Whilst there are no specific practicals within the IB that all students must perform, all students must complete 10 hours of individual investigation as well as 10 hours of a group 4 interdisciplinary project. In addition to this, standard level students should complete an additional 20 hours of laboratory work and higher level students, 40 hours.
The IB lists 11 areas where experimental procedures are required to be covered and the skills involved in these labs may be tested in section A of paper 3 of the IB examinations.
HL/SL Topic 1.2: Obtaining and using experimental data for deriving empirical formulas from reactions involving mass changes.
HL/SL Topic 1.3: Using titration to calculate the concentration of a solution by reference to a standard solution.
HL/SL Topic 1.3: Obtaining and using experimental values to calculate the molar mass of a gas from the ideal gas equation.
HL/SL: Topic 5.1: A calorimetry experiment for an enthalpy of reaction should be covered and the results evaluated.
HL/SL Topic 6.1: Investigation of rates of reaction experimentally and evaluation of results.
HL/SL Topic 9.2: Performance of laboratory experiments involving a typical voltaic cell using two metal/metal ion half-cells.
HL/SL Topic 10.1: Construction of 3D models (real or virtual) of organic molecules.
HL Topic 19.1: Perform lab experiments which could include single replacement reactions in aqueous solutions.