EE topic selection

[Nikolakhs]

Hello, 

I am an IBDP Y1 student, and we must come up with a topic for our extended essays soon, so we can write them over the summer. I am interested in Physics, but so far we have done only kinematics, the option (engineering), and waves, so there's not much I can do. Our teacher showed us a sample EE (https://www.easthartford.org/uploaded/ciba/Physics_1.pdf), and I found it very interesting. I also want to do something related to rotational mechanics, as it is easier for me, and more interesting. I was just wondering, would I be flagged for malpractice if I do something similar to this sample EE? Of course I won't actually plagiarize it, nor will I copy anything from it. But I do want to do something similar (rolling down an incline, maybe finding the maximum speed, maybe doing smth with slipping). This is a science EE so I'm pretty sure already that if I choose to do this, I will make use of similar formulas, or similar theory, maybe without even being aware of it.

Will this be okay or will it be considered plagiarism by the IB? I really don't want to pick a different topic, as this is my favourite one, plus my only other choice would be waves which is very hard for me. Does anyone maybe know anyone who did a topic similar to what has been done before, and was still fine with it?

Thanks

[Jaysun]

Ok, first of all, your EE shouldn't be limited to what you've already done in class (or what you will do in class, for that matter). Assuming you;re taking HL Phys, your EE will probably need complexity beyond IB curriculum, at least that is all that I have seen.

If you do not plagiarize anything, then no it is not malpractice, but you'll probably get a terrible mark. You're not expected to come up with a novel topic and write a research paper on something completely new (that's for your PhD), but you are expected to devise scientific methodology, and approach a problem in some sort of novel way. For example, you can look at how different materials affect slipping, or something like that idk. 

Lastly, your EE will be marked based on HL material, regardless what level you're taking physics at. Make sure your theory is rigorous enough.

[Nikolakhs]

10 hours ago, Jaysun said:

Ok, first of all, your EE shouldn't be limited to what you've already done in class (or what you will do in class, for that matter). Assuming you;re taking HL Phys, your EE will probably need complexity beyond IB curriculum, at least that is all that I have seen.

If you do not plagiarize anything, then no it is not malpractice, but you'll probably get a terrible mark. You're not expected to come up with a novel topic and write a research paper on something completely new (that's for your PhD), but you are expected to devise scientific methodology, and approach a problem in some sort of novel way. For example, you can look at how different materials affect slipping, or something like that idk. 

Lastly, your EE will be marked based on HL material, regardless what level you're taking physics at. Make sure your theory is rigorous enough.

Thanks a lot for the responce, that helps