2022 Physics Olympics

---

Physical Connections

Overview

The theme for the 2022 Western Kentucky Physics Olympics is Physical Connections. Before the on-site competition commences, each team will have completed its efforts for the Graphene Model Delivery event, by having designed, constructed, and safely delivered via the US Postal Service a model of interconnected monolayer of carbon atoms. For ElectroMagnetic Connection each team will demonstrate their ability to construct a battery powered magnet, by lifting the longest magnetically connected collection of paper clips. This year's "Calculation/Communication Challenge" will have one pair of each team providing written instructions so the other pair can accurately recreate three dimensional structures. As usual, the "On-the-Spot Activity" and "Order-of-Magnitude Quiz" will remain cloaked in secrecy until those events commence.

 

1. Do-Ahead Project: Graphene Model Delivery

The discovery of graphene led to award of the 2010 Nobel Prize to the scientists who first determined how to create is and studied its remarkable properties. By definition, graphene is a one atom thick sheet of hexagonal "rings" of carbon. This monolayer allotrope is hundreds of times stronger than steel, yet can stretch like a rubber sheet.

The object of this Do-Ahead Project is to design and construct a simulated graphene molecule, with at least 2400 simulated atoms fully connected to others by the correct number of bonds (the edges can consist of either unconnected bonds or unconnected atoms). Then the package must arrive intact after being sent through the U.S. Mail from your local post office to this address:

Western Kentucky Physics Olympics
c/o Richard Gelderman
1152 Turkey Creek Rd
Union, WV 24983

Rules:

1. The simulated graphene must have a width of at least 20 in-line carbon atoms and a length of at least 60 in-line carbon atoms, for a total of at least 2400 carbon atoms in the model. Because of the repeating nature of the lattice, it is not suggested that your team try to keep track of the resulting hexagonal "rings." The following figure shows an example of a lattice of 96 atoms arranged so every count in the vertical direction includes four atoms and every horizontal count includes twelve atoms.
   
2. Your model must be constructed with one material to represent each of the atoms and a different material to represent each bond between atoms. There is no restriction for what your team uses to model the carbon atoms or what you use to model the bonds.
3. The accuracy of the model must be verifiable. If the judges are not able to visually assess the accuracy, your team will be given up to five minutes on the day of competition to demonstrate to the judges that the requirements have been met.
4. Pack your graphene model in the smallest container possible (smallest volume, smallest mass). Within the package, enclose the graphene model in a sealed ziplock-style plastic bag, from which the graphene model can be easily removed by the judges.
5. The size of the package must be bigger than 5 inches by 3 inches (according to US Post Office regulations) and smaller than 8 inches by 8 inches by 16 inches (such that it can fit into the rural-style mailbox at the destination).
6. Using the U.S. Postal Service, mail the graphene model to the designated address for arrival on or before Friday, February 18th, 2022. Late deliveries will not be judged.
7. Dr. Gelderman will unpack and remove the graphene model from all containers and wrappings. The graphene model must be intact, with no broken bonds or missing hexagonal "rings". A graphene model which is damaged in the normal process of removing it from its containers/wrappings will be judged as having failed to survive.
8. Each team's score is calculated as the sum of points awarded for the graphene model's survival (0 to 5000) and the product of volume (cm³) and mass (g). In case of tie scores, the amount of postage will be considered (less is better). The team with the lowest score wins.
9. All contestants will ensure that their entry works through the application of physics principles and generally follows the spirit of the competition.

 

2. Plan-Ahead Event: ElectroMagnetic Connection

Each team will design, construct, and test an electromagnetic device to create the tallest chain of individual standard paper clips that can be held together for at least twelve seconds.

Rules:

1. The organizers will supply each team with 200 loose standard paperclips. Each paperclip must be physically separate from the others.
2. Your team must arrive at the competition with an electromagnet you have constructed. The sole power source for this device will be two D-cell 1.5 volt batteries. No permanent magnet is permitted. None of the other materials are restricted in type or quantity.
3. During the competition, the electromagnet will be supported by a member of your team holding it by hand. No other structure is permitted to support the electromagnet.
4. At the start of the competition, the other members of the team will cooperate with the magnet holder to create a chain of paperclips held together by magnetic force.
5. When your chain of paperclips is at maximum length, the member designated as the Controller will call for the judges assigned to your team to start the twelve second time period for the chain’s duration. While the count is taking place, a judge will use a meter-stick to measure the vertical of the chain. The judge will immediately announce to the team the measured length.
6. Subsequent attempts are possible until the end of the competition. The effort with the longest chain counts replaces previous attempts as your best effort. The competition will last for ten minutes. During the competition, your team can call for as many measurements as possible within this ten-minute period.
7. As long as your Controller has called for a measurement before the end of the competition, that measurement can count as the maximum length for your team.
8. Ties will be broken in a five-minute overtime round. Remaining ties will be broken in as many two-minute overtime rounds as are required.
9. All contestants will ensure that their entry works through the application of physics principles and generally follows the spirit of the competition.

 

3. Communication/Calculation Challenge: Molecular Isomers

Your team will divide into two groups. Two members of the team will observe molecular models and produce a written plan to allow the remaining two teammates to accurately reconstruct the models in the shortest amount of time.

 

4. Impromptu Team Activity: Energy Conversions

Activity is the key word for this competition, with the goal being for each team to achieve the desired result as quickly as possible. The situation is designed to reward teamwork and common sense thinking as well as knowledge of physics. Every team will come away with smiles and good memories regardless of how well they master the particular challenge.

 

5. Fermi Questions: The Order of Magnitude Quiz

Arrive at a reasonable approximation for the value of a complex situation with very little to no information available to directly compute the answer. In this quiz, the contestants will need to quickly make assumptions for values to use in simple calculations in order to arrive at the "correct" answer, stated as the power of ten of the number that fits the accepted value.

Teams will receive 7 questions to complete within 15 minutes. The teams can divide the work in any way they see fit, but only one answer per question per team will be accepted. Answers will be judged according to how many orders of magnitude the team's answer is from the judge's solution. The lowest score wins -- 0 points awarded for the answer accepted by the panel of judges, with 1 point scored per order of magnitude from the accepted value.

Examples of Order-of-Magnitude Quiz questions include:

• How many electrons enter the starter motor when a new, full-sized pickup starts?
• How many times would a tire of a Ford Taurus rotate when driven from NYC to LA?
• Estimate the number of gallons of gasoline used annually by all the cars in the USA.