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What is the UBC Physics Olympics event?
Physics Olympics is an annual science competition organized by the Department of Physics & Astronomy (UBC Faculty of Science) and the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy (UBC Faculty of Education). Taking place on UBC campus, this full day experience for B.C. high school teams is comprised of two pre-build projects, two labs, Fermi questions and a physics quiz game call “Quizzics!”.
The team with the lowest decibel score at the end of the day receives a trophy for their school, as well as other awards. Up to five students from a team can participate in any given event, with each event being open to the same or a different set of team members. Teams may have between 1 and 30 students.
The competition is a fun and creative challenge for students and teachers, and all teams are supported and celebrated for participating.
What does this event cost?
Registration: In 2025, we will charge $80 per team, which covers some of our budget expenses, with the competition being partly subsidized by the organizing departments.
Materials/equipment: We will never require expensive parts or select equipment (like a laser cutter or 3-D printer) for creating competitive pre-build designs. There will always be budget-oriented ways to complete pre-build challenges.
Funding: In many BC public schools, PACs have gaming grants (about $200) that can go to registration, materials, etc.
I’m a teacher and want to participate – how do I start?
Check out our website! we have multiple pages that aim to help you through the entire process:
- Registration provides sign up information
- The Rule Books outline the pre-build and competition logistics.
- For Teachers page gives additional backgrond on the Physics Olympics competition, along with tips and recommendations on how to prepare your classes
- The Timetable of events shows the day’s schedule.
- And the Home page will alert you to upcoming deadlines.
- For viewing past activities, check out the Gallery.
If you have any questions, or would like to connect with a more experienced teacher, contact Marina Milner-Bolotin for more information.
I’m a teacher looking for mentorship – are there opportunities to connect with more experienced teachers?
If you would like to connect with a more experienced teacher for tips, or advice, we can connect you! Please contact Marina Milner-Bolotin to inquire.
I’m a teacher and haven’t participated in this event before – how do I set up a student team?
Visit physics classes, send out school announcements and set up a communication structure: group chat, meeting schedule, and lots of preparation practice!
This event is open to students in grades 10, 11 and 12. Some teachers recommend that grades 11 and 12 are most appropriate for the competition material. However, exceptional grade 10 students have participated successfully in the past. Teams are generally from 5-10 students.
If you would like to connect with a more experienced teacher for tips, or advice, we can connect you! Please contact Marina Milner-Bolotin to inquire.
I’m a teacher – how do I prepare my class for the different events (prebuilds, labs, Fermi questions and Quizzics)?
Prebuilds: Read the rule books carefully! Ensure that students understand what is not permitted and what is required for the event. Check students’ building progress carefully so there are no surprise disqualifications on the day!
Brainstorm early! Students will need a lot of time to try out different designs, building methods, parts, etc. Many things will fail initially, so test, test, and test!
For examples on prebuilds from previous years, see the rule books from past events here.
Labs: We provide a short description of the general lab topic in the rule book – the details of the lab are kept as a surprise. Student teams will thus receive lab instructions on the day of the competition when they enter the event.
Quizzics: Quizzics questions are physics questions in multiple choice format. Examples are available here, at the UBC faculty of Education Department of curriculum and Pedagogy website, under the “Secondary” tab and then “Physics”.
Fermi questions: Fermi questions are order of magnitude estimation problems. You can find many examples online, including:
- Innovative Teaching Ideas: An Excellent Collection of Fermi Problems for your class
- Wikipedia: Fermi problem – see “External links” at the bottom of the page for Fermi question collections for students and teachers
- STEM Learning: Fermi problems
I’m a teacher/student – where can I find Quizzics practice questions?
UBC Faculty of Education Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy has Secondary School questions related to physics here. The questions are found under each subtopic, ranging from Vectors to Magnetism to Thermodynamics to Circular Motion and more. These are all examples of “quizzics” questions.
I’m a teacher/student – where can I find Fermi practice questions?
There are many Fermi questions online. Here are some examples:
- Innovative Teaching Ideas: An Excellent Collection of Fermi Problems for your class
- Wikipedia: Fermi problem – see “External links” at the bottom of the page for Fermi question collections for students and teachers
- STEM Learning: Fermi problems
I’m a student – How can I participate in the Physics Olympics if there is no teacher at my high school participating in this event?
While physics teachers often serve as coaches, there is no requirement for the coach to be a physics teacher. If the physics teacher in your school is unavailable, ask around your school to see if another teacher can coach your team. Depending on your school’s rules, a parent could possibly serve as a coach, too. Should you need to ask a parent to be a coach, please check with your high school Principal to ensure this is allowed, and if so, what the school requires of the parent.
Tips & Recommendations
For teachers
How to approach this event: This competition is about team spirit, community and physics fun! We value everyone’s participation, regardless of scores.
Some teachers have found it helpful to be less competitive and more collaborative/supportive of their students. It is important to practice physics concepts throughout the year in labs and classes that relate to the events.
Prebuilds: Start prebuilds early(!) – this will take up most of your time. It’s fun for students to brainstorm designs, but help direct them to keep it simple – actual builds are hard to do and you need enough time for multiple failures and successes. Remember: Projects can break – be prepared!
The prebuilds will never require expensive equipment, parts, or machinery. *Important note: Glue guns and popsicle sticks can be part of successful builds!
Communication: Make sure your students are organized (give them group chat, meeting times, communication directions). Check their projects regularly and act like a judge (make sure they are following rules – creatively following the rules is not the same as trying to circumvent them!).
For BC teachers in remote locations wanting to participate at UBC
Traveling to UBC from a distant provincial location has its challenges. It takes much organization, time and determination to manage a large student competition trip. So, is it worth it?
We think it is! Our 2023 Physics Olympics hosted 760+ students, teachers and coaches. The energy was electric and the networking was incredible. Apart from our event, there are many things to add on to your trip:
- TRIUMF: Canada’s Particle Accelerator tours (these will be organized beforehand by members of our organizing committee)
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute – to inquire about tours please contact outreach@phas.ubc.ca
- ATLAS lab – UBC Department of Physics & Astronomy
- UBC campus tours
- Vancouver! See the sites while you’re here (Grouse Mountain, Downtown, Granville Island, English Bay beach, and more).
If you would like to connect with an experienced teacher who travels from a remote location for this event, we can connect you! Please contact Marina Milner-Bolotin to inquire.
For students
This event is a about team collaboration – support your team! Try your best: you are part of the Physics Olympics family now as a representative of your school, so we will celebrate you just for participating!
*Bring extra parts for your pre-builds* Projects can break and bend (and sometimes can have an unscheduled disassembly through an accidental drop test or getting sat upon). The competition day presents a large, busy and competitive environment, but we got you! Your peers, teachers/coaches and event volunteers are all here for help and support.
Rewards
What do students and teachers get from participating in this event?
One student reported that it was through this event that she clarified her interests in post-secondary education (she’s now in first year engineering) and lost her hesitancy about how to proceed.
A practiced teacher who has been involved in the Physics Olympics since 2007 keeps coming back for the experience for his physics students and the opportunity to be at UBC and its neighbouring physics venues (TRIUMF, SBQMI, PHAS labs).
Another teacher explained that this competition opens different ways to engage with students: to support their ideas, creativity, successes, failures and challenges in a mentorship capacity.
Pre-Build Questions
Pre-build #1 “Lightbox” (by Dr. Valery Milner)
How will the lightbulbs be placed within their plastic enclosures for the Light Box Prebuild? Are they located at the base height? (i.e., on the table), or are they suspended so that they are right outside their designated opening?
The bulbs are positioned in front of their respective openings in the wall.
What will the area that you will be measuring the intensity of the output light be? We’ve been using a light detecting resistor to test the intensity of the output light, and the diameter of the detector is about 4mm. Will be that similar to the size of your detector?
Yes, 4mm is about the size of our detector.
Pre-build #2 “Solar-Powered Boat” (by Dr. Andrzej Kotlicki)
Hello professor! My students would like to know whether they are permitted to apply a waterproofing spray or varnish to the wood used to construct their boat?
Yes.
Are students allowed to know the dimensions of the solar panel, to ensure that they have room for it on their boat?
We will not provide the solar panels – you can use one (or more) of your choice.
Are we allowed to 3D print a boat propeller?
Yes.
Are the use of magnets permitted?
Yes, they are usually part of the motors.
Can we use hydrophobic powder/painting/coating, etc., on the shell of the boat?
You can use paint, but it cannot be a thick construction-forming shell.
Do the solar panels have to be connected to the boat?
Yes, they have to be part of the boat.
Can we use sealed wood for the boat shell?
Yes.
Does the phrase “prebuild glue join element” refer specifically to a component designed for joining purposes and not as a structural element? For example, joining two structural pieces of the Hull together – is that permitted, or is it a violation of the rules?
As it states in the rule book, glue may be used for joining parts, but cannot serve as a structural element. This means that you can use glue like hot glue or epoxy to glue things together but you cannot make any part of the boat from the glue.
What is meant by the boat crossing the finish line?
When the boat hits the end of the pool.
Can we use water-proof material to wrap around the cardboard hull? (e.g., Water repellent spray)
Yes, you can use materials such as aluminum foil and saran wrap.
Is tape allowed when joining components such as boat hulls?
You should use glue rather than tape.
Are we allowed to attach a lens to the flashlight (or to the stand so it is in front of the flashlight) to focus the light?
Yes, if it is attached to the stand; but not to the light. Notice however, that this light has a variable focus.
Are we allowed to fill bags with air to act as flotation pontoons? Technically, this could be considered stored energy, but only if they popped and the boat sank.
Plastic bags are not listed as allowed materials to build the boat.
Are wood particle board or fiberboard considered “wood”/allowed by the rules?
Yes.
Can we use heat-shrink film in place of cling wrap?
No.
Are we allowed to utilize a metal shaft system to connect the motor to the propeller to keep the motor out of the water, while keeping the propeller submerged?
Yes, you can use a metal shaft.
Are we allowed to use a capacitor as long as it contains no energy at the beginning of the race?
Yes.
Are we allowed to use an arduino, as an electric gate in order to allow the capacitor to discharge?
Yes, as long as it is powered only from the solar panel.
Re: prebuild 2 – Does the trial include or exclude the charging time? It says: “the trial will begin when the flashlight is turned on and will last for three minutes. The boat should move as fast as possible across the pool and finish at the latest by the end of the three-minute trial”
The three-minute trial includes charging time.
Can the propellers be 3D printed? And if we use a paddlewheel design, can we 3D print the entire paddlewheel as well?
Yes.
Is tape a prohibited material? Can it be used to secure wires from the circuit?
You can use small pieces of tape to secure the wires but not to reinforce or connect the parts of the hull.
Is it possible to use foamboard for the solar boat?
No.
We want to use solar panels to charge a capacitor that would power the motor. We need a way to prove that our capacitor is not charged before the competition starts, as stored energy is not allowed. Would showing that the capacitor doesn’t power an LED before competition be enough to prove the capacitor isn’t charged?
No. There can be a lot of energy stored before an LED lights up – you will have to be able to short the capacitor or show that the voltage is 0.
Can we use a small bread board to hold wires together?
Yes.
Are we permitted to use rubber bands as a connector between the motor and propellor?
Yes.
I see from the FAQs that glue should be used over tape, but in the case that we absolutely need it – are we allowed to use duct tape?
You may not use duct tape to make the hull water proof. A small piece of tape to secure wires would be ok, but not as construction material of any kind.
Is newspaper allowed for hull building? (i.e., paper mâché)
No.
We are planning on using a flex seal liquid to waterproof our boat. We see in the FAQ that waterproofing coatings are allowed but we are concerned as the flex seal is a solid colour which will prevent you from seeing the cardboard
Only thin layers of paint are allowed. If a flex seal is a paint rather than a thick coating like epoxy it will be ok. I might scrape some of it off after the trial to make sure there is cardboard/wood underneath.
It is stated that the “stand cannot be attached to the table” – is the intention of this rule to disallow the use of adhesives? Are we allowed to use a small f-clamp to extend over and below the table, or must this be done purely through a counterweight?
The stand has to be placed on the table without any attachment that includes clamps, adhesives, ties, or suction cups.
The rulebook states that “the stand should be maximum 25cm in height, length, OR width including eh mounted light source”. Does this mean that only one dimension (length, height, or width) is constrained to the 25 cm size? Can we extend beyond these distances for the other 2 dimensions?
The stand has to fit into a 25cm by 25cm by 25cm box.
As the fan will be blowing wind on our boat, could we make the boat a sailboat?
A sailboat will not be accepted. You are building a solar powered boat, not a sailboat and wind source.
Is the test setup photo shown in the boat prebuild rulebook identical to the testing setup at the competition? I.e., the table and the pool tank?
Re: the photo of the setup: all dimensions are correct. The tables might be slightly different but the heights are correct.
Does cork count as wood?
Yes.
Can the propellor be plastic?
Yes.