The Competition will test the following skills in the different areas of knowledge in Physics, namely;
- A. History and General Information
The contestants should able to:
- - Identify natural philosophers, physicists, scientists and their contributions to the field.
- B. Classical Mechanics
The contestants should be able to:
- 1. Apply kinematic equations, vector notations and operations, and Newton's Laws of Motion in problem solving.
- 2. Solve 1D and 2D kinematics problems.
- 3. Identify the forces acting on a system.
- 4. Differentiate potential and kinetic energy.
- 5. Solve mechanics problems using either Conservation of Energy or Newton's Laws of Motion.
- 6. Solve problems involving elastic and inelastic collisions between two bodies.
- 7. Solve problems involving rotation, circulation motion, angular momentum and its conservation, Kepler's Law of Planetary Motion, gravity, and Gravitational Field and Potential.
- 8. Compute the acceleration due to gravity using various approaches.
- 9. Solve Statics problem for systems involving forces such as tension, weight, normal force, friction, and forces due to springs and applied forces.
- C. Oscillation and Wave Motion
The contestants should be able to:
- 1. Solve problems related to Hooke's Law and simple harmonic motion.
- 2. Compute the frequency and period of spring-mass and pendulum systems.
- 3. Apply the principle of superposition and other related concepts.
- 4. Distinguish mechanical from electromagnetic waves.
- 5. Infer the wave speed, direction of propagation, wavelength, wave number, period, frequency, amplitude and angular frequency from the equation of a harmonic wave; and vice versa.
- 6. Solve problems involving Doppler Effect in sound waves.
- D. Electricity and Magnetism
The contestants should be able to:
- 1. Compute the electric field and potential due to a system of point charges and/or spheres.
- 2. Solve conceptual and analytical problems related to electrostatic force, potential and energy.
- 3. Answer concepual questions that involve capacitance.
- 4. Simplify capacitor circuits.
- 5. Relate the area, voltage and capacitance in parallel plate capacitors.
- 6. Solve the voltage, resistance and current in DC resistor circuits.
- 7. Determine EMF's and currents in magnetic induction phenomena.
- 8. Determine the magnetic field and force due to a current carrying wire.
- 9. Use the right-hand rule.
- E. Thermodynamics
The contestants should be able to:
- 1. Apply the gas laws and conservation of energy in solving problems.
- 2. Identify the particular relevant law of thermodynamics given a physical situation.
- 3. Identify the dominant heat transfer mechanism (i.e. radiation, conduction or convection) given a physical situatuion.
- F. Optics
The contestants should be able to:
- 1. Solve problems using the mirror equation and the law of reflection.
- 2. Identify the type of image formed by convex and concave mirrors.
- 3. Solve problems using the thin lens equation and Snell's law.
- 4. Identify the type of image formed by concave and convex lenses.
- 5. Solve single slit diffraction problems.
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY
All computational problems are solvable by arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, and/or geometry. No knowledge of calculus is necessary. Nevertheless, questions are aimed to be challenging even for the best students.