At the New Jersey Physics Olympics, a state-wide competition hosted by the New Jersey American Association of Physics Teachers, the Somerset Hills School District earned a 2nd place overall win! This year the competition welcomed over 40 teams from all over New Jersey, and was held at Bayonne High School on January 13, 2024; however, students have been preparing since fall of 2023. Only open to AP Physics juniors and seniors, seven teams were hoping for a coveted spot. BHS Physics Teacher and coach Jim Ferrara was limited to taking four teams, so he organized an in-house competition to determine which 24 students would represent the district.
Begun in the 90s, the NJ Physics Olympics is an annual team competition that consists of six different events every year, where each team participates in all six challenges. Points are awarded and individual winning teams are recognized per event. Teams are scored cumulatively as well, with trophies going to the top three highest overall scores. “The Physics Olympics is a wonderful opportunity for our students to have more science involvement,” said Dr. Ferrara. “It is student-driven and student-centered, and I continue to marvel at their processes of problem solving.”
For some components of the Physics Olympics, students are required to design and build challenges ahead of time, using the principles of physics and engineering; other elements happen on the spot at the competition. In the Marble Coaster challenge, students created a roller coaster and track, trying to achieve the slowest time taken for a marble to complete its route on the coaster. Another event had competitors developing the slowest falling helicopter made of paper. In the Air Powered Racer, where BHS took a 3rd place win, students had to design and build a car that was propelled only by air; the fastest time across a given distance was their goal. The Inertia Ball challenge called for students to negotiate a bowling ball through an obstacle course in the least amount of time possible. In a surprise event that day, students were tasked to construct the tallest tower made from a limited amount of spaghetti and a marshmallow.
With a nod to Nobel Prize Nuclear Physicist Enrico Fermi, the Fermi challenge had students estimating an order of magnitude, in terms of a particular quantity, where the precise answer is unknowable. For example, estimating, without any references, how many AA batteries would fit inside the sun or how many sheets of paper would be needed to cover Australia; there were a total of 10 situations in this unique challenge. Throughout the competition, these physics-minded high schoolers drew upon their knowledge of matter and its motion through space and time, along with concepts related to energy and force. They utilized spatial and conceptual vision, mathematical fluency, and above all, were fueled by imagination and curiosity. “I am proud of the high caliber performance of our Bernards High School teams,” said Dr. Brotschul, Superintendent of Schools. “Their accomplishments show the grit and tenacity of our students and add to our history of success, as I know BHS has placed in the top three many times over the years.”