, clear area and a G-clamp on stands.
4Avoid careless handling
- Avoid careless handling most lab accidents are due to inattention.
Section 3 of 9Specific hazards
| Apparatus | Hazard | Precautions |
|---|---|---|
| Radioactive sources | Ionising radiation | Lead-lined labelled boxes, shortest time, tongs, never pointed at anyone, safe distance, trained teacher |
| Electron diffraction | High voltage | Only qualified staff set up, earthed and checked, do not touch live connections |
| Lasers | Eye damage | Never direct at people or reflective surfaces, beam horizontal below eye level, goggles, switch off when done |
| Electrical circuits | Shock, overheating | Low voltages (1.5 V cells, up to 9 V), check 12–15 V supplies for earthing, avoid bare wires and water |
| Gas pressure and temperature | Scalds, glass breakage | Away from table edges, never unattended, gloves with bungs, shield glass tubes under pressure |
| Boyle's law apparatus | Pressure | Do not overfill gas syringes or foot pumps, shield glass tubes |
- Each precaution links to the physics
- radiation exposure is reduced by time, distance and shielding, and electrical heating by keeping P = I2R small.
Section 4 of 9Writing a risk assessment
State the hazard, the possible harm, the control and the remaining risk.
- "Be careful" is not enough — name a specific control.
Rank hazards by risk
- Rank hazards by risk a table with hazard, who is at risk, likelihood, severity and control makes the logic clear.
Describe emergency actions
- Describe emergency actions such as how to switch off the power or cool a burn.
Review after preliminary trials
- Review after preliminary trials new hazards often appear once the apparatus works.
Section 5 of 9Ethical issues
Ethical issues
Physics experiments rarely involve major ethical concerns
- Physics experiments rarely involve major ethical concerns compared with biology or psychology.
Human participants
- Human participants informed consent is needed, and their identities and data must be protected.
Animal testing
- Animal testing ethical guidelines and protocols must be followed.
Use data from others honestly and with credit
- Use data from others honestly and with credit never alter or invent data.
If you identify no ethical concern, state this
- If you identify no ethical concern, state this and justify why.
Section 6 of 9Environmental issues
Environmental issues
Electricity use
- Electricity use mains power often relies on fossil fuels, so switch off equipment, use low voltage and efficient devices.
Water use
- Water use recycle the same water across trials;
- contaminated water with oils or chemicals must not go down drains.
Battery use
- Battery use improper disposal risks fire and toxic release, so recycle or use rechargeable cells or mains equipment.
Waste
- Waste reuse or recycle materials and follow proper disposal methods.
If an environmental concern is identified
- If an environmental concern is identified explain how you will reduce the impact of your investigation.
Section 7 of 9More from the specification
More from the specification
Quoting experimental uncertainties to consistent decimal places — rounding calculated laboratory values to appropriate decimal places prevents overstating measurement precision.
Analogue vs Digital Measuring Instruments
- Analogue meters carry reading uncertainties of half the smallest scale division,
- (such as pointer ammeters with graduated scales)
- whereas digital instruments have an instrument uncertainty equal to ±1 of the least significant measured digit.
- (such as digital multimeters or lux light meters)
Measuring Electric Current Safely
- To measure electric current accurately without creating dangerous short circuits, ammeters must always be connected in series with the component under test and have minimal internal resistance.
Optical Light Meter Measurements
- When using a digital photometer or light meter to measure illumination intensity, the detector surface must be positioned perpendicular to the source and shielded from stray ambient light to prevent systematic measurement errors.
Analogue vs Digital Measuring Instruments
- Analogue meters carry reading uncertainties of half the smallest scale division,
- (such as pointer ammeters with graduated scales)
- whereas digital instruments have an instrument uncertainty equal to ±1 of the least significant measured digit.
- (such as digital multimeters or lux light meters)
Measuring Electric Current Safely
- To measure electric current accurately without creating dangerous short circuits, ammeters must always be connected in series with the component under test and have minimal internal resistance.
Optical Light Meter Measurements
- When using a digital photometer or light meter to measure illumination intensity, the detector surface must be positioned perpendicular to the source and shielded from stray ambient light to prevent systematic measurement errors.
Potential difference
- Work done by a unit charge passing through a component.
Decimal place
- A digit to the right of the decimal point.
Analogue
- Instrument displaying a quantity by pointer position or liquid level on a scale.
Ammeter
- Component that measures current.
Current
- Flow of electrons in a circuit.
Voltmeter
- Instrument that measures p.d., connected in parallel.
Volume
- The amount of space an object occupies.
Intensity
- Power per unit area perpendicular to the wave direction.
Variable
- A factor that can change in an investigation.
Precision
- How close repeated measurements are to each other.
Section 8 of 9Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hazard | Anything that has the potential to cause harm. |
| Risk | Chance and seriousness of harm from a hazard. |
| Risk assessment | Written evaluation of hazards and the controls that reduce them. |
| Ionising radiation | Radiation able to remove electrons from atoms; limited by time, distance and shielding. |
| Informed consent | Agreement to take part after being told what is involved. |
| Environmental impact | Effect of the experiment on resources, energy use and waste. |
Section 9 of 9Exam technique
1
Writing "be careful" as the only safety measure without naming a specific hazard.
2
Confusing hazard and risk — a hazard is the source, a risk includes likelihood and severity.
3
Forgetting environmental points such as switching off equipment or correct disposal.
4
Assuming low-voltage circuits are completely safe — wires and resistors can still become hot.
5
Ignoring ethics when using someone else's data or human participants.
Marked practiceQuizzes for this lesson
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