IB Physics · SL & HL
Online IB Physics tutor, SL and HL.
I scored a 7 in Physics HL and a 7 in Mathematics AA HL, then took a maths degree. That combination matters more in Physics than in almost any other subject: most students who struggle with HL Physics are not struggling with the physics. They are struggling with the mathematics the physics is written in.
No commitment on the call.
7
Physics HL
My own IB grade, out of 7
- Mathematics AA HL
- 7
- IB Diploma
- 43/45
- BSc Mathematics, Trieste · GPA
- 29.3/30
1
Why a maths graduate teaches Physics well
- The real bottleneck
- Fields, circular motion, simple harmonic motion and the quantum topics all break down for students at the same place: rearranging relationships, handling vectors and components, reading a gradient or an area as a physical quantity. Fix the mathematics and the physics stops feeling arbitrary.
- Concept before formula
- A formula booklet is provided in the exam, so memorising equations earns nothing. What earns marks is knowing which relationship applies, why, and what happens to it when one variable changes. Lessons are built around that judgement rather than recall.
- Both subjects at once
- Most of my students take Maths AA and Physics together. Teaching them side by side means the calculus you meet in AA gets used in kinematics the same week, instead of living in two unconnected mental boxes.
2
What we cover
The five themes · SL and HL
- ASpace, time and motion
- BThe particulate nature of matter
- CWave behaviour
- DFields
- ENuclear and quantum physics
- SL and HL
- Sessions follow whatever your school is currently teaching, so lessons stay aligned with your class rather than running a parallel syllabus. HL-only material is treated as an extension of the SL idea it grows from. Not sure HL is for you? Read Is IB Physics HL hard?
- Where marks are usually lost
- Definitions stated loosely, units and significant figures dropped under time pressure, graph questions answered qualitatively when the question wanted a gradient, and extended-response questions that explain what happens without explaining why.
3
The Physics IA
- The scientific investigation
- The internal assessment is worth a fifth of your final grade and is the part of the course you have the most control over. It is not sat under exam conditions and it can be planned properly.
- Where students go wrong
- Almost always the research question: too broad, not genuinely measurable, or with no real independent variable to vary. A weak question caps the marks available no matter how good the write-up is.
- What support looks like
- Choosing and narrowing the question (start with how to choose an IA topic that scores), checking the method actually tests it, working through uncertainty and error propagation, and reading drafts against the assessment criteria. The investigation stays yours. I do not write it.
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Research design | 6 |
| Data analysis | 6 |
| Conclusion | 6 |
| Evaluation | 6 |
| Total · 20% of the final grade | 24 |
4
Exam technique, Papers 1 and 2
- Paper 1
- Multiple choice plus data-based questions. Speed comes from recognising question types and eliminating options, not from working every problem fully. We drill that explicitly.
- Paper 2
- Short-answer and extended-response. Marks here follow the mark scheme’s language closely, so we practise writing answers that hit the required points rather than answers that are merely correct. The full plan for both papers is in my Paper 1 and Paper 2 strategy.
- Past papers, used properly
- Doing papers is not the same as learning from them. Every paper we work through gets marked, and the errors get sorted into causes (concept, mathematics, or exam technique) because each needs a different fix.
5
How sessions work
- The lesson
- We work through the topic together, building from first principles rather than shortcuts. Every session ends with clarity on exactly what to practise next.
- The worksheet
- You get a custom problem set targeted at what we just covered, to work through independently while it is fresh.
- The feedback
- I review every answer. Misconceptions get corrected before the next session and gaps get flagged early, so nothing quietly accumulates.
- Practical detail
- 60-minute lessons, two every school week, and up to four a week before a mock. Online via Google Meet with a shared whiteboard, in English, Italian or Croatian.
One semester at a time, with 2 lessons every school week.
Semester 1 runs from 1 September to 20 December, semester 2 from 10 January to 30 April, and IA coaching is included. Taking IB Maths too? The second subject costs less. It begins with a paid 2-week start, which counts towards the fee. I share the fees on the free intro call.
IB Physics questions
Can you tutor IB Physics at HL?
Yes. I scored a 7 in Physics HL myself and I teach both SL and HL. HL extends the same five themes rather than adding disconnected content, so HL work concentrates on depth: deriving relationships rather than quoting them, and handling the heavier mathematics in fields, circular motion and the quantum topics.
What is the difference between IB Physics SL and HL?
They share the same five themes; HL goes further into each and carries more teaching hours. In practice the difference students feel is mathematical: HL asks you to derive and manipulate relationships where SL asks you to apply them. That is why students who are comfortable in Maths AA usually find the HL step smaller than they expected.
Can you help with the Physics IA?
Yes, and it is one of the highest-value things to get help with, because the investigation is worth a fifth of your grade and is not sat under exam conditions. I help with choosing and narrowing the research question, checking the method actually answers it, uncertainty and error analysis, and reading drafts against the criteria. The work stays yours.
I am good at maths but still struggle with Physics. Why?
Usually because Physics asks you to decide which relationship applies before you do any mathematics, and school teaching often moves straight to the formula. The fix is not more practice questions; it is building the physical picture first, then letting the mathematics follow. That is how these lessons are structured.
Do you teach the current IB Physics syllabus?
Yes. Lessons follow the current syllabus, structured around the five themes, and always track what your school is teaching right now rather than running a separate schedule of my own.
Do you tutor IB Physics students in Milan?
Yes, online. Students I’ve tutored come from the American School of Milan, the British School of Milan, ICS Milan, St Louis School and other schools. There’s a guide for each Milan school.
Lessons follow the current IB Physics guide and your school’s teaching order. Bring your class materials to the intro call and we will map them against what the exams actually ask.