High school students compete in 41st annual Physics Olympics

Event: 41st annual UBC Physics Olympics

Date/Time: Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Event details: More than 600 high school students and teachers from across B.C. from Campbell River to Vancouver to West Kelowna and Invermere, will compete in the 41st annual UBC Physics Olympics, where they will show off their physics knowledge and unique creations.

Teams of high school students will compete in six events that test hands-on and scientific concepts.  The goal is to help students see how physics is exciting and relevant to our daily lives and to provide students with an opportunity to work together.

The UBC Physics Olympics is one of the largest and oldest high school physics competitions of its kind in North America. The event is organized by students and professors in the department of physics and astronomy and department of curriculum and pedagogy. UBC undergraduate students, many of them former competitors, volunteer their time.

Event website: https://physoly.phas.ubc.ca/

Photo/Assignment editors: Teams have built Rube Goldberg machines (which complete a simple task in an extraordinarily complicated way) and special timers driven by mechanical forces for this year’s Physics Olympics. These creations will be tested as part of Saturday’s event.  Teams will also compete in “Quizzics,” a quiz-show.

Locations:

Rube Goldberg Machine

Hennings, Room 200
6224 Agricultural Road
Map and parking: http://www.maps.ubc.ca/?652

Mechanical Timepiece

UBC Life Building (Old SUB) Room 2201
6138 Student Union Boulevard
Map and parking: http://www.maps.ubc.ca/?790

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
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
  • Mike Hasinoff, co-chair and professor of UBC physics and astronomy. Contact: hasinoff@physics.ubc.ca; 604-822-2360
  • Aaron Boley, co-chair and professor of UBC physics and astronomy, judge for Rube Goldberg Device. Contact: acboley@physics.ubc.ca, 604-827-2641
  • Marina Milner-Bolotin, lead organizer of UBC Physics Olympics and professor of curriculum and pedagogy. Contact: marina.milner-bolotin@ubc.ca; 604-417-4035