IB SEHS B2.2: Fluid Mechanics Teaching Notes & Revision Guide 2026

A Helpful Resource for Teaching Fluid Mechanics in IB SEHS

This resource covers B2.2 Fluid Mechanics from the IB Diploma Programme Sports, Exercise and Health Science course. It is designed to serve two purposes: as supplemental companion notes for instructors and as structured revision material for students.

What Makes This Resource Useful for SEHS Teachers

Follows the Subject Guide Directly
The content is structured in alignment with the IB SEHS subject guide, ensuring that all required assessment statements related to fluid mechanics are addressed clearly and sequentially. Teachers can follow the progression from basic fluid properties through pressure, buoyancy, and drag to sport-specific applications, ensuring complete syllabus coverage.

Helpful for New Teachers
If you are new to teaching IB SEHS, this resource provides clear and practical explanations of how fluid mechanics influences movement and performance in sport and exercise contexts. It explains fluid properties, pressure relationships, forces on objects moving through fluids, and how these concepts apply to sport movements such as swimming and cycling.

Designed for Dual Use
This resource serves as both a reference for instructors and a revision guide for students. Teachers can use it as structured companion notes, while students can use the same material for independent review and exam preparation.

Editable PowerPoint Version Included

In addition to the printable PDF version, this resource includes an editable PowerPoint presentation that mirrors the full content. Teachers can adapt slides, insert diagrams or media, and tailor lessons for different groups. This makes the resource flexible for classroom teaching, blended learning, and digital delivery.

Content Included

• Definitions and overview of fluid mechanics concepts
• Properties of fluids: density, viscosity, and pressure
• Pascal’s principle and applications in exercise settings
• Buoyancy: Archimedes’ principle and implications for flotation and swimming
• Drag forces: types and how they affect motion through fluids
• Factors affecting resistance in air and water
• Lift forces and sport examples (e.g., cycling, sprinting in wind)
• Applied sport illustrations of fluid mechanics principles
• Diagrams and structured summaries
• Key terminology for assessment readiness

The resource includes clear explanations, practical sport and exercise examples, and structured summaries that connect physics theory to performance and movement contexts.

This is a straightforward and accessible resource for both teaching and revision; detailed enough to guide lesson delivery and balanced for students preparing confidently for IB SEHS assessments.