Green Physics
is the theme for the 2010 Western Kentucky Physics Olympics, a half-day competition consisting of a pentathlon of challenging problem-solving activities that reward teamwork, creativity, and communication. The WKU Department of Physics & Astronomy invites each high school to send one or more teams of four to compete in the 2010 Western Kentucky Physics Olympics. This year’s event will be held Saturday, February 20 from 8:30 a.m. until about 2:00 p.m. in the Thompson Center, Central Wing on WKU’s Bowling Green campus.
The competition will commence with two activities that involve competitors arriving at the event ready to compete with devices they have designed, constructed, and tested. The competition entitled Edible Musical Instrument requires each team to design, construct, and play a musical instrument capable of producing the tones for a full octave scale. For Wind Generator each team will design and construct a wind turbine capable of generating the greatest current through the spinning of a portable compact disk player’s motor. This year’s “Calculation/ Communication Challenge”, "On-the-Spot Activity” and "Order-of-Magnitude Quiz" will remain cloaked in secrecy.
Registration
Teams can register online at
http://physics.wku.edu/olympics/registration.html.
The registration deadline is Thursday, February 11.
Prizes
Each of the four contestants on the team with the best score in the overall competition will receive a $500 scholarship to attend Western Kentucky University. The scholarship is to be used during the freshman year and is awarded above and beyond any other scholarships the student might otherwise earn.
Medals for the team members and a plaque for the school will be awarded to the top 3 teams in the overall competition. Certificates will be awarded to the top three teams in each event.
