1.2.2—Systems approach
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Objective
- 1.2.2
- Level
- SL
Keep the Whole System Visible
A holistic systems approach keeps the interactions needed to explain a whole situation visible instead of studying every part in isolation.
Choose a boundary, locate storages, then trace matter and energy inputs, internal flows and outputs. Include detail only when it changes the explanation.
In a pond, water and biomass are storages; sunlight enters, feeding transfers matter, and heat leaves.
Only if it changes the question; holistic does not mean exhaustive.
Holistic does not mean including every detail; it means preserving important interactions.