For the first time since 2019, more than 600 high school students, teachers and coaches from across B.C. will assemble in person on the UBC Vancouver campus for the UBC Physics Olympics, one of the largest and longest-running high-school physics competitions in North America.
Teams will go head-to-head in six events that include pre-build projects, labs, problem-solving “fermi” questions and “Quizzics,” a quiz-show style competition.
The UBC Physics Olympics is organized by students and professors in the departments of physics and astronomy and curriculum and pedagogy.
Date/Time: Saturday, March 4, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Event website: https://physoly.phas.ubc.ca/
Photo/Assignment editors: Teams have built vacuum pumps and model marine ambulances powered by mechanical forces such as elastic bands, for this year’s Physics Olympics. These creations will be tested as part of Saturday’s events. Teams will also compete in “Quizzics,” a quiz-show-style event.
Locations:
Vacuum Pump
Hennings, Room 202
6224 Agricultural Road
Map and parking: http://www.maps.ubc.ca/?652
Marine Ambulance
HEBB, Room 100
2045 East Mall
Map and parking: http://www.maps.ubc.ca/?656
Quizzics
Hennings, Room 201
6224 Agricultural Road
Map and parking: http://www.maps.ubc.ca/?652
Final Quizzics at 3:30 pm
Woodward Theatre 2
2194 Health Sciences Mall
Map and parking: http://www.maps.ubc.ca/?473
Start times for above competitions: 9:00 am; 10am; 10:55 am; 12:40pm; 1:35 pm; 2:30 pm; 3:30 pm for Final Quizzics; and 4:20 pm for the Award Presentations
Interviews:
- High school students and teachers
- Aaron Boley
Physics Olympics co-chair and professor of physics and astronomy, judge
Contact: acboley@physics.ubc.ca, 604-827-2641 - Mike Hasinoff
Physics Olympics co-chair and professor of physics and astronomy, judge
Contact: hasinoff@physics.ubc.ca; 604-822-2360 - Marina Milner-Bolotin
Lead organizer of UBC Physics Olympics and professor of curriculum and pedagogy
Contact: milner-bolotin@ubc.ca; 604-417-4035
