International Physics Olympiad

The International Physics Olympiad (English International Physics Olympiad, iPho ) is an international competition for students, in which it comes to solving challenging theoretical and experimental physical tasks under exam conditions. The iPho is held annually and is held alternately in different participating countries.

  • 5.1 Trials
  • 5.2 SwissPho
  • 5.3 Team Training
  • 6.1 Stage 1 - School
  • 6.2 Stage 2 - Land
  • 6.3 Stage 3 - Confederation I
  • 6.4 Stage 4 - Bund II
  • 8.1 Existing venues
  • 8.2 Future venues

Expiration

The International Physics Olympiad takes place in the summer in the respective host country. An Olympiad typically takes nine to ten days. On two days of it relative to the start will take place the two tests that are previously translated into the native language. The students have to work in individual work, the theoretical and practical tasks in five hours. The tasks are long created very carefully by the host country in advance that they are both appealing and challenging.

In the following days the duties of the jury of the hosts as well as by program staff to be corrected, and decided in a discussion about the final point standings, so the results are fixed to the end. Students can expect an extensive supporting program with excursions and events during this time. These include cultural program points, a visit to the major tourist attractions as interesting lectures by renowned scientists often. An important aspect is also the meetings and actions of the students themselves.

The Olympics is i.d.R. conducted at universities, where there is enough space for the hundreds of participants and companion. Organized the Olympics in part by educational institutions themselves (eg in 1975 by the College of Education in Güstrow or 1986 by the Harrow School) state, in part, by site.

Participant

Each participating country (at present there are more than 80) sends a team of no more than five students, accompanied by two teachers. The team may be accompanied by other persons ( observers, visitors). The students are allowed on 30 June of the discharge year have not yet reached the age of 20.

Preparation

The iPho requires students knowledge and skills that are taught not so extensively in school. To compete to be successful, an additional preparation is needed. Most participants train before at least with tasks in recent years and with literature.

In some - but not all - participating countries there is also a special preparation program for the students. In some countries, there are preparatory seminars for a few days, in others even up to several months. In this case, some teams will be selected before the training, others only in the course of it.

In Germany there is a three-day experimental internship for the team, which takes place in Heide (Schleswig -Holstein) respectively in June. During the internship, experiments are set up in different stations that may be performed and evaluated by the students.

German competition

The German team is in a four-stage competition determined which (IPN ) is discharged from the Institute for Science Education. All rounds will be conducted nationwide.

First round

The first round will be held until July the year before the Olympics from May. There are provided four tasks from classical physics, the public unhook in many schools and posted on the Internet. In order to give younger students a chance the Olympics is supplemented since 2011 by a fifth task (Junior task). The tasks may be solved by individual students in homework and corrected by the subject teacher. Each year, about 400 students participated in the first round.

2nd round

The second selection round will take place from September also as homework instead. Participation is open to the students of the first round when they have reached at least 70 % ( approx.) of the possible points from round 1, as well as successful students of some other scientific competitions. The tasks of the second round are considerably more difficult than the first and also go sometimes quite far beyond the school curriculum addition. Approximately 150 students annually send solutions to the second round.

Round 3

The approximately 50 best participants of the second round will be invited to selection seminar of the 3rd round. During the week-long seminar in late January four more hours of selection exams are written and held seminars to deepen the knowledge of physics. In addition to scientific and other excursions there is ample opportunity to toss together with other participants. Currently, the third selection round will be held in just Hamburg at DESY.

4th Round

The fourth round is the final round for the German iPho team and is carried out in April before the Olympics (just after Easter). There will be invited once again refer to the 15 best of the third round. The seminar is similar to the third round, but has once again demanding tasks. The venue alternates between great and various research institutions such as the Research Centre Jülich and the German Electron Synchrotron in Hamburg.

Swiss selection

The Swiss team is determined in two elimination rounds. In between training events are organized.

Trials

The preliminary round takes place simultaneously at different places in Switzerland held in mid-January. This one-day excretion consists of theoretical tasks to sophisticated menu middle school level and serves a selection of the best students for the SwissPho, the Swiss national championship perform.

SwissPho

The SwissPho, Swiss Physics Olympiad or national championship will be held in Aarau, in March / April. During two days, the participants will be tested with experimental and theoretical tasks. Outlined are the two days of lectures, an evening and medals. The top five may participate in the International Physics Olympiad.

Team Training

The team training takes place in early June in Aarau. This weekend, the participants of the iPho be familiar with the peculiarity of the tasks of the iPho.

Austrian selection

The Austrian team is determined in a four -stage selection process. The students grow out of participation in the Physics Olympiad no cost. These are mainly covered by the BMUKK and also by sponsors.

1st stage - school

( about March )

In a three-hour in-school competition (called price competition ) are to be processed in the two theoretical and an experimental task, the best four of those students are identified that participate in a Physics Olympiad Preparation Course in the current school year. These are sent from school to so-called state competition. Students with additional physical training, eg Elective physics, can enter across the so-called qualifying competition in the Austrian Physics Olympiad, even if they have not attended a preparation course. All participants will receive diplomas, the best additional book or prizes.

Stage 2 - Land

( around April )

At the level of the nine states finds a four-hour contest held ( the so-called state competition ), with three theoretical and an experimental task to be processed. The theoretical tasks are performed by a team from the University of Linz and the experimental task is elaborated by a Styrian team and secures to the simultaneous start sealed in all provinces. Each state has awarded an assigned number of fixed grid positions for the national competition I. In addition, many students still qualify for points, so that approximately the top 35 students from all over Austria qualify for the next stage of the competition ( traditionally have the upper Austrian Styria and Vienna, the strongest contingents ). All participants will receive diplomas, many participants win or book prizes and the very best obtain small gold, silver or bronze medals.

Stage 3 - Confederation I

( End of April / beginning of May)

In the Federal Competition I (always in Linz, the European School Auhof ) to qualify the best 16, which are determined in a five-hour theory test, for the national competition II All participants will receive a signed by the Minister of Education participation diploma. The University Linz invites following the test for a tour of their Physics Institute.

4th stage - Bund II

(usually 15 days from the arrival of Pentecost Tuesday)

The Federal Competition II is preceded by a ten -day intensive training, for which the participating students are exempted from BMUKK from school. The subsequent competition itself consists of a five hour experimental part and a theoretical part also five hours, which will be held on two consecutive days. In the experimental part are four experiments and in the theoretical part are six theory problems editing. All participants will receive a signed by the Minister of Education Price diploma and a book or prize. The best two win gold medals, three silver medals and get the next four bronze medals. The top five qualify for participation in the International Physics Olympiad. In the days before the competition, participants will receive more specialized training in final preparation.

Prices

After scores achieved gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded, the points key is created so that the following prices or be better achieved by at least the following percentages of participants:

The medal was last for iPho 2009 by 6 %, 18%, 36 %, 60 % raised to allow more students a price.

In addition, special prizes for the best athletes, the best theoretical work, the best experimental work as well as desired by the organizer will be awarded other prizes. The participants, who narrowly missed a bronze medal, received a certificate of recognition ( Honorable Mention ). Often attractive prizes will be awarded.

The participants of the German selection process receive additional prizes such as book vouchers, deeds, and language travel and research internships. In addition, the participation attracts the iPho i.d.R. several more trips to how company visits, the ceremony at the DPG Annual Meeting or participating on the day of talents.

The five German team members receive the DPG student price for the following year. They go through at the same time the admission procedure for the Study Foundation of the German people.

The participants of the Austrian selection process receive, depending on the province, in kind and / or cash prizes. Thus, the winners will receive the state competition in Styria, for example by promoting the Anton Paar GmbH cash prizes and summer internships.

Venues

Change the host countries each year and many years to be defined in advance.

Previous venues

The "Country " column indicates the number of countries that participated in the competition with students.

3 x Gold for Germany, Fabian Gundlach from Munich is the third best student.

Future venues

  • 44: 2013 in Copenhagen, Denmark, 7 to 15 July
  • 45: 2014 in Astana, Kazakhstan
  • 46: 2015 in Mumbai, India
  • 47: 2016 in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
  • 48: 2017 in Moldova
  • 49: 2018 in Portugal
  • 50: 2019 in Israel
  • 51: 2020 in Lithuania
  • 52: 2021 in Indonesia
  • 53: 2022 in Japan
  • 54: 2023 in Iran
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