PROJECT GUIDE A LEVEL PHYSICS
When writing your project follow the following headings and their contents:
STAGE 1
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
State, clearly, the problem that you have identified in your home, community or school that you believe you
can find a physics-based solution for. State what the problem is and how it is affecting your home, community
or school.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Describe the basic/general idea of how the project will solve the problem you have identified. You are not
allowed to state a specific solution to the problem since at this stage, the specific solution is not yet known.
Remember that you first need to investigate many existing solutions before you can come up with your own
solutions. It is important to first of all investigate how other people have solved similar problems because you
might think your solution is good but maybe someone has already come up with an easier, cheaper and more
user-friendly design than you. Therefore, at this stage you cannot state a specific solution because you haven’t
investigated yet.
DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
State, clearly, at least 2 things, that your solution has to meet in order to effectively address the problem you
have identified. Remember that at this point you only still have a rough idea of the form that you would like
the solution to be in. So do not be overly specific. Think about cost, recycling/sustainability, size/portability,
ease of use, ergonomics, presentability/attractiveness, market readiness, profitability, scalability. Remember
that your solution can be turned into a business, so think of your solution as a product and imagine all the
qualities that a customer would want in the thing that solves their problem.
STAGE 2
INVESTIGATIONS OF RELATED IDEAS
Go into the community, school, ask your parents, friends, teachers and colleagues or research on the internet
to find solutions that already exist for the problem you have identified. Collect information on your findings
and present the best 3 solutions that are already in existence as idea 1, idea 2 and idea 3. State your source,
and give a detailed description of how each idea solves the problem. Include labelled
diagrams/pictures/illustrations where necessary. The reader should not be left wondering how exactly the idea
solves the problem.
IDEA 1
Describe idea 1 here
Advantages
List at least 2 advantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be clear
how each point is an advantage.
Disadvantages
List at least 2 disadvantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be
clear how each point is a disadvantage.
IDEA 2
Describe idea 2 here
Advantages
List at least 2 advantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be clear
how each point is an advantage.
Disadvantages
List at least 2 disadvantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be
clear how each point is a disadvantage.
IDEA 3
Describe idea 3 here
Advantages
List at least 2 advantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be clear
how each point is an advantage.
Disadvantages
List at least 2 disadvantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be
clear how each point is a disadvantage.
STAGE 3
GENERATION OF OWN IDEAS
Come up with at least 3 of your own ideas to solving the problem. Description for each idea should be detailed
and the reader should not remain with questions. You may use the research that you did in stage 2 as
inspiration. You are allowed to take parts of different already existing ideas and combine them to form a new
idea. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE AN ENTIRE ALREADY EXISING SOLUTION AS YOUR OWN. Also, note
that all 3 solutions should be physics based and should link with the content you are currently studying (A level
Physics HBC syllabus 2024 – 2030). You should be able to justify how each idea links with the content in the A
level physics Syllabus. Support your detailed idea descriptions with diagrams/ illustrations where necessary. DO
NOT USE PICTURES FROM THE INTERNET in this stage (stage 3) because obviously they cannot be your ideas.
IDEA 1
Describe idea 1 here
Advantages
List at least 2 advantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be clear
how each point is an advantage.
Disadvantages
List at least 2 disadvantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be
clear how each point is a disadvantage.
IDEA 2
Describe idea 2 here
Advantages
List at least 2 advantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be clear
how each point is an advantage.
Disadvantages
List at least 2 disadvantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be
clear how each point is a disadvantage.
IDEA 3
Describe idea 3 here
Advantages
List at least 2 advantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be clear
how each point is an advantage.
Disadvantages
List at least 2 disadvantages of this idea as a method of solving the problem. Use complete sentences and be
clear how each point is a disadvantage.
STAGE 4
CHOICE OF BEST OWN IDEA
Clearly state the idea with the most impact you have chosen from the 3 ideas you described in stage 3 as your
preferred solution.
DO NOT CHOOSE A SOLUTION THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PRACTICALLY IMPLEMENT BECAUSE OF COST,
INAVALABILITY OF RESOURCES OR COMPLEXITY.
Reasons for Choice
State at least two strong reasons to support why you chose that particular idea.
REFINEMENT OF CHOSEN SOLUTION
At this point you are supposed to actually implement/build or try the solution. NOT THEORETICALLY but
PRACTICALLY! When you have implemented/tried the solution observe all the areas that need improvement,
and then implement the improvements. Describe at least 3 problems you observed when you tried your
solution and then the 3 improvements/refinements that you have made. Explain how each
improvement/refinement makes your solution better at solving the problem.
Refinement 1
Describe 1st problem that you observed during testing of your solution, what you actually did (not what
should be done) to fix it and how the solution is now better because of what you did.
Refinement 2
Describe 2nd problem that you observed during testing of your solution, what you actually did (not what
should be done) to fix it and how the solution is now better because of what you did.
Refinement 3
Describe 3rd problem that you observed during testing of your solution, what you actually did (not what
should be done) to fix it and how the solution is now better because of what you did.
STAGE 5
PRESANTATION OF FINAL SOLUTION
• State the form that you are presenting your solution as: Artefact? Product? Service?
Artefact
This is a tangible object (chinhu chinobatika) made by the learner. Examples include models or prototypes
A model is something you build to explain, demonstrate, or visualize a concept, system, or object that
already exists or is theorized. It is a tool for communication and education
A prototype is an initial working version of an invention or solution. It is built specifically to be tested,
broken, and improved.
Product
A tangible thing that is ready for the market like a chemical or cream or software that you have developed.
Service
A service is an intangible activity that you offer to people who have the need for that service, in exchange
for money.
• Give a detailed description of how your solution, in its final form, solves the problem you identified and
how you intend to deploy your solution. Include all relevant well labelled diagrams (no pictures
downloaded from the internet because those are obviously not yours)
• Present the actual prototype/model/artefact/product/report/writeup or demonstrate the service to
your teacher for marking and give proof of functionality.
STAGE 6
EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Evaluation
State whether your project was a success or not and to what extent (completely successful? Partially
Successful? To a greater/lesser extent?) Did you achieve what you set out to achieve in your statement of
intent? Tell us.
Comment on the final presented solution against the design specifications. Were you able to achieve all or
some of the design specifications? Tell us the ones you were not able to meet and give reasons why they were
not met.
Challenges Encountered
Give detailed descriptions of at least 2 challenges you encountered in coming up with the solution. These
challenges are meant to advise anyone who wishes to recreate your solution, on the hardships that you faced
and that they are likely to face as well. You are not allowed to use lack of money, time or resources as
challenges. This is because circular number 9 is clear that you are to use readily available materials so
purchasing of any materials is by choice.
Recommendations
Describe at least 2 things that you were not able to do, but that someone else wishing to implement your
solution, can do to further improve the solution.