VICTORIAN
YOUNG
PHYSICISTS’
TOURNAMENT
An initiative of the Australian Institute of Physics
(Victorian Branch) Education Committee
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Victorian Young Physicists’ Tournament
An event for Year 11 Physics and
Year 10 Science students
Structure of the session
 Students – Tasks and Benefits Russell Downie
 Organisation –
Dan O’Keeffe
 Classroom experiences –
Julie Kennedy,
Russell Downie
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Victorian Young Physicists’ Tournament
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What do the students do?
How do the students benefit?
What is the teachers’ role?
How does the teacher benefit?
How much class time and out of class time is
needed?
How is the competition organised?
Prizes
Further opportunities
Experiences so far.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Australian Young Physicists’ Tournament
(held in Brisbane, in March each year.)
Teams of three have to
get their heads around 5
of 7 problems that are
issued in late July.
These problems are
tackled experimentally in
the months that follow.
The teams must be able
to report their findings at
a weekend early in
March in Brisbane. (In
2010, 5th and 6th March.)
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
IYPT
The tournament is based
around a “Physics fight”.
Depending on the draw,
teams are challenged to
report on a problem and
their report is critiqued
by the Opponent team.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
IYPT
There are several
rounds and all teams get
to be Reporters and
Opponents.
Opponents challenge the
validity of the method
and conclusions if they
can.
Reporters get to justify
and rebut the challenge.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
IYPT
A panel of Jurors give
scores out of 10 to both
Reporters and
Opponents.
The Jurors use a set of
criteria that is known by
the teams.
At the end of the day the
three winning teams are
announced.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
IYPT
The following day the
three teams play off.
There is a role for the
third team as Reviewer.
Reviewers have to give
a balanced account of
each fight.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
How do the students benefit?
They develop:
– Experimental research skills,
– Presentation skills,
– Communication skills, and
– Social skills from working in a group.
If keen, they can continue on to participate in the
national competition.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
How does the Victorian Event
differ from the National event?
It:
 Runs during the calendar year from Feb to Nov,
 First three problems are released in February,
 Remaining four problems are released in mid
August,
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
How does the Victorian Event
differ from the National event?
 Competition held on the first weekend in
December,
 Some of the problems released in August will be
taken from the National list,
 So interested students can continue on and
compete in Brisbane in 2011.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
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What is the teachers’ role?
Encourage student participation,
Monitor progress,
Supervise, when necessary, out of class
experimental activities
Attend competition (First weekend in December)
Assist in judging
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
How does the teacher benefit?
1. Student motivation,
2. Increased prestige for teacher, subject and
school.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
How much class time and
out of class time is needed?
 Most investigations can be started as part of the
normal teaching program,
 Topics can be selected that minimise the need
for out of class supervision,
 Monitoring of progress may require about an
hour or two per topic for five topics over the
year.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
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How is the competition organised?
Release of topics
Information session
Registration
Competition weekend
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Release of topics
The seven problems will be released in two stages,
of which the team should cover at least five
between the three members.
Stage 1: Three problems will be released at the
beginning of the school year, and
Stage 2: the final four in mid August.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Stage 1 Problems
1. Conductivity of pencil lines: The lines, drawn
by so-called ‘lead’ pencils, conduct electricity.
Investigate the factors that determine the
resistance of the line.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Stage 1 Problems
2. Ice: A wire with weights attached to each end
is placed across a block of ice.
The wire may pass through the ice without
cutting it.
Investigate the phenomenon.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Stage 1 Problems
3. Sand: Dry sand is rather ‘soft’ to walk on
when compared to damp sand. However, sand
containing a significant amount of water
becomes soft again.
Investigate the parameters that affect the
softness of sand.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Typical Stage 2 Problems
 Steel balls Colliding: Two large steel balls with a
thin sheet of material (e.g. paper) in between may
“burn” a hole in the sheet. Investigate this effect
for various materials.
 Liquid light guide: A transparent vessel is filled
with a liquid (e.g. water). A jet flows out of the
vessel. A light source is placed so that a
horizontal beam enters the liquid jet. Under what
conditions does the jet operate like a light guide?
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
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Typical Stage 2 Problems
Magnetic spring Two magnets are arranged
on top of each other such that one of them is
fixed and the other one can move vertically.
Investigate oscillations of the magnet.
Brilliant pattern: Suspend a water drop at the
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
How is the competition organised?
Information session
Time:
Saturday morning, 9:30am – 12:30pm
20th March
Place:
PLC, Burwood
Audience: Teachers and students
Purpose: To demonstrate the problems, to
suggest methods and to brainstorm
explanations.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
How is the competition organised?
Registration
Schools will need to register the details of each
their teams by the end of term 3.
There will be a small registration fee for each
team.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
How is the competition organised?
Competition weekend
 The competition consists of a series of ‘Physics
Phytes’
 Two teams participate in a ‘Physics Phyte’.
 A ‘Physics Phyte’ is carried out in two Stages.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Competition weekend
In each Stage, a team plays one of the two roles:
• Reporter
• Opponent
• Reviewer (only in the final)
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Competition weekend
Role of Reporter
The Reporter presents the essence of the solution to
the problem, attracting the attention of the audience
to the main physical ideas and conclusions.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Competition weekend
The Role of the Opponent
The Opponent puts questions to the Reporter and
criticises the report, pointing to possible inaccuracy
and errors in the understanding of the problem and
in the solution.
The Opponent analyses the advantages and
drawbacks of both the solution and the presentation
of the Reporter.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Competition weekend
The Role of the Reviewer (Only in the final)
The Reviewer presents a short estimation of the
presentations of Reporter and Opponent.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Competition weekend
 Each role has a fixed time for its task and one
stage should be completed within 45 minutes.
 Each role is scored in each stage.
 After a series of ‘Physics Phytes’ during the
Saturday, the three best teams compete in a
‘Final Physics Phyte’ to held on the Sunday.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Prizes
Some alternatives:
 A medal
 A Physics toy e.g. Newton’s Cradle
 A book voucher
 Money
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Further opportunities
Australian Young Physicists’ Tournament
Interested teams can compete in the national event in
Brisbane on a weekend in early March 2011.
Teams will need to research some additional topics.
An Australian team is selected to compete at the
International Young Physicists’ Tournament in July.
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Experiences so far.
 Box Hill High School with Year 10’s
 PLC with Year 11’s
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Young Physicists’ Tournament
Websites
www.vicphysics.org/vypt.html
http://www.iyptaustralia.org/
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee