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The UA High-School Physics Contest includes
individual and team competition,
as well as demonstrations of physics in action. The individual test
includes problems from mechanics as well as electricity and magnetism, aimed
at areas most likely covered in the first half of the year. You can see a
recent test
here.
The team competition (also known as the ciphering competition)
takes on a different character. Students form four-person teams and tackle
problems relay style, switching team members after each four problems. Speed
as well as accuracy counts; more points are given for correct answers that
are given early. Scoring is done in real time as runners carry team answers
to the grading table, and the audience can follow both the questions and
unfolding
team scores. To see a round of this competition from 2008, check out this
32-Mbyte
MPEG movie.
Before the awards ceremony, we present a physics show of
some favorite demonstrations of physics in action. This has been very
popular with the attending students - projectiles, electricity, and
flame! These pictures show some recent moments from the show, involving
van de Graaff generators (invented by a Tuscaloosa native), and
the use of gas flames to illustrate standing waves. No physics students were
harmed in taking these pictures.
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| John Daffron and flaming waveform |
Stan Jones gets a charge from van de Graaff |
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| John Daffron shows the power of angular momentum |
Patrick LeClair launches electrical UFOs |
During the individual written exam, there is a teachers' program which
has consisted of demonstations of the Physics in Motion material available
around the state, the new Studio Physics classrooms at UA, or
updates on recent developments in physics or astronomy.
Awards are given for top individual scores overall,
and for and best team performances in several school categories. Here's
a team with an award, showing off not only their game faces but
intimidating team uniforms.
The evening before the contest, weather permitting, there is a viewing
session with UA's 16-inch
reflecting telescope. The computer-controlled
system gives spectacular views of the Moon,
planets, and many deep-sky objects; we can often capture images such as these
for attendees to email to themselves. The observatory is located atop
Gallalee Hall, at the northwest corner of University and Hackberry on the
UA campus.
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| Saturn, 28 Mar 2005 |
Sunrise on lunar crater Copernicus |
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