IB Extended Essay in Physics, focusing on Fibre optics, any pointers?

[TheJoe]

I am not entirely sure where to post this, please tell me if anything needs to be changed


This is my first post so i'll introduce myself...

My name is Joe, currently aged 17 and in year 13 in school in Kent, Uk doing the International Baccalaureate (Not sure how well known this is? Quite a few people I have spoken to haven't known, so i'll clarify. Instead of A levels, 6 subjects are taken, 3 at higher, 3 at standard. Also, 150 hours of CAS [Creativity, Action, Service - basically clubs, community work, etc.], Theory of Knowledge [Sort of like 'learning how to learn', not sure if like critical thinking at A-level?] and the Extended Essay.)

At Higher I am taking Physics, Philosophy and Computer Science. At standard: English, Maths and Italian ab initio... I have an interest in Physics, in the Feb of 08 I went to CERN to view the Atlas and CMS experiments/detectors - they weren't finished at this time but it was a good visit

Right... not really sure how much of that is helpful but focusing back on the subject of the post...

The extended essay is an essay on a subject of your choice, coming to around 4000 words ± 10% ish

I have chosen Physics, at this time I have performed an experiment to find the variation of light intensity with voltage of LED lights to (try to) discover what the 'best' colour would be to send data down fibre optic cable, idea being that the colour which (ideally) needed the least voltage and had the greatest variation in light levels would be best?

Now, I have varied results for a yellow LED (wavelength 590nm), Green LED (wl 535nm), Red LED (wl 625nm), Blue LED (470nm)

This is what I have done because before the holidays I needed to have an experiment done, I am not fully sure what to do next

I have thought about possibly doing the essay on the physics of broadband? a cost effectiveness idea could be a good tie in for using different colours in the efficiency experiment. Possibly also contacting broadband companies to ask them on their thoughts for what is better, copper or fibre optics or any other possible ways to go about it? I thought I could write a lot about the basics of fibre optics, a little on manufacturing, LEDs, the photoelectric effect, Snell's Law, materials, broadband, a little on copper as a possible rival,

At the moment that seems most likely, but I am yet to have a full title for the essay but as you can see I have gone about it slightly bizarrely...

Coming to what I need, possibly some pointers or ideas? I am unsure of how to structure the essay, ANY help or ideas will be greatly appreciated and taken into my notes for thinking about

I really hope this makes sense, and isn't just a block of text that is horrible to understand,

Joe

 

[TheJoe]

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[tomcue]

Hello Joe,

It's great to hear that you are interested in pursuing an IB Extended Essay in Physics! Fibre optics is definitely a fascinating topic to explore and there are many directions you could take with your essay. I am a physicist myself and I would be happy to provide some pointers and suggestions for your essay.

First of all, I would recommend narrowing down your research question or topic to something more specific and manageable. Instead of trying to cover a broad topic like broadband, it might be more effective to focus on a specific aspect of fibre optics, such as the physics behind its transmission of data or the advantages and limitations of using fibre optics compared to other methods. This will help you to delve deeper into your research and analysis.

In terms of your experiment, it's great that you have already started collecting data on the variation of light intensity with voltage for different LED colors. However, it might be helpful to also consider other factors that could affect the efficiency of data transmission through fibre optics, such as the type of material used for the fibre or the angle of incidence of the light. This could give you a more comprehensive understanding of the physics involved in fibre optics.

As for the structure of your essay, I would recommend following a standard scientific paper format with an introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. This will help to organize your ideas and present your findings in a clear and logical manner.

In terms of sources, make sure to use reputable and scholarly sources such as scientific journals, textbooks, and reputable websites. It might also be helpful to consult with your physics teacher or a physics professor for guidance and additional resources.

Overall, my advice would be to choose a specific and manageable research question, gather more data and consider other factors in your experiment, and follow a structured scientific paper format. With your interest in physics and dedication to your research, I have no doubt that you will produce a great essay.

Hope this helps and good luck with your essay!

Best,