Physics Olympics 2021 -- Virtual
This is open to NJAAPT members (the teacher registering must be a NJAAPT member).
There is no charge to attend the Olympics but you still must register your school to participate.
Complete rules for the events will be available upon receipt of your registration.
All events are held virtually.
A school is limited to one team consisting of 6 members.
Participants working together are required to wear a face mask.
Faculty advisors will be asked to help judge the events. A few days before the competition, the Physics Olympics committee will hold a virtual meeting with the facility advisors to discuss judging procedures.
All members of the team must take an active role in the competition: All team members are required to participate in the Fermi Question Event and design and build either the Tower of cards or the Roller Coaster. The facility adviser will verify that each team member participated in the competition.
On Saturday, February 27, starting at 10:00 am, two events will be held:
The Fermi Question and the Tallest Tower of Cards, will be held.
Fermi Question event: the team will have 30 minutes to answer 5 questions. Each team will be in a separate chat room under the supervision of an instructor. The team will be required to explain the logic of their solution, in written form, for their answers to be eligible for scoring: as long as they can defend their solution, their answers will be accepted. No additional points awarded for explaining the solution but the explanations are still a requirement.
Tallest Tower of Playing Cards event: the team is to design and build a tower constructed entirely of playing cards. The tallest tower wins the event. Each team is required to design and build three towers. The team will hold their own run-off competition to select the best design tower to enter into the official competition. During the virtual competition, the team will build their tower under the supervision of the judges.
One week before the official competition, the team will provide the Physics Olympics Committee a video of the building of the two runner-up towers. The facility adviser will verify that the tower was built by the team and the height achieved. Additional Points will be awarded to the team’s overall score for each runner-up tower that is built according to the requirements described in the rules. Submitted video may not identify the team members, observers or location of the building of the tower.
On Saturday, March 13, starting at 2:00 pm, the Slow Descent Roller Coaster will take place.
Slow Descent Roller Coaster: The team will design and build a roller coaster made from toothpicks and white glue. The roller coaster is to be design so that a marble will descend in the greatest amount of time.
Each team is required to design and build three coasters. The team will hold their own run-off competition to select the best design coaster to enter into the official competition. During the virtual competition, the judge(s) will measure the descent time of the marble of the team’s coaster.
One week before the official competition, the team will provide the Physics Olympics Committee a video of the marble descending the two runners-up coasters. The facility adviser will verify that the coasters were built by the team and the descent times. Additional Points will be awarded to the team’s overall score for each runner-up coaster that is built according to the requirements described in the rules. Submitted video may not identify the team members, observers or location of the building of the coaster.