Physics students will give a toss at Olympiad

Physics students will give a toss at Olympiad

Sixty of Queensland's top Year 10 students will have the chance to throw paper planes from the roof of the University of Queensland's Parnell Building this month.

The students will design and test the planes as part of the 1999 Queensland Junior Physics Olympiad at the University's St Lucia campus from Monday, September 20 to Saturday, September 25.

Olympiad Co-ordinator and UQ physics PhD student Anton Rayner said the Physics Department ran the Olympiad each year to encourage the State's most able students towards a career in physical sciences. It also introduced them to the University of Queensland environment.

"We know from previous Olympiads students have a great time when they're here," he said.

"Apart from paper plane construction on Monday morning, they take part in group challenges and there is an exciting electromagnetism demonstration on the Saturday.

"The Olympiad includes seminars on basic physics, problem solving tutorials, laboratory sessions where students learn how to properly carry out scientific experimentation, and evening seminars on advanced topics in physics. There are demonstrations on topics such as balancing a bicycle wheel and trying to pull apart an evacuated cylinder.

"As well as this, students will visit the University's School of Engineering, have guest lectures on earthquakes, architecture and chaos, and learn to do Internet research in the University's Advanced Visualisation and Computation Laboratory."

Mr Rayner said students received personalised attention. More than 40 people would assist students, including high school, university undergraduate, postgraduate and research physicists and members of other University departments.

For more information, contact Anton Rayner Junior Physics Olympiad Coordinator telephone 07 3365 1361 Email: rayner@physics.uq.edu.au