Post by Vincent on Apr 28, 2016 0:07:44 GMT
Hello everyone,
For those who don't already know, the US Physics Olympiad is an annual physics examination used to select members of the US physics team to compete in the international physics olympiad. In recent years, the format has been a 75-minute 25-question multiple choice qualifying (F=ma) exam followed by a free-response 6-question calculus-based semifinal for those who score above a certain score in the qualifying exam. I highly encourage anyone who has any interest in physics to participate in the olympiad: in my opinion, looking at the questions (especially the F=ma exam, which does not require calculus and is in reach for anyone who has some background in mechanics) is a great way to test someone's conceptual knowledge of physics and sharpen their physics toolbox; that said, I also encourage anyone interested to look at some of the questions in past examinations that I have listed below. Note that I have only listed F=ma exams and their solutions for convenience, but feel free to follow the link and look at the semifinals or quarterfinals. If anyone has a question on any of the problems in the olympiad, you can post it on this thread or start a new thread if you feel the need to–even though there are solutions, some of them are incomplete or not really optimal, as I have found. (Also, some only have answers and not solutions)
2015: F=ma, solutions
2014: F=ma, solutions
2013: F=ma, solutions
2012: F=ma, solutions
2011: F=ma, solutions
2010: F=ma, solutions
2009: F=ma, solutions
2008: F=ma, solutions
2007: F=ma, solutions
Some questions I consider interesting (these are mostly conceptually interesting questions that can be solved easily with the right concept; I have left out the many problems that are considered hard but do not really explore foreign concepts and really come down to plug-and-chug after enough practice):
2015 #19, 22, 25
2014 #4, 6, 19, 21, 22, 24
2013 #3, 17, 21
2012 #14, 16, 23, 25
2011 #12, 13, 19, 20, 23, 24
2010 #13, 15, 16, 22, 23, 25
2009 #5, 14, 17, 23, 25
2008 #18, 22, 25
2007 #14, 25, 28, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36
If you have a question about a problem in the semifinals or quarterfinals, please create another thread, as each of those questions merits a large amount of consideration.
For those who don't already know, the US Physics Olympiad is an annual physics examination used to select members of the US physics team to compete in the international physics olympiad. In recent years, the format has been a 75-minute 25-question multiple choice qualifying (F=ma) exam followed by a free-response 6-question calculus-based semifinal for those who score above a certain score in the qualifying exam. I highly encourage anyone who has any interest in physics to participate in the olympiad: in my opinion, looking at the questions (especially the F=ma exam, which does not require calculus and is in reach for anyone who has some background in mechanics) is a great way to test someone's conceptual knowledge of physics and sharpen their physics toolbox; that said, I also encourage anyone interested to look at some of the questions in past examinations that I have listed below. Note that I have only listed F=ma exams and their solutions for convenience, but feel free to follow the link and look at the semifinals or quarterfinals. If anyone has a question on any of the problems in the olympiad, you can post it on this thread or start a new thread if you feel the need to–even though there are solutions, some of them are incomplete or not really optimal, as I have found. (Also, some only have answers and not solutions)
2015: F=ma, solutions
2014: F=ma, solutions
2013: F=ma, solutions
2012: F=ma, solutions
2011: F=ma, solutions
2010: F=ma, solutions
2009: F=ma, solutions
2008: F=ma, solutions
2007: F=ma, solutions
Some questions I consider interesting (these are mostly conceptually interesting questions that can be solved easily with the right concept; I have left out the many problems that are considered hard but do not really explore foreign concepts and really come down to plug-and-chug after enough practice):
2015 #19, 22, 25
2014 #4, 6, 19, 21, 22, 24
2013 #3, 17, 21
2012 #14, 16, 23, 25
2011 #12, 13, 19, 20, 23, 24
2010 #13, 15, 16, 22, 23, 25
2009 #5, 14, 17, 23, 25
2008 #18, 22, 25
2007 #14, 25, 28, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36
If you have a question about a problem in the semifinals or quarterfinals, please create another thread, as each of those questions merits a large amount of consideration.