7.1 Handling information and problem-solving
- Syllabus
- 0625–2026–2027
- Topic
- 7.1
- Level
- —
Learning objectives
7.1.1Locate, select, organise and present information• Locate, select, organise and present information from a variety of sources.7.1.2Translate information between forms• Translate information between verbal, symbolic, graphical and numerical forms.7.1.3Manipulate numerical and other data• Manipulate numerical and other data accurately.7.1.4Identify patterns, trends and conclusions• Use information to identify patterns, report trends and form conclusions.7.1.5Explain phenomena and relationships• Present reasoned explanations for phenomena, patterns and relationships.7.1.6Make evidence-based predictions• Make predictions based on relationships and patterns.7.1.7Solve qualitative and quantitative problems• Solve problems, including problems of a quantitative nature and unfamiliar applications of syllabus principles.
Select, organise and present scientific information
Start by identifying the exact question or decision the information must answer. This controls which facts, values and sources are relevant.
| Check | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| relevance | does this information address the required quantity or claim? |
| reliability | is the source appropriate, traceable and scientifically credible? |
| comparability | are variables, conditions and units compatible? |
| completeness | is enough context retained to interpret the value correctly? |
Group related information, put sequences in a logical order and use a labelled table, list or graph when it reveals structure more clearly than prose.
Every presented value needs an unambiguous heading, unit and sensible precision. State the source or condition when it affects interpretation.
Selecting information is not copying everything available. Irrelevant detail can hide the evidence needed to complete the task.
Translate scientific information between forms
Translation changes the representation of information while preserving its scientific meaning, quantities, relationships and units.
| From | To | What must be preserved |
|---|---|---|
| words | symbols/equation | variable meanings and relationship direction |
| table | graph | paired values, scales and units |
| graph | numerical statement | coordinates, gradient or trend |
| equation | words | what changes, what is held constant and how quantities relate |
The words 'distance equals speed multiplied by time' translate to d = vt. A straight distance–time line with constant gradient translates to constant speed.
Translate back into the original form as a check. If the reverse statement changes the meaning or units, the translation is incomplete.
A graph is not just a picture of a table. Axis choice, scale and units must retain the numerical relationship.
Manipulate numerical and other data accurately
Data manipulation means carrying out valid operations—such as ordering, subtracting, averaging, scaling, converting units or rearranging equations—without changing what the data represent.
| Step | Accuracy control |
|---|---|
| 1 | identify the required result and select the relevant entries |
| 2 | make units compatible before operating |
| 3 | write the operation or equation before substituting |
| 4 | calculate with guard digits, then round sensibly |
| 5 | include the unit and check size, sign and ordering |
For race times 22.50 s and 23.20 s, the smaller time wins and the winning margin is 23.20 − 22.50 = 0.70 s.
Do not round intermediate values too early or compare numbers without their physical meaning: in a timed race, a smaller value is better.
Identify patterns, report trends and form conclusions
A pattern is a repeatable structure in data; a trend describes how one variable generally changes as another changes.
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
| identify | name the independent and dependent variables and their units |
| describe | state increase, decrease, constancy, maximum/minimum or repeated pattern |
| quantify | use values, ratios, gradient or range where evidence allows |
| qualify | note anomalies, scatter and the interval over which the trend holds |
| conclude | complete the task without extending beyond the evidence |
Use 'directly proportional' only when the ratio is constant and the relationship would pass through the origin. A general increase alone is not enough.
A conclusion summarises what the evidence supports; it does not automatically explain why the pattern occurs.
Construct reasoned scientific explanations
A reasoned explanation links a claim to evidence using a relevant physics principle or causal mechanism.
| Part | Function |
|---|---|
| claim | answer the exact 'what happens' or 'why' question |
| evidence | cite the observation, value or established condition |
| reasoning | apply the physics principle that connects evidence to the claim |
Make the direction of cause and effect explicit: state the changed condition, the physical mechanism and the resulting change.
For a comparison, explain both sides or use an explicit 'greater because...' statement with the controlled condition.
Repeating the observed trend is description, not explanation. An explanation must supply the physical link.
Make evidence-based predictions
A scientific prediction states an expected outcome by extending a relationship or pattern supported by evidence.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | identify the relevant relationship and its valid range |
| 2 | place the new condition relative to the existing evidence |
| 3 | apply the relationship in the correct direction |
| 4 | state the predicted value or qualitative outcome with units |
| 5 | qualify uncertainty when extrapolating beyond the measured range |
Interpolation predicts within the measured range and is usually safer. Extrapolation predicts beyond it and assumes the relationship continues.
A prediction is not a guess and is not automatically certain. It must name the evidence-based relationship and respect its limits.
Solve qualitative and quantitative physics problems
Unfamiliar problems are solved by mapping the new context onto principles already known from the syllabus, then reasoning logically from the given information.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | state what is given and what must be found |
| 2 | sketch, tabulate or symbolise the situation |
| 3 | choose the governing definition, law or relationship |
| 4 | solve logically; for calculations, show substitution and units |
| 5 | test the result against limiting cases, scale, sign and physical sense |
For a qualitative problem, trace how one change affects the next quantity through a physics principle. For a quantitative problem, the same reasoning selects the correct equation before arithmetic begins.
Unfamiliar wording does not require a new law. Identify the familiar quantities and relationships hidden in the context.
Formula hunting without a model can produce a dimensionally neat but physically wrong answer. Explain why the chosen principle applies.