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IYPT 역대 문제

제37회(2024년)

Problems for the 37th IYPT 2024

Released by the IOC on July 25th, 2023.

Please refer to the official and signed pdf as the authoritative source.

1. Invent Yourself

Take a box (e.g. a matchbox), filled with identical objects (e.g. matches, balls, …). Find a method to determine the number of objects in the box solely by the sound produced while shaking the box. How does the accuracy depend on the properties of the objects, the box, and the packing density?

2. Droplet Microscope

By looking through a single water droplet placed on a glass surface, one can observe that the droplet acts as an imaging system. Investigate the magnification and resolution of such a lens.

3. Rigid Ramp Walker

Construct a rigid ramp walker with four legs (e.g. in the form of a ladder). The construction may begin to ‘walk’ down a rough ramp. Investigate how the geometry of the walker and relevant parameters affect its terminal velocity of walking.

4. Shooting Rubber Band

A rubber band may fly a longer distance if it is non-uniformly stretched when shot, giving it spin. Optimise the distance that a rubber band with spin can reach.

5. Ping Pong Rocket

A ping pong ball is placed in a container of water. When the container is dropped, the ping pong ball will get launched to a great height. What maximum height can you reach with up to 2 liters of water?

6. Non-contact Resistance

The responses of a LRC circuit driven by an AC source can be changed by inserting either a non-magnetic metal rod or a ferromagnetic rod into the inductor coil. How can we obtain the magnetic and electric properties of the inserted rod from the circuit’s responses?

7. Giant Sounding Plate

When a large, thin and flexible plate (e.g. plastic, metal or plexiglass) is bent, it may produce a loud and unusual howling sound. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

8. Another Magnetic Levitation

Place a large disk-shaped magnet on a non-magnetic conductive plate. When a smaller magnet is moved under the plate, the magnet on top may levitate under certain conditions. Investigate the levitation and the possible motion of the magnet on top.

9. Juicy Solar Cell

A functional solar cell can be created using conducting glass slides, iodine, juice (eg. blackberry) and titanium dioxide. This type of cell is called a Grätzel cell. Make such a cell and investigate the necessary parameters to obtain maximum efficiency.

10. Magnetic Gear

Take several identical fidget spinners and attach neodymium magnets to their ends. If you place them side by side on a plane and rotate one of them, the remaining ones start to rotate only due to the magnetic field. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.

11. Pumping Straw

A simple water pump can be made using a straw shaped into a triangle and cut open at the vertices. When such a triangle is partially immersed in water with one of its vertices and rotated around its vertical axis, water may flow up through the straw. Investigate how the geometry and other relevant parameters affect the pumping speed.

12. The Soap Spiral

Lower a compressed slinky into a soap solution, pull it out and straighten it. A soap film is formed between the turns of the slinky. If you break the integrity of the film, the front of the film will begin to move. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the movement of the front of the soap film.

13. Charge Meter

A lightweight ball is suspended from a thread in the area between two charged plates. If the ball is also charged it will be deflected to one side at a certain angle. What is the accuracy of such a device for measuring the amount of charge on the ball? Optimise your device to measure the smallest possible charge on the ball.

14. Ruler Trick

Place a ruler on the edge of a table, and throw a ball at its free end. The ruler will fall. However, if you cover a part of the ruler with a piece of paper and repeat the throw, then the ruler will remain on the table while the ball will bounce off it. Explain this phenomenon, and investigate the relevant parameters.

15. Wet Scroll

Gently place a piece of tracing paper on the surface of water. It rapidly curls into a scroll and then slowly uncurls. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

16. Cushion Catapult

Place an object on a large air cushion and drop several other objects in such a way that the first object is catapulted away. Investigate how the exit velocity depends on relevant parameters.

17. Quantum Light Dimmer

If you put a flame with table salt added in front of a vapour sodium lamp, the flame casts a shadow. The shadow can become lighter, if the flame is put into a strong magnetic field. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.

제36회(2023년)

Problems for the 36th IYPT 2023

Released by the IOC on July 24th, 2022.

Please refer to the official and signed pdf as the authoritative source.

1. Fractal Fingers

The effect of fractal fingering can be observed if a droplet of an ink-alcohol mixture is deposited onto diluted acrylic paint. How are the geometry and dynamics of the fingers influenced by relevant parameters?

2. Oscillating Sphere

A light sphere with a conducting surface is suspended from a thin wire. When the sphere is rotated about its vertical axis (thereby twisting the wire) and then released, it starts to oscillate. Investigate how the presence of a magnetic field affects the motion.

3. Siren

If you direct an air flow onto a rotating disk with holes, a sound may be heard. Explain this phenomenon and investigate how the sound characteristics depend on the relevant parameters.

4. Coloured Line

When a compact disc or DVD is illuminated with light coming from a filament lamp in such a way that only rays with large angles of incidence are selected, a clear green line can be observed. The colour varies upon slightly changing the angle of the disc. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

5. Whistling Mesh

When a stream of water hits a rigid metal mesh within a range of angles, a whistling tone may be heard. Investigate how the properties of the mesh, stream and angle affect the cha­rac­teristics of the sound produced.

6. Magnetic-Mechanical Oscillator

Secure the lower ends of two identical leaf springs to a non-magnetic base and attach magnets to the upper ends such that they repel and are free to move. Investigate how the movement of the springs depends on relevant parameters.

7. Faraday Waves

A droplet of less viscous liquid floating in a bath of a more viscous liquid develops surprising wave-like patterns when the entire system is set into vertical oscillation. Investigate this phenomenon and the parameters relevant to the production of stable patterns.

8. Euler’s Pendulum

Take a thick plate of non-magnetic ma­terial and fix a neodymium magnet on top of it. Suspend a magnetic rod (which can be assembled from cylindrical neo­dy­mium magnets) underneath it. Deflect the rod so that it touches the plate only with highest edge and release it. Study the motion of such a pendulum under various conditions.

9. Oscillating Screw

When placed on its side on a ramp and released, a screw may experience growing oscillations as it travels down the ramp. Investigate how the motion of the screw, as well as the growth of these oscillations depend on the relevant parameters.

10. Upstream Flow

Sprinkle light particles on a water surface. Then allow a water stream to be incident on the surface from a small height. Under certain conditions, the particles may begin to move up the stream. Investigate and explain this phenomenon.

11. Ball on Ferrite Rod

A ferrite rod is placed at the bottom end of a vertical tube. Apply an ac voltage, of a frequency of the same order as the natural frequency of the rod, to a fine wire coil wrapped around its lower end. When a ball is placed on top of the rod, it will start to bounce. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

12. Rice Kettlebells

Take a vessel and pour some granular material into it, for example, rice. If you dip e.g. a spoon into it, then at a certain depth of immersion, you can lift the vessel and contents by holding the spoon. Explain this phenomenon and explore the relevant parameters of the system.

13. Ponyo’s Heat Tube

A glass tube with a sealed top is filled with water and mounted vertically. The bottom end of the tube is immersed in a beaker of water and a short segment of the tube is heated. Investigate and explain the periodic motion of the water and any vapour bubbles observed.

14. Jet Refraction

A vertical jet can be refracted when passing through an in­cli­ned sieve with a fine mesh. Propose a law for such re­fraction and investigate relevant parameters.

15. Pancake Rotation

Place a few balls in a round container. If you move the container around a vertical axis, the balls can move co-directionally with the movement of the container, or they can move in the opposite direction. Explain this phenomenon and investigate how the direction of movement depends on re­le­vant parameters.

16. Thermoacoustic Engine

A piston placed in the open end of a horizontal test tube which has its other end partially filled with steel wool may oscillate when the closed end is heated up. Investigate the phe­no­menon and determine the efficiency of this engine.

17. Arrester Bed

A sand-filled lane results in the dissipation of the kinetic energy of a moving vehicle. What length is necessary for such an arrester bed to entirely stop a passively moving object (e.g. a ball)? What parameters does the length depend on?

제35회(2022년)

Problems for the 35th IYPT 2022

Released by the IOC on July 14th, 2021.

Please refer to the official and signed pdf as the authoritative source.

1. Invent Yourself

Create a non-invasive device that determines the direction of fluid flow inside an opaque pipe. Optimise your device so that you can measure the smallest flow possible.

2. Rayleigh Disk

A disk suspended vertically by a thin thread is placed in an acoustic field. This device can be used to measure the intensity of sound by turning about the axis of the thread. Investigate the accuracy of such a device.

3. Ring on the Rod

A washer on a vertical steel rod may start spinning instead of simply sliding down. Study the motion of the washer and investigate what determines the terminal velocity.

4. Unsinkable Disk

A metal disk with a hole at its centre sinks in a container filled with water. When a vertical water jet hits the centre of the disc, it may float on the water surface. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the relevant parameters.

5. Bimetallic Oscillator

A simple electric oscillator can be made using a bimetallic contact-breaker. Investigate the relevant parameters that affect the frequency of such an oscillator.

6. Tennis Ball Tower

Build a tower by stacking tennis balls using three balls per layer and a single ball on top. Investigate the structural limits and the stability of such a tower. How does the situation change when more than three balls per each layer and a suitable number of balls on the top layer are used?

7. Three-Sided Dice

To land a coin on its side is often associated with the idea of a rare occurrence. What should be the physical and geometrical characteristics of a cylindrical dice so that it has the same probability to land on its side and one of its faces?

8. Equipotential Lines

Place two electrodes into water, supply a safe voltage and use a voltmeter to determine electric potential at various locations. Investigate how the measured equipotential lines deviate from your expectations for different conditions and liquids.

9. Water SpiraL

If a stream of liquid is launched through a small hole, then under certain conditions it twists into a spiral. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the conditions under which the spiral will twist.

10. Droplet Explosion

When a drop of a water mixture (e.g. water-alcohol) is deposited on the surface of a hydrophobic liquid (e.g. vegetable oil), the resulting drop may sometimes fragment into smaller droplets. Investigate the parameters that affect the fragmentation and the size of the final droplets.

11. Balls on an Elastic Band

Connect two metal balls with an elastic band, then twist the elastic band and put the balls on a table. The balls will begin to spin in one direction, then in the other. Explain this phenomenon and investigate how the behaviour of such a “pendulum” depends on the relevant parameters.

12. Strange Motion

Sprinkle small floating particles on the surface of water in a bowl. Bring a strong magnet above and near to the water surface. Explain any observed motion of the particles.

13. Candle Powered Turbine

A paper spiral suspended above a candle starts to rotate. Optimise the setup for maximum torque.

14. Ball on Membrane

When dropping a metal ball on a rubber membrane stretched over a plastic cup, a sound can be heard. Explain the origin of this sound and explore how its characteristics depend on relevant parameters.

15. Boycott Effect

If particles are suspended in a liquid that has a lower density than the particles, the particles will settle to the bottom of the container. The rate of settling can be affected by tilting the container that holds the liquid. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the effect of relevant parameters.

16. Saving Honey

When rotating a rod coated with a viscous liquid (e.g. honey), under certain conditions the liquid will stop draining. Investigate this phenomenon.

17. Invisibility

Lenticular lenses can be used to distort light and make objects disappear. Investigate how changing the properties of the lens and the geometry of the object affect the extent to which the object can be detected.

제34회(2021년)

Problems for the 34th IYPT 2021

Released by the IOC on July 16th, 2020.

Please refer to the official and signed pdf as the authoritative source.

1. Invent Yourself

Design a boat that moves only due to the periodical mechanical movements of its internal parts and which only interacts with the environment (air, water) through its stiff hull. Optimise the parameters of your boat for maximum speed.

2. Circling Magnets

Button magnets with different diameters are attached to each end of a cylindrical battery. When placed on an aluminium foil the object starts to circle. Investigate how the motion depends on relevant parameters.

3. Proximity Sensor

A simple passive inductive sensor can detect ferromagnetic objects moving through its magnetic field. Construct such a passive sensor and investigate its characteristics such as sensing range.

4. Wind Speed

Let an electric current flow through a coil. When cold air flows over the coil, the coil’s temperature will decrease. Investigate how the temperature drop depends on the wind speed. What is the accuracy of this method of measuring the wind speed?

5. Synchronised Candles

Oscillatory flames can be observed when several candles burn next to each other. Two such oscillators can couple with each other, resulting in in-phase or anti-phase synchronisation (depending on the distance between the sets of candles). Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

6. Irreversible Cartesian Diver

A simple Cartesian diver (e.g. an inverted test tube partially filled with water) is placed in a long vertical tube filled with water. Increasing the pressure in the tube forces the Cartesian diver to sink. When it reaches a certain depth, it never returns to the surface even if the pressure is changed back to its initial value. Investigate this phenomenon and how it depends on relevant parameters.

7. Bead Dynamics

A circular hoop rotates about a vertical diameter. A small bead is allowed to roll in a groove on the inside of the hoop. Investigate the relevant parameters affecting the dynamics of the bead.

8. Fuses

A short length of wire can act as an electrical fuse. Determine how various parameters affect the time taken for the fuse to ‘blow’.

9. Light Whiskers

When a laser beam enters a soap film at a small angle, a rapidly changing pattern of thin, branching light tracks may appear inside the film. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

10. Spin Drift

When a ring is set to roll in a parabolic bowl, interesting motion patterns may arise. Investigate this phenomenon.

11. Guitar String

A periodic force is applied to a steel guitar string using an electromagnet. Investigate the motion of the guitar string around its resonance frequency.

12. Wilberforce Pendulum

A Wilberforce pendulum consists of a mass hanging from a vertically oriented helical spring. The mass can both move up and down on the spring and rotate about its vertical axis. Investigate the behaviour of such a pendulum and how it depends on relevant parameters.

13. Sponge

A sponge will soak up water at a rate and in a quantity determined by various parameters. Investigate how effective a sponge is at drying a wet surface.

14. Dynamic HydrophobicitY

When a drop of liquid impacts on a horizontally moving surface, the droplet may be reflected or not, depending on the speed of the surface. Investigate the interaction between a moving surface and a liquid drop.

15. Rebounding Capsule

A spherical ball dropped onto a hard surface will never rebound to the release height, even if it has an initial spin. A capsule-shaped object (i.e. Tic Tac mint) on the other hand may exceed the initial height. Investigate this phenomenon.

16. Ultrasonic Pump

A capillary immersed in an ultrasonic bath works like a pump that can lift water to a considerable height. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

17. Hand Helicopter

A simple hand helicopter can be made by attaching rotor blades to one end of a vertical stick. The helicopter moves upwards when the stick is twisted at a high enough speed and then let go. Investigate how the relevant parameters affect the lift-off and the maximum height.

제33회(2020년)

Problems for the 33rd IYPT 2020

Released by the IOC on July 14th, 2019.

Please refer to the official and signed pdf as the authoritative source.

1. Invent Yourself

Design an instrument for measuring current using its heating effect. What are the accuracy, precision and limits of the method?

2. Inconspicuous Bottle

Put a lit candle behind a bottle. If you blow on the bottle from the opposite side, the candle may go out, as if the bottle was not there at all. Explain the phenomenon.

3. Swinging Sound Tube

A Sound Tube is a toy, consisting of a corrugated plastic tube, that you can spin around to produce sounds. Study the characteristics of the sounds produced by such toys, and how they are affected by the relevant parameters.

4. Singing Ferrite

Insert a ferrite rod into a coil fed from a signal generator. At some frequencies the rod begins to produce a sound. Investigate the phenomenon.

5. Sweet Mirage

Fata Morgana is the name given to a particular form of mirage. A similar effect can be produced by shining a laser through a fluid with a refractive index gradient. Investigate the phenomenon.

6. Saxon Bowl

A bowl with a hole in its base will sink when placed in water. The Saxons used this device for timing purposes. Investigate the parameters that determine the time of sinking.

7. Balls on a String

Put a string through a ball with a hole in it such that the ball can move freely along the string. Attach another ball to one end of the string. When you move the free end periodically, you can observe complex movements of the two balls. Investigate the phenomenon.

8. Soap Membrane Filter

A heavy particle may fall through a horizontal soap film without rupturing it. However, a light particle may not penetrate the film and may remain on its surface. Investigate the properties of such a membrane filter.

9. Magnetic Levitation

Under certain circumstances, the “flea” of a magnetic stirrer can rise up and levitate stably in a viscous fluid during stirring. Investigate the origins of the dynamic stabilization of the “flea” and how it depends on the relevant parameters.

10. Conducting Lines

A line drawn with a pencil on paper can be electrically conducting. Investigate the characteristics of the conducting line.

11. Drifting Speckles

Shine a laser beam onto a dark surface. A granular pattern can be seen inside the spot. When the pattern is observed by a camera or the eye, that is moving slowly, the pattern seems to drift relative to the surface. Explain the phenomenon and investigate how the drift depends on relevant parameters.

12. Polygon Vortex

A stationary cylindrical vessel containing a rotating plate near the bottom surface is partially filled with liquid. Under certain conditions, the shape of the liquid surface becomes polygonlike. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the dependence on the relevant parameters.

13. Friction Oscillator

A massive object is placed onto two identical parallel horizontal cylinders. The two cylinders each rotate with the same angular velocity, but in opposite directions. Investigate how the motion of the object on the cylinders depends on the relevant parameters.

14. Falling Tower

Identical discs are stacked one on top of another to form a freestanding tower. The bottom disc can be removed by applying a sudden horizontal force such that the rest of the tower will drop down onto the surface and the tower remains standing. Investigate the phenomenon and determine the conditions that allow the tower to remain standing.

15. Pepper Pot

If you take a salt or pepper pot and just shake it, the contents will pour out relatively slowly. However, if an object is rubbed along the bottom of the pot, then the rate of pouring can increase dramatically. Explain this phenomenon and investigate how the rate depends on the relevant parameters.

16. Nitinol Engine

Place a nitinol wire loop around two pulleys with their axes located at some distance from each other. If one of the pulleys is immersed into hot water, the wire tends to straighten, causing a rotation of the pulleys. Investigate the properties of such an engine.

17. Playing CarD

A standard playing card can travel a very long distance provided that spin is imparted as it is thrown. Investigate the parameters that affect the distance and the trajectory.

 

제32회(2019년)

Problems for the 32nd IYPT 2019

Released by the IOC on July 26th, 2018.

Please refer to the official and signed pdf as the authoritative source.

1. Invent Yourself

Build a simple motor whose propulsion is based on corona discharge. Investigate how the rotor’s motion depends on relevant parameters and optimize your design for maximum speed at a fixed input voltage.

2. Aerosol

When water flows through a small aperture, an aerosol may be formed. Investigate the parameters that determine whether an aerosol is formed rather than a jet for example. What are the properties of the aerosol?

3. Undertone Sound

Allow a tuning fork or another simple oscillator to vibrate against a sheet of paper with a weak contact between them. The frequency of the resulting sound can have a lower frequency than the tuning fork’s fundamental frequency. Investigate this phenomenon.

4. Funnel and Ball

A light ball (e.g. ping-pong ball) can be picked up with a funnel by blowing air through it. Explain the phenomenon and investigate the relevant parameters.

5. Filling Up a Bottle

When a vertical water jet enters a bottle, sound may be produced, and, as the bottle is filled up, the properties of the sound may change. Investigate how relevant parameters of the system such as speed and dimensions of the jet, size and shape of the bottle or water temperature affect the sound.

6. Hurricane Balls

Two steel balls that are joined together can be spun at incredibly high frequency by first spinning them by hand and then blowing on them through a tube, e.g. a drinking straw. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

7. Loud Voice

A simple cone-shaped or horn-shaped object can be used to optimise the transfer of the human voice to a remote listener. Investigate how the resulting acoustic output depends on relevant parameters such as the shape, size, and material of the cone.

8. Sci-Fi Sound

Tapping a helical spring can make a sound like a “laser shot” in a science-fiction movie. Investigate and explain this phenomenon.

9. Soy Sauce Optics

Using a laser beam passing through a thin layer (about 200 µm) of soy sauce the thermal lens effect can be observed. Investigate this phenomenon.

10. Suspended Water Wheel

Carefully place a light object, such as a Styrofoam disk, near the edge of a water jet aiming upwards. Under certain conditions, the object will start to spin while being suspended. Investigate this phenomenon and its stability to external perturbations.

11. Flat Self-Assembly

Put a number of identical hard regular-shaped particles in a flat layer on top of a vibrating plate. Depending on the number of particles per unit area, they may or may not form an ordered crystal-like structure. Investigate the phenomenon.

12. Gyroscope Teslameter

A spinning gyroscope made from a conducting, but nonferromagnetic material slows down when placed in a magnetic field. Investigate how the deceleration depends on relevant parameters.

13. Moiré Thread Counter

When a pattern of closely spaced non-intersecting lines (with transparent gaps in between) is overlaid on a piece of woven fabric, characteristic moiré fringes may be observed. Design an overlay that allows you to measure the thread count of the fabric. Determine the accuracy for simple fabrics (e.g. linen) and investigate if the method is reliable for more complex fabrics (e.g. denim or Oxford cloth).

14. Looping Pendulum

Connect two loads, one heavy and one light, with a string over a horizontal rod and lift up the heavy load by pulling down the light one. Release the light load and it will sweep around the rod, keeping the heavy load from falling to the ground. Investigate this phenomenon.

15. Newton’s Cradle

The oscillations of a Newton’s cradle will gradually decay until the spheres come to rest. Investigate how the rate of decay of a Newton’s cradle depends on relevant parameters such as the number, material, and alignment of the spheres.

16. Sinking Bubbles

When a container of liquid (e.g. water) oscillates vertically, it is possible that bubbles in the liquid move downwards instead of rising. Investigate this phenomenon.

17. Popsicle Chain Reaction

Wooden popsicle sticks can be joined together by slightly bending each of them so that they interlock in a so-called “cobra weave” chain. When such a chain has one of its ends released, the sticks rapidly dislodge, and a wave front travels along the chain. Investigate the phenomenon.

 

제31회(2018년)

Problems for the 31st IYPT 2018

Released by the IOC on July 13th, 2017.

Please refer to the official and signed pdf as the authoritative source.

1. Invent Yourself

Construct a simple seismograph that amplifies a local disturbance by mechanical, optical or electrical methods. Determine the typical response curve of your device and investigate the parameters of the damping constant. What is the maximum amplification that you can achieve?

2. Colour of Powders

If a coloured material is ground to a powder, in some cases the resulting powder may have a different colour to that of the original material. Investigate how the degree of grinding affects the apparent colour of the powder.

3. Dancing Coin

Take a strongly cooled bottle and put a coin on its neck. Over time you will hear a noise and see movements of the coin. Explain this phenomenon and investigate how the relevant parameters affect the dance.

4. Heron’s Fountain

Construct a Heron’s fountain and explain how it works. Investigate how the relevant parameters affect the height of the water jet.

5. Drinking Straw

When a drinking straw is placed in a glass of carbonated drink, it can rise up, sometimes toppling over the edge of the glass. Investigate and explain the motion of the straw and determine the conditions under which the straw will topple.

6. Ring Oiler

An oiled horizontal cylindrical shaft rotates around its axis at constant speed. Make a ring from a cardboard disc with the inner diameter roughly twice the diameter of the shaft and put the ring on the shaft. Depending on the tilt of the ring, it can travel along the shaft in either direction. Investigate the phenomenon.

7. Conical Piles

Non-adhesive granular materials can be poured such that they form a cone-like pile. Investigate the parameters that affect the formation of the cone and the angle it makes with the ground.

8. Cusps in a Cylinder

A horizontal cylinder is partially filled with a viscous fluid. When the cylinder is rotated around its axis, unusual fluid behaviour can be observed, such as cusp-like shapes on the walls of the cylinder. Investigate the phenomenon.

9. Candle in Water

Add some weight to a candle such that it barely floats in water. As the candle burns, it may continue to float. Investigate and explain this phenomenon.

10. Tesla Valve

A Tesla valve is a fixed-geometry, passive, one-direction valve. A Tesla valve offers a resistance to flow that is much greater in one direction compared to the other. Create such a Tesla valve and investigate its relevant parameters.

11. Azimuthal-Radial Pendulum

Fix one end of a horizontal elastic rod to a rigid stand. Support the other end of the rod with a taut string to avoid vertical deflection and suspend a bob from it on another string (see figure). In the resulting pendulum the radial oscillations (parallel to the rod) can spontaneously convert into azimuthal oscillations (perpendicular to the rod) and vice versa. Investigate the phenomenon.

12. Curie Point Engine

Make a nickel disc that can rotate freely around its axis. Place a magnet near the edge of the disc and heat this side of it. The disc starts to rotate. Investigate the parameters affecting the rotation and optimize the design for a steady motion.

13. Weighing Time

It is commonly known that an hourglass changes its weight (as measured by a scale) while flowing. Investigate this phenomenon.

14. Radiant Lantern

When taking a picture of a glowing lantern at night, a number of rays emanating from the centre of the lantern may appear in the pictures. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

15. Blowing Bubbles

When blowing on a soap film in a ring, a bubble may be formed. The liquid film may pop or continue to exist. Investigate how the number of bubbles produced from a single soap film and the characteristics of the bubbles depend on the relevant parameters.

16. Acoustic Levitation

Small objects can levitate in acoustic standing waves. Investigate the phenomenon. To what extent can you manipulate the objects?

17. Water Bottle

The current craze of water bottle flipping involves launching a partially filled plastic bottle into the air so that it performs a somersault before landing on a horizontal surface in a stable, upright position. Investigate the phenomenon and determine the parameters that will result in a successful

제30회(2017년)

Problems for the 30th IYPT 2017

1. Invent yourself
Construct a passive device that will provide safe landing for an uncooked hen’s egg when dropped onto a hard surface from a fixed height of 2.5 m. The device must fall together with the egg. What is the smallest size of the device you can achieve?

2. Balloon airhorn
A simple airhorn can be constructed by stretching a balloon over the opening of a small container or cup with a tube through the other end (see Figure). Blowing through a small hole in the side of the container can produce a sound. Investigate how relevant parameters affect the sound.

                             

 

3. Single lens telescope
A telescope can be built using a single lens, provided that a small aperture is used instead of an eyepiece. How do the parameters of the lens and the hole influence the image (e.g. magnification, sharpness and brightness)?

4. Magnetic hills
A small amount of a ferrofluid placed in an inhomogeneous magnetic field forms hill-like structures. Investigate how the properties of these structures depend on relevant parameters.

5. Leidenfrost stars
In the Leidenfrost effect, a water drop placed on a hot surface can survive for minutes. Under certain circumstances, such a drop develops oscillating star shapes. Induce different oscillatory modes and investigate them.

6. Fast chain
A chain consisting of wooden blocks inclined relative to the vertical and connected by two threads (see Figure) is suspended vertically and then released. Compared to free fall, the chain falls faster when it is dropped onto a horizontal surface. Explain this phenomenon and investigate how the relevant parameters affect the motion.

                                   

 

7. Spiral waves
Spiral waves and other types of wave patterns may occur on a thin liquid film flowing over a rotating disk. Investigate these wave patterns.

8. Visualising density
Schlieren Photography is often used to visualise density variations in a gas. Build a Schlieren setup and investigate how well it can resolve density differences.

9. Ball in a tube
A sealed transparent tube is filled with a liquid and contains a small ball. The tube is inclined and its lower end is attached to a motor such that the tube traces a conical surface. Investigate the motion of the ball as a function of relevant parameters.

10. Pulling glasses apart
Put a thin layer of water between two sheets of glass and try to separate them. Investigate the parameters affecting the required force.

11. Hair hygrometer
A simple hygrometer can be built using human hair. Investigate its accuracy and response time as a function of relevant parameters.

12. Torsion gyroscope
Fasten the axis of a wheel to a vertical thread that has a certain torsional resistance (see Figure). Twist the thread, spin the wheel, and release it. Investigate the dynamics of this system.

                                   

 

13. Resonating glass
A wine glass partially filled with liquid will resonate when exposed to the sound from a loudspeaker. Investigate how the phenomenon depends on various parameters.

14. Gee-haw whammy diddle
A gee-haw whammy diddle is a mechanical toy consisting of a simple wooden stick and a second stick that is made up of a series of notches with a propeller at its end. When the wooden stick is pulled over the notches, the propeller starts to rotate. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the relevant parameters.

15. Boiled egg
Suggest non-invasive methods to detect the degree to which a hen’s egg is cooked by boiling. Investigate the sensitivity of your methods.

16. Metronome synchronization
A number of mechanical metronomes standing next to each other and set at random initial phases under certain conditions reach synchronous behaviour in a matter of minutes. Investigate the phenomenon.

17. Vacuum bazooka
A ‘vacuum bazooka’ can be built with a simple plastic pipe, a light projectile, and a vacuum cleaner. Build such a device and maximise the muzzle velocity.

제29회(2016년)

Problems for the 29th IYPT 2016

1. Invent yourself

Truly random numbers are a very valuable and rare resource. Design, produce, and test a mechanical device for producing random numbers. Analyse to what extent the randomness produced is safe against tampering.

2. Lagging pendulum
A pendulum consists of a strong thread and a bob. When the pivot of the pendulum starts moving along a horizontal circumference, the bob starts tracing a circle which can have a smaller radius, under certain conditions. Investigate the motion and stable trajectories of the bob.

3. Acoustic lens
Fresnel lenses with concentric rings are widely used in optical applications, however a similar principle can be used to focus acoustic waves. Design and produce an acoustic lens and investigate its properties, such as amplification, as a function of relevant parameters.

4. Super Ball
Throw a highly elastic ball into the space between two plates. The ball starts bouncing and under some circumstances can even be projected back to you. Investigate the motion of the ball and parameters influencing the motion, including the orientation of the plates.

5. Ultrahydrophobic water
Set a dish filled with soapy water onto a loudspeaker or other vibrator. When it oscillates, it is possible to hold small droplets on its surface for a long time. Explain and investigate the phenomenon.

6. Electric honeycomb
Set a vertically oriented steel needle over a horizontal metallic plate. Place some oil onto the plate. If you apply constant high voltage between the needle and the plate, a cell structure appears on the surface of the liquid. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.

7. Hot water fountain
Partially fill a Mohr pipette with hot water. Cover the top of the pipette with your thumb. Turn the tip upwards and observe the fountain exiting the tip. Investigate the parameters describing the height of the fountain, and optimize them to get the maximum height.

8. Magnetic train
Button magnets are attached to both ends of a small cylindrical battery. When placed in a copper coil such that the magnets contact the coil, this “train” starts to move. Explain the phenomenon and investigate how relevant parameters affect the train’s speed and power.

9. Water waves
Generate a water wave with a vertically oscillating horizontal cylinder. When varying the excitation frequency and/or amplitude, the water seems to drift away from or towards the cylinder. Investigate the phenomenon.

10. Light rings
Let a liquid jet fall onto a surface. If the contact point is illuminated by a laser beam, rings of light around the jet can be observed (see Figure). Investigate the light rings and determine how they depend on relevant parameters of the whole system.
                               

11. Rolling on a disc
If you put a light rolling object (e.g. a ring, a disc, or a sphere) on a horizontal rotating disc, it may start moving without being expelled from the disc. Explain how different types of motion depend on the relevant parameters.

12. Van der Pauw method
It is known that conductivity of a material can be measured independently of the sample shape, as long as the sample has one border (no holes). To what extent can such a method be applied? Investigate and explain such measurements if the sample has holes.

13. Paper vice
Take two similar paperback books and interleave a few pages at a time. Push the books together. Hold the two books by their spines and try to pull them apart. Investigate the parameters that set the limits of being able to separate the books.

14. Sensitive flame
A combustible gas (e.g. propane) streams vertically out of a fine nozzle and then through a fine metallic mesh at a distance of about 5 cm. The gas is lit and produces a flame above the mesh. Under some circumstances, this flame reacts very sensitively to sound. Investigate the phenomenon and the relevant parameters.

15. Contactless calliper
Invent and construct an optical device that uses a laser pointer and allows contactless determination of thickness, refractive index, and other properties of a glass sheet.

16. Frisbee vortices
When a vertical plate is partially submerged in water and pulled in a direction normal to the plate, a pair of vortices is created in the surface of the water. Under certain conditions, these vortices travel along the surface for a long distance. Investigate the parameters influencing the motion and stability of these vortices.

17. Crazy suitcase
When one pulls along a two wheeled suitcase, it can under certain circumstances wobble so strongly from side to side that it can turn over. Investigate this phenomenon. Can one suppress or intensify the effect by varied packing of the luggage?

 

제28회(2015년)

Problems for the 28th IYPT 2015

1. Packing

The fraction of space occupied by granular particles depends on their shape. Pour non-spherical particles such as rice, matches, or M&M’s candies into a box. How do characteristics like coordination number, orientational order, or the random close packing fraction depend on the relevant parameters?

2. Plume of Smoke

If a burning candle is covered by a transparent glass, the flame extinguishes and a steady upward stream of smoke is produced. Investigate the plume of smoke at various magnifications.

3. Artificial Muscle

Attach a polymer fishing line to an electric drill and apply tension to the line. As it twists, the fibre will form tight coils in a spring-like arrangement. Apply heat to the coils to permanently fix that spring-like shape. When you apply heat again, the coil will contract. Investigate this ‘artificial muscle’.

4. Liquid Film Motor

Form a soap film on a flat frame. Put the film in an electric field parallel to the film surface and pass an electric current through the film. The film rotates in its plane. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.

5. Two Balloons

Two rubber balloons are partially inflated with air and connected together by a hose with a valve. It is found that depending on initial balloon volumes, the air can flow in different directions. Investigate this phenomenon.

6. Magnus Glider

Glue the bottoms of two light cups together to make a glider. Wind an elastic band around the centre and hold the free end that remains. While holding the glider, stretch the free end of the elastic band and then release the glider. Investigate its motion.

7. Shaded Pole

Place a non-ferromagnetic metal disk over an electromagnet powered by an AC supply. The disk will be repelled, but not rotated. However, if a non-ferromagnetic metal sheet is partially inserted between the electromagnet and the disk, the disk will rotate. Investigate the phenomenon.

8. Sugar and Salt

When a container with a layer of sugar water placed above a layer of salt water is illuminated, a distinctive fingering pattern may be seen in the projected shadow. Investigate the phenomenon and its dependence on the relevant parameters.

9. Hovercraft

A simple model hovercraft can be built using a CD and a balloon filled with air attached via a tube. Exiting air can lift the device making it float over a surface with low friction. Investigate how the relevant parameters influence the time of the 'low-friction' state.

10. Singing Blades of Grass

It is possible to produce a sound by blowing across a blade of grass, a paper strip or similar. Investigate this effect.

11. Cat’s Whisker

The first semiconductor diodes, widely used in crystal radios, consisted of a thin wire that lightly touched a crystal of a semiconducting material (e.g. galena). Build your own ‘cat’s-whisker’ diode and investigate its electrical properties.

12. Thick Lens

A bottle filled with a liquid can work as a lens. Arguably, such a bottle is dangerous if left on a table on a sunny day. Can one use such a ‘lens’ to scorch a surface?

13. Magnetic Pendulum

Make a light pendulum with a small magnet at the free end. An adjacent electromagnet connected to an AC power source of a much higher frequency than the natural frequency of the pendulum can lead to undamped oscillations with various amplitudes. Study and explain the phenomenon.

14. Circle of Light

When a laser beam is aimed at a wire, a circle of light can be observed on a screen perpendicular to the wire. Explain this phenomenon and investigate how it depends on the relevant parameters.

15. Moving Brush

A brush may start moving when placed on a vibrating horizontal surface. Investigate the motion.

16. Wet and Dark

Clothes can look darker or change colour when they get wet. Investigate the phenomenon.

17. Coffee Cup

Physicists like drinking coffee, however walking between laboratories with a cup of coffee can be problematic. Investigate how the shape of the cup, speed of walking and other parameters affect the likelihood of coffee being spilt while walking.

제27회(2014년)

Problems

As decided by the IOC 2013-08-01, released 2013-08-01

 

 

1. Invent yourself

It is known that some electrical circuits exhibit chaotic behaviour. Build a simple circuit with such a property, and investigate its behaviour.

2. Hologram

It is argued that a hologram can be hand made by scratching a piece of plastic. Produce such a ‘hologram’ with the letters ‘IYPT’ and investigate how it works.

3. Twisted rope

Hold a rope and twist one end of it. At some point the rope will form a helix or a loop. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.

4. Ball sound

When two hard steel balls, or similar, are brought gently into contact with each other, an unusual ‘chirping’ sound may be produced. Investigate and explain the nature of the sound.

5. Loaded hoop

Fasten a small weight to the inside of a hoop and set the hoop in motion by giving it an initial push. Investigate the hoop’s motion.

6. Bubble crystal

A large number of very small, similar air bubbles float on the surface of a soapy liquid. The bubbles will arrange themselves into a regular pattern similar to a crystalline lattice. Propose a method to obtain bubbles of a consistent size, and investigate the formation of such a bubble crystal.

7. Pot-in-pot refrigerator

The ‘pot-in-pot refrigerator’ is a device that keeps food cool using the principle of evaporative cooling. It consists of a pot placed inside a bigger pot with the space between them filled with a wet porous material, e.g. sand. How might one achieve the best cooling effect?

8. Freezing droplets

Place a water droplet on a plate cooled down to around -20 °C. As it freezes, the shape of the droplet may become cone-like with a sharp top. Investigate this effect.

9. Water bombs

Some students are ineffective in water balloon fights as the balloons they throw rebound without bursting. Investigate the motion, deformation, and rebound of a balloon filled with fluid. Under what circumstances does the balloon burst?

10. Coefficient of diffusion

Using a microscope, observe the Brownian motion of a particle of the order of micrometre in size. Investigate how the coefficient of diffusion depends on the size and shape of the particle.

11. Candle Power Plant

Design a device that converts the heat of a candle flame into electrical energy. Investigate how different aspects of the device affect its efficiency.

12. Cold balloon

As air escapes from an inflated rubber balloon, its surface becomes cooler to the touch. Investigate the parameters that affect this cooling. What is the temperature of various parts of the balloon as a function of relevant parameters?

13. Rotating saddle

A ball is placed in the middle of a rotating saddle. Investigate its dynamics and explain the conditions under which the ball does not fall off the saddle.

14. Rubber motor

A twisted rubber band stores energy and can be used to power a model aircraft for example. Investigate the properties of such an energy source and how its power output changes with time.

15. Oil stars

If a thick layer of a viscous fluid (e.g. silicone oil) is vibrated vertically in a circular reservoir, symmetrical standing waves can be observed. How many lines of symmetry are there in such wave patterns? Investigate and explain the shape and behaviour of the patterns.

16. Magnetic brakes

When a strong magnet falls down a non-ferromagnetic metal tube, it will experience a retarding force. Investigate the phenomenon.

17. Chocolate hysteresis

Chocolate appears to be a solid material at room temperature but melts when heated to around body temperature. When cooled down again, it often stays melted even at room temperature. Investigate the temperature range over which chocolate can exist in both melted and ‘solid’ states and its dependence on relevant parameters.

제26회(2013년)

Problems

As decided by the IOC 2012-07-28, released 2012-08-01

 

 

1. Invent yourself

It is more difficult to bend a paper sheet, if it is folded “accordion style” or rolled into a tube. Using a single A4 sheet and a small amount of glue, if required, construct a bridge spanning a gap of 280 mm. Introduce parameters to describe the strength of your bridge, and optimise some or all of them.

2. Elastic space

The dynamics and apparent interactions of massive balls rolling on a stretched horizontal membrane are often used to illustrate gravitation. Investigate the system further. Is it possible to define and measure the apparent “gravitational constant” in such a “world”?

3. Bouncing ball

If you hold a Ping-Pong ball above the ground and release it, it bounces. The nature of the collision changes if the ball contains liquid. Investigate how the nature of the collision depends on the amount of liquid inside the ball and other relevant parameters.

Soliton highres picture.jpg

4. Soliton

A chain of similar pendula is mounted equidistantly along a horizontal axis, with adjacent pendula being connected with light strings. Each pendulum can rotate about the axis but can not move sideways (see figure). Investigate the propagation of a deflection along such a chain. What is the speed for a solitary wave, when each pendulum undergoes an entire 360º revolution?

5. Levitation

A light ball (e.g. a Ping-Pong ball) can be supported on an upward airstream. The airstream can be tilted yet still support the ball. Investigate the effect and optimise the system to produce the maximum angle of tilt that results in a stable ball position.

IMG 1758.jpg

6. Coloured plastic

In bright light, a transparent plastic object (e.g. a blank CD case) can sometimes shine in various colours (see figure). Study and explain the phenomenon. Ascertain if one also sees the colours when various light sources are used.

jar rays.png

7. Hearing light

Coat one half of the inside of a jar with a layer of soot and drill a hole in its cover (see figure). When light from a light bulb connected to AC hits the jar’s black wall, a distinct sound can be heard. Explain and investigate the phenomenon.

DSC01096.JPG

8. Jet and film

A thin liquid jet impacts on a soap film (see figure). Depending on relevant parameters, the jet can either penetrate through the film or merge with it, producing interesting shapes. Explain and investigate this interaction and the resulting shapes.

9. Carbon microphone

For many years, a design of microphone has involved the use of carbon granules. Varying pressure on the granules produced by incident sound waves produces an electrical output signal. Investigate the components of such a device and determine its characteristics.

10. Water rise

Fill a saucer up with water and place a candle vertically in the middle of the saucer. The candle is lit and then covered by a transparent beaker. Investigate and explain the further phenomenon.

11. Ball bearing motor

A device called a “Ball Bearing Motor” uses electrical energy to create rotational motion. On what parameters do the motor efficiency and the velocity of the rotation depend? (Take care when working with high currents!)

12. Helmholtz carousel

Attach Christmas tree balls on a low friction mounting (carousel) such that the hole in each ball points in a tangential direction. If you expose this arrangement to sound of a suitable frequency and intensity, the carousel starts to rotate. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the parameters that result in the maximum rotation speed of the carousel.

13. Honey coils

A thin, downward flow of viscous liquid, such as honey, often turns itself into circular coils. Study and explain this phenomenon.

14. Flying chimney

Make a hollow cylindrical tube from light paper (e.g. from an empty tea bag). When the top end of the cylinder is lit, it takes off. Explain the phenomenon and investigate the parameters that influence the lift-off and dynamics of the cylinder.

15. Meniscus optics

Cut a narrow slit in a thin sheet of opaque material. Immerse the sheet in a liquid such as water. After removing the sheet from the liquid, you will see a liquid film in the slit. Illuminate the slit and study the resulting pattern.

16. Hoops

An elastic hoop is pressed against a hard surface and then suddenly released. The hoop can jump high in the air. Investigate how the height of the jump depends on the relevant parameters.

17. Fire hose

Consider a hose with a water jet coming from its nozzle. Release the hose and observe its subsequent motion. Determine the parameters that affect this motion.

 

제25회(2012년)

Problems for the 25th IYPT, July 2012  Bad Saulgau, Germary

 

1. Gaussian cannon

A sequence of identical steel balls includes a strong magnet and lies in a nonmagnetic channel. Another steel ball is rolled towards them and collides with the end ball. The ball at the opposite end of the sequence is ejected at a surprisingly high velocity. Optimize the magnet's position for the greatest effect.

2. Cutting the air

When a piece of thread (e.g., nylon) is whirled around with a small mass attached to its free end, a distinct noise is emitted. Study the origin of this noise and the relevant parameters.

3 string of beads.jpg

3. String of beads

A long string of beads is released from a beaker by pulling a sufficiently long part of the chain over the edge of the beaker. Due to gravity the speed of the string increases. At a certain moment the string no longer touches the edge of the beaker (see picture). Investigate and explain the phenomenon.

4. Fluid bridge

If a high voltage is applied to a fluid (e.g. deionized water) in two beakers, which are in contact, a fluid bridge may be formed. Investigate the phenomenon. (High voltages must only be used under appropriate supervision - check local rules.)

5. Bright waves

Illuminate a water tank. When there are waves on the water surface, you can see bright and dark patterns on the bottom of the tank. Study the relation between the waves and the pattern.

6 woodpecker toy.jpg

6. Woodpecker toy

A woodpecker toy (see picture) exhibits an oscillatory motion. Investigate and explain the motion of the toy.

7. Drawing pins

A drawing pin (thumbtack) floating on the surface of water near another floating object is subject to an attractive force. Investigate and explain the phenomenon. Is it possible to achieve a repulsive force by a similar mechanism?

8. Bubbles

Is it possible to float on water when there are a large number of bubbles present? Study how the buoyancy of an object depends on the presence of bubbles.

9. Magnet and coin

Place a coin vertically on a magnet. Incline the coin relative to the magnet and then release it. The coin may fall down onto the magnet or revert to its vertical position. Study and explain the coin's motion.

10. Rocking bottle

Fill a bottle with some liquid. Lay it down on a horizontal surface and give it a push. The bottle may first move forward and then oscillate before it comes to rest. Investigate the bottle's motion.

11. Flat flow

Fill a thin gap between two large transparent horizontal parallel plates with a liquid and make a little hole in the centre of one of the plates. Investigate the flow in such a cell, if a different liquid is injected through the hole.

12. Lanterns

Paper lanterns float using a candle. Design and make a lantern powered by a single tea-light that takes the shortest time (from lighting the candle) to float up a vertical height of 2.5m. Investigate the influence of the relevant parameters. (Please take care not to create a risk of fire!)

13. Misty glass

Breathe on a cold glass surface so that water vapour condenses on it. Look at a white lamp through the misted glass and you will see coloured rings appear outside a central fuzzy white spot. Explain the phenomenon.

14. Granular splash

If a steel ball is dropped onto a bed of dry sand, a "splash" will be observed that may be followed by the ejection of a vertical column of sand. Reproduce and explain this phenomenon.

15. Frustrating golf ball

It often happens that a golf ball escapes from the hole an instant after it has been putted into it. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the conditions under which it can be observed.

16. Rising bubble

A vertical tube is filled with a viscous fluid. On the bottom of the tube, there is a large air bubble. Study the bubble rising from the bottom to the surface.

17. Ball in foam

A small, light ball is placed inside soap foam. The size of the ball should be comparable to the size of the foam bubbles. Investigate the ball's motion as a function of the relevant parameters.

제24회(2011년)

Problems for the 24th IYPT, July 2011 Iran, Tehran
1. Adhesive tape

Determine the force necessary to remove a piece of adhesive tape from a horizontal surface. Investigate the influence of relevant parameters.

2. Air drying

Table utensils (dishes, cutlery, etc.), after being washed, dry differently. Investigate how the time of drying depends on relevant parameters.

3. Bouncing flame

Place a flame (e.g. from a Bunsen burner) between two charged parallel metal plates. Investigate the motion of the flame.

4. Breaking spaghetti

Find the conditions under which dry spaghetti falling on a hard floor does not break.

5. Car

Build a model car powered by an engine using an elastic air-filled toy-balloon as the energy source. Determine how the distance travelled by the car depends on relevant parameters and maximize the efficiency of the car.

6. Convection

In a container filled with a liquid, heat transport will occur when the bottom of the container is heated and the top surface is cooled. How does the phenomenon change when the container rotates about its vertical axis?

7. Cup drum

A plastic cup is held upside-down and tapped on its base. Investigate the sound produced when the open end of the cup is above, on or below a water surface.

8. Domino amplifier

A row of dominoes falling in sequence after the first is displaced is a well known phenomenon. If a row of "dominoes" gradually increases in height, investigate how the energy transfer takes place and determine any limitations to the size of the dominoes.

9. Escaping powder

When a hot wire is plunged into a beaker of water with powder (e.g. lycopodium) floating on the surface, the powder moves rapidly. Investigate the parameters that alter the speed of movement of the powder.

10. Faraday heaping

When a container filled with small spheres (e.g. mustard seeds) is vibrated vertically with a frequency between 1 – 10 Hz, so called Faraday heaping occurs. Explore this phenomenon.

11. Fingerprints

Fill a glass with a liquid and hold it in your hands. If you look from above at the inner walls of the glass, you will notice that the only thing visible through the walls is a very bright and clear image of patterns on your fingertips. Study and explain this phenomenon.

12. Levitating spinner

A toy consists of a magnetic spinning top and a plate containing magnets (e.g. "Levitron"). The top may levitate above the magnetic plate. Under what conditions can one observe the phenomenon?

13. Light bulb

What is the ratio between the thermal energy and light energy emitted from a small electric bulb depending on the voltage applied to a bulb?

14. Moving cylinder

Place a sheet of paper on a horizontal table and put a cylindrical object (e.g. a pencil) on the paper. Pull the paper out. Observe and investigate the motion of the cylinder until it comes to rest.

15. Slow descent

Design and make a device, using one sheet of A4 80 gram per m2 paper that will take the longest possible time to fall to the ground through a vertical distance of 2.5m. A small amount of glue may be used. Investigate the influence of the relevant parameters.

16. Smoke stream

A glass jar is covered with cellophane. A tightly folded paper tube of length 4-5 cm is inserted hermetically into the jar through the cellophane cover. The tube is oriented horizontally. If one burns the outside end of the tube the dense smoke flows into the jar. Explore this phenomenon.

17. Vikings

According to a legend, Vikings were able to navigate in an ocean even during overcast (dull) weather using tourmaline crystals. Study how it is possible to navigate using a polarizing material. What is the accuracy of the method?

제23회(2010년)

Problems for the 23rd IYPT, July 2010 Vienna, Austria
1. Electromagnetic cannon

A solenoid can be used to fire a small ball. A capacitor is used to energize the solenoid coil. Build a device with a capacitor charged to a maximum 50V. Investigate the relevant parameters and maximize the speed of the ball.

2. Brilliant pattern

Suspend a water drop at the lower end of a vertical pipe. Illuminate the drop using a laser pointer and observe the pattern created on a screen. Study and explain the structure of the pattern.

3. Steel balls

Colliding two large steel balls with a thin sheet of material (e.g. paper) in between may “burn” a hole in the sheet. Investigate this effect for various materials.

4. Soap film

Create a soap film in a circular wire loop. The soap film deforms when a charged body is placed next to it. Investigate how the shape of the soap film depends on the position and nature of the charge.

5. Grid

A plastic grid covers the open end of a cylindrical vessel containing water. The grid is covered and the vessel is turned upside down. What is the maximal size of holes in the grid so that water does not flow out when the cover is removed?

6. Ice

A wire with weights attached to each end is placed across a block of ice. The wire may pass through the ice without cutting it. Investigate the phenomenon.

7. Two flasks

Two similar flasks (one is empty, one contains water) are each connected by flexible pipes to a lower water reservoir. The flasks are heated to 100°C and this temperature is held for some time. Heating is stopped and as the flasks cool down water is drawn up the tubes. Investigate and describe in which tube the water goes up faster and in which the final height is greater. How does this effect depend on the time of heating?

8. Liquid light guide

A transparent vessel is filled with a liquid (e.g. water). A jet flows out of the vessel. A light source is placed so that a horizontal beam enters the liquid jet (see picture). Under what conditions does the jet operate like a light guide?

Liquid light guide

9. Sticky water

When a horizontal cylinder is placed in a vertical stream of water, the stream can follow the cylinder’s circumference along the bottom and continue up the other side before it detaches. Explain this phenomenon and investigate the relevant parameters.

10. Calm surface

When wind blows across a water surface, waves can be observed. If the water is covered by an oil layer, the waves on the water surface will diminish. Investigate the phenomenon.

11. Sand

Dry sand is rather 'soft' to walk on when compared to damp sand. However sand containing a significant amount of water becomes soft again. Investigate the parameters that affect the softness of sand.

12. Wet towels

When a wet towel is flicked, it may create a cracking sound like a whip. Investigate the effect. Why does a wet towel crack louder than a dry one?

13. Shrieking rod

A metal rod is held between two fingers and hit. Investigate how the sound produced depends on the position of holding and hitting the rod?

14. Magnetic spring

Two magnets are arranged on top of each other such that one of them is fixed and the other one can move vertically. Investigate oscillations of the magnet.

15. Paper anemometer

When thin strips of paper are placed in an air flow, a noise may be heard. Investigate how the velocity of the air flow can be deduced from this noise?

16. Rotating spring

A helical spring is rotated about one of its ends around a vertical axis. Investigate the expansion of the spring with and without an additional mass attached to its free end.

17. Kelvin’s dropper

Construct Kelvin’s dropper. Measure the highest voltage it can produce. Investigate its dependence on relevant parameters.

제22회(2009년)

Problems for the 22ndIYPT, 21-28 July 2009 Nankai University, Tianjin, China
1. Stearin engine

A candle is balanced on a horizontal needle placed through it near its centre of mass. When the candle is lit at both ends, it may start to oscillate. Investigate the phenomenon. Maximize the output mechanical power of the system.

2. Coupled compasses

Place a compass on a table. Place a similar compass next to the first one and shake it gently to make the needle start oscillating. The original compass' needle will start oscillating. Observe and explain the behaviour of these coupled oscillators.

3. Resonating modes

Place a mobile phone inside a metallic container with a hole in it. Investigate under what conditions the mobile phone starts to ring after calling it.

4. Ghostly images

Ghostly images

When a photo is taken with a flash, bright "disks" may appear as shown in the picture. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.

 

5. Stop a drip

To prevent dripping from a bottle after pouring, it can be turned slightly. Investigate the motion of the bottle for no drop to fall.

6. Roundabout

Put a plastic cup on a thin layer of liquid on a flat solid surface. Make the cup rotate. On what parameters does the rotational deceleration of the cup depend?

7. Skateboarder

A skateboarder on a horizontal surface can accelerate from rest just by moving the body, without touching external support. Investigate the parameters that affect the motion of a skateboard propelled by this method.

8. Air pocket

A vertical air jet from a straw produces a cavity on a water surface. What parameters determine the volume and depth of the cavity?

9. Drying

Investigate the drying process of a vertical wet paper sheet. How does the boundary of drying move?

10. Optical tube

Look down a cylindrical metal tube which is shiny on the inside. You will notice dark and light bands. Investigate the phenomenon.

11. Transformers

The "simple transformer law" relates output voltage to input voltage and turns ratio. Investigate the importance of frequency and other parameters in determining the non-ideal behaviour of transformers.

12. Hot ball

Put a hot metal ball on parallel horizontal rails. The ball starts to move. Investigate the phenomenon.

13. Sand ripples

Investigate how the formation of sand ripples under shallow water depends on various parameters.

14. Bouncing drop

Investigate the motion of water droplets falling on a hydrophobic surface (e.g. coated with soot or teflon).

15. Electro-oscillator

A mass is hung from the middle of a horizontal wire. When a current is passed through the wire, the mass may start to oscillate. Describe and explain this phenomenon.

16. Electromagnetic motor

Attach a strong light magnet to the head of a steel screw. The screw can now hang from the terminal of a battery. Completing the circuit by a sliding contact on the magnet causes the screw to rotate. Investigate the parameters that determine the angular velocity of the screw.

17. Corrugation

Corrugation

After traffic has used an unpaved road for some time the surface of the road gets a "wave" structure with a well defined wavelength. Investigate and explain this phenomenon.

 

제21회(2008년)

21st IYPT, 21-28 May, 2008, Trogir, Croatia
1. Tipcat

Place a small wooden stick over the edge of a desk. Hit the end of the stick overhanging the table so that it flies away. How is the flight distance related to the relevant parameters? What is the condition for a maximum horizontal distance?

2. Winged seed

Investigate the motion of falling winged seeds such as those of the maple tree.

3. Pin-hole Camera

Study the characteristics of a pin-hole camera and find the conditions for the camera to achieve optimum image quality.

4. Cymbal

Discharging an electronic flash unit near a cymbal will produce a sound from the cymbal. Explain the phenomenon and investigate the relevant parameters.

5. Voltaic cell

Make a voltaic cell using paper tissues as a salt bridge. Study and explain how the electromotive force of this battery depends on time.

6. Liquid stain

When a drop of liquid such as coffee dries on a smooth surface, the stain usually remains at the edge of the drop. Investigate why the stain forms at the edge and what parameters affect the characteristics of the stain.

7. Making a Splash

A solid object is dropped into water from a height of 50 cm. Investigate the factors that would minimize the splash.

8. Astroblaster

When a large ball is dropped, with a smaller one stacked on top of it, onto a hard surface, the smaller ball will often rise much higher than it would if dropped onto the same surface by itself while the larger ball hardly bounces at all. Investigate this phenomenon and design a multiple-ball system, using up to 4 balls, that will reach the greatest elevation of the top ball.

9. Flute

Drill a hole into the side of a tube that is open at one end and produce a sound by blowing the open end. Investigate the pitch and timbre of the sound of your flute and how they depend on the position and the diameter of the hole.

10. Kaye Effect

When a thin stream of shampoo is poured onto a surface, a small stream of liquid occasionally leaps out. This effect lasts less than a second but occurs repeatedly. Investigate this phenomenon and give an explanation.

11. Gutter

When a thin layer of water flows along an inclined gutter different wave patterns are sometimes observed. Study this phenomenon.

12. Geyser

Support a long, vertical tube containing water. Heat the tube directly from the bottom and you will observe that the water erupts. Arrange for the water to drain back into the tube to allow repeated eruptions. Investigate the parameters that affect the time dependence of the process.

13. Spinning ice

Pour very hot water into a cup and stir it so the water rotates slowly. Place a small ice cube at the centre of the rotating water. The ice cube will spin faster than the water around it. Investigate the parameters that influence the ice rotation.

14. Faraday Generator

Construct a homopolar electric generator. Investigate the electrical properties of the device and find its efficiency.

15. Gelation

Hot gelatine solution becomes a gel upon cooling. Investigate the electric conductivity as a function of temperature as it gels. Explain the results obtained.

16. Black spoon

Blacken a spoon using a candle flame. If you immerse the spoon in water it appears glossy. Investigate the phenomenon and determine the optical properties of such a "mirror."

17. Heat engine

Build a heat engine powered only by the difference between the day and night air temperatures without using direct sunlight. Determine its efficiency

제20회(2007년)

PROBLEMS FOR IYPT 2007: 5th to 11th June 2007 Sungnam, Korea
1. Filament

There is a significant current surge when a filament lamp is first switched on. Propose a theoretical model and investigate it experimentally.

2. Slinky

Suspend a Slinky vertically and let it fall freely. Investigate the characteristics of the Slinky's free-fall motion.

3. Water jets

What can be observed when two water jets collide at different angles?

4. Spring thread

Pull a thread through the button holes as shown in the picture. The button can be put into rotating motion by pulling the thread. One can feel some hoasticthe of the thread. ing motion bhoastic properties of such a system.

Spring thread

5. Razor Blade

A razor blade is placed gently on a water surface. A charged body brought near the razor makes it move away. Describe the motion of the razor if an external electric field is applied.

6. Rheology

It has been said that if you are sinking in soft mud, you should not move vigourously to try to get out. Make a model of the phenomenon and study its properties.

7. Crickets

Some insects, such as crickets, produce a rather impressive sound by rubbing together two parts of their body. Investigate this phenomenon. Build a device producing a sound in a similar way.

8. Condensation

Water droplets form on a glass filled with cold water. Explain the phenomenon and investigate the parameters that determine the size and number of droplets on the glass.

9. Ink Droplet

Place a droplet of ball pen ink on a water surface. The droplet begins to move. Explain the phenomenon.

10. Steam Boat

A boat can be propelled by means of a candle and metal tubing with two open ends (an example is shown in the picture). Explain how such a boat is propelled and optimize your design for maximum velocity.

Steam Boat

11. Water Ski

What is the minimum speed needed to pull an object attached to a rope over a water surface so that is does not sink. Investigate the relevant parameters experimentally and theoretically.

12. Fluid lens

Develop a fluid lens system with adjustable focus. Investigate the quality and possible applications of your system.

13. Balloon

Measure the change of the optical properties of the skin of a balloon during its inflation.

14. Earthquake

Suggest a mechanism that makes buildings resistant to earthquakes. Perform experiments and explain the results.

15. Blowpipe

Investigate the motion of a projectile inside a blowpipe. Determine the conditions for maximum exit velocity when blown by mouth.

16. Water Cascade

Arrange a corrugated drainage pipe, or similar, on an incline. Allow water to flow through the pipe and then carefully stop the flow. Investigate the behaviour of the system when water is dropped into the pipe.

Water Cascade

17. Ice Bulge

Fill a plastic tray with water. When frozen, under certain conditions, a bulge can appear on the surface. Investigate this phenomenon.

제19회(2006년)

Problems for the 19th IYPT: 5 - 11 July 2006 Bratislava, Slovakia
1. Froth

Investigate the nature of the decay in height of the 'froth' or 'foam' on a liquid. Under what conditions does the froth remain for the longest time?

2. Shades

If small non-transparent objects are illuminated with light, patterns in the shadows are observed. What information can be obtained about these objects using these patterns?

3. Duck's cone

If one looks at the wave pattern produced by a duck paddling across a pond, this reminds one of Mach's cone. On what parameters does the pattern depend?

4. Whispering Gallery

The Whispering Gallery at St Paul's Cathedral in London, for example, is famous for the fact that the construction of the circular gallery makes a whisper against its walls on one side of the gallery audible on the opposite side of the gallery. Investigate this phenomenon.

5. Probability

A coin is held above a horizontal surface. What initial conditions will ensure equal probability of heads and tails when the coin is dropped and has come to rest?

6. Wet cleaning

A wet rag is hard to drag when it is spread out and pulled across the floor. What does the resistive force depend on?

7. Airglider

A paper sheet is on a table. If one blows along the table the sheet begins to glide over it. Determine the flight characteristics of the paper.

8. Electrostatics

Propose and make a device for measuring the charge density on a plastic ruler after it has been rubbed with a cloth.

9. Sound and foam

Investigate the propagation of sound in foam.

10. Inverted pendulum

It is possible to stabilise an inverted pendulum. It is even possible to stabilise an inverted multiple pendulum (one pendulum on top of the other). Demonstrate the stabilisation and determine on which parameters this depends.

11. Singing tube

A tube open at both ends is mounted vertically. Use a flame to generate sound from the tube. Investigate the phenomenon.

12. Rolling magnets

Investigate the motion of a magnet as it rolls down an inclined plane.

13. Sound

Measure the speed of sound in liquids using light.

14. Cellular materials
16. Hardness

A steel ball falls onto a horizontal surface. If one places a sheet of paper onto the surface with a sheet of carbon paper on top of it, a round trace will be produced after the impact. Propose a hardness scale based on this method.

17. Magnetohydrodynamics

Investigate the behaviour of a stream of fluid when it strikes the surface of a sponge-like material.

15. Heat and temperature.

A tube passes steam from a container of boiling water into a saturated aqueous salt solution. Can it be heated by the steam to a temperature greater than #d0d0d0;">A shallow vessel contains a liquid. When an electric and magnetic field are applied, the liquid can start moving. Investigate this phenomenon and suggest a practical application.

제18회(2005년)

Problems for the 18th IYPT: 14 - 20 July 2005 Winterthur, Switzerland
1. Dragonfly

Propose a model of how a dragonfly flies. Investigate the major parameters and validate your model.

2. Two Balls

Two balls placed in contact on a tilted groove sometimes do not roll down. Explain the phenomenon and find the conditions under which it occurs.

3. Avalanche

Under what conditions may an avalanche occur? Investigate the phenomenon experimentally.

4. Hydraulic Jump

When a smooth column of water hits a horizontal plane, it flows out radially. At some radius its height suddenly rises. Investigate the nature of the phenomenon. What happens if a liquid more viscous than water is used?

5. Mirage

Create a mirage like a road or desert mirage in a laboratory and study its parameters.

6. Noise

When a droplet of water or other liquid falls on a hot surface, it produces a sound. On what parameters does the sound depend?

7. Bouncing Plug

A bathtub or sink is filled with water. Remove the plug and place a plastic ball over the plughole. As the water drains the ball starts to oscillate. Investigate the phenomenon.

8. Windcar

Construct a car which is propelled solely by wind energy. The car should be able to drive straight into the wind. Determine the efficiency of your car.

9. Sound in a Glass

Fill a glass with water. Put a tea-spoon of salt into the water and stir it. Explain the change of the sound produced by the clicking of the glass with the tea-spoon during the dissolving process.

10. Flow Rate

Combine powdered iron (iron filings) with a vegetable oil. Connect two containers with plastic tubing and allow the mixture to drain through the tube. Develop an external mechanism to control the flow rate of the mixture.

11. Water Droplets

If a stream of water droplets is directed at a small angle to the surface of water in a container, droplets may bounce off the surface and roll across it before merging with the body of water. In some cases the droplets rest on the surface for a significant length of time. They can even sink before merging. Investigate these phenomena.

12. Spinning Ball

Spin can be used to alter the flight of balls in sport. Investigate the motion of a spinning ball, for example a table-tennis or tennis ball, in order to determine the effect of the relevant parameters.

13. Hard Starch

A mixture of starch (e.g. corn flour or cornstarch) and a little water has some interesting properties. Investigate how its "viscosity" changes when stirred and account for this effect. Do any other common substances demonstrate this effect?

14. Einstein-de Haas

When you apply a vertical magnetic field to a metallic cylinder suspended by a string, it begins to rotate. Study this phenomena.

15. Optical Tunnelling

Take two glass prisms separated by a small gab. Investigate under what conditions light incident at angles greater than the critical angle is not totally internally reflected.

16. Funnel

Granular material is flowing out of a vessel through a funnel. Investigate if it is possible to increase the outflow by putting an "obstacle" above the outlet pipe.

17. Ocean Solaris

A transparent vessel is half-filled with saturated salt water solution and then fresh water is added with caution. A distinct boundary between these liquids is formed. Investigate its behaviour when the lower liquid is heated.

제17회(2004년)

Problems for the 17th IYPT: 24 June - 1 July 2004 Brisbane, Australia
1. Misty

Invent and construct a device that would allow the size of a droplet of a mist to be determined using a sound generator.

2. Stubborn Ice

Put a piece of ice (e.g. an ice cube) into a container filled with vegetable oil. Observe its motion and make a quantitative description of its dynamics.

3. Electric Pendulum

Use a thread to suspend a ball between the plates of a capacitor. When the plates are charged the ball will start to oscillate. What does the period of the oscillations depend on?

4. Dusty Blot

Describe and explain the dynamics of the patterns you observe when some dry dust (e.g. coffee powder or flour) is poured onto a water surface. Study the dependence of the observed phenomena on the relevant parameters.

5. Sea-shell

When you put a sea-shell to your ear you can hear ‘the sea’. Study the nature and the characteristics of the sound.

6. Seebeck Effect

Two long metal strips are bent into the form of an arc and are joined at both ends. One end is then heated. What are the conditions under which a magnetic needle placed between the strips shows maximum deviation?

7. Coin

Stand a coin on its edge upon a horizontal surface. Gently spin the coin and investigate the resulting motion as it settles.

8. Pebble Skipping

It is possible to throw a flat pebble in such a way that it can bounce across a water surface. What conditions must be satisfied for this phenomenon to occur?

9. Flow

Using a dc source, investigate how the resistance between two metallic wires dipped into flowing water (or water solution) depends upon the speed and direction of the flow.

10. Two Chimneys

Two chimneys stand on a box with one transparent side. Under each chimney there is a candle. A short period after the candles are lit one flame becomes unstable. Examine the case and present your own theory of what is happening.

11. String Telephone

How do the intensity of sound transmitted along a string telephone, and the quality of communication between the transmitter and receiver, depend upon the distance, tension in the line and other parameters? Design an optimal system.

12. Kundt’s Tube

In a ‘Kundt’s Tube’ type of experiment the standing waves produced can be made visible using a fine powder. A closer look at the experiment reveals that the regions of powder have a sub-structure. Investigate its nature.

13. Egg White

White light appears red when it is transmitted through a slice of boiled egg white. Investigate and explain this phenomenon. Find other similar examples.

14. Fountain

Construct a fountain with a 1m ‘head of water’. Optimise the other parameters of the fountain to gain the maximum jet height by varying the parameters of the tube and by using different water solutions.

15. Brazil Nut Effect

When a granular mixture is shaken the larger particles may end up above the smaller ones. Investigate and explain this phenomenon. Under what conditions can the opposite distribution be obtained?

16. Small Fields

Construct a device based upon a compass needle and use your device to measure the Earth’s magnetic field.

17. Didgeridoo

The ‘didgeridoo’ is a simple wind instrument traditionally made by the Australian aborigines from a hollowed-out log. It is, however, a remarkable instrument because of the wide variety of timbres that it produces. Investigate the nature of the sounds that can be produced and how they are formed.

제16회(2003년)

Problems for the 16th IYPT: 1-8 July 2003 Uppsala, Sweden
1. Motion of a kite

On windy days one can see kites flying in the wind. Often, one-string kites move on a stable track, which looks like a number

8. Why does a kite move in such a way? Are there other stable tracks?
2. Water drops

Investigate and explain the movement of raindrops on a window pane.

3. Transparent Film

If you cover printed text with a piece of transparent polyethylene film you can still easily read it. As you gradually lift up the film, the text becomes increasingly blurred and may even disappear. Study the properties of the film. On what parameters of the film is the phenomenon based?

4. Bright spots

Blow a soap bubble and allow it to rest on a liquid surface or a glass plate. When illuminated by sunlight, bright spots can be observed on the bubble. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.

5. Bubbles at an interface

Certain liquids can be layered one above the other with a sharp interface between them. If the surface tensions of the liquids are different, then an interesting phenomenon can be observed. Blow bubbles of different sizes into the lower liquid and observe their behaviour near the interface. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.

6. Freezing soft drinks

On opening a container of cold soft (carbonated) drink the liquid inside sometimes freezes. Study the relevant parameters and explain the phenomenon.

7. Oscillation box

Take a box and devide into a number of small cells with low walls. Distribute some small steel balls between the cells. When the box is made to made to oscillate vertically, the balls occasionally jump from one cell to another. Depending on the frequency and the amplitude of the oscillation, the distribution of the balls can become stable or unstable. Study this effect and use a model to explain it.

8. Heat engine

Construct a heat engine from a U-tube partially filled with water (or another liquid), where one arm of the tube is connected to a heated gas reservoir by a length of tubing, and the other arm is left open. Subsequently bringing the liquid out of equilibrium may cause it to oscillate. On what does the frequency of the oscillation depend on? Determine the pV diagram of the working gas.

9. Falling Chimney

When a tall chimney falls it sometimes breaks into two parts before it hits the ground. Investigate and explain this.

10. Tungsten lamp

The resistance of the tungsten filament in a light bulb shows a strong temperature dependence. Build and demonstrate a device based on this characteristics.

11. Light scattering

Construct an optical device for measuring the concentration of non-soluble material in aqueous colloid systems. Use your device to measure the fat content of milk.

12. Boiled egg

Construct a torsion viscometer. Use it to investigate and explain the differneces in the 'viscous' properties of hens' eggs that have been boiled to different extents.

13. Electro-osmosis

Develop a device that will drain wet sand, with the aid of an electrical voltage but without significant heating.

14. Rotating disk

Find the optimum way of throwing a 'frisbee' as far as possible. Explain your findings.

15. Vortices

Make a box that has a hole in its front wall and a membrane as its back wall. Hitting the membrane creates a vortex that propagates out from the hole. Investigate the phenomenon and explain what happens when two vortices interact.

16. Pot and ice

It is sometimes argued that to cool a pot effectively one should put ice above it. Estimate to what extent this is more effective than imore eice is put under the pot.

17. Prometheus problem

Describe and demonstrate the physical mechanism, based on friction, which allowed our ancestors to make fire. Estimate the time needed to make fire in this way.

제15회(2002년)

Problems for the 15th IYPT: 23-30 May 2002 Odessa, Ukraine
1. Heat engine

A tall glass cylinder is half-filled with hot water and topped up with cold water. A small ampoule, containing a few drops of ether or alcohol (and closed off by a rubber pipette cap), is then put in. Describe the phenomena occurring in the system. How does the motion of the ampoule change with time?

2. Spider's web

A spider's thread looks like a string of pearls. What is the reason for this? Make experiments to investigate the relevant parameters.

3. Flying colours

Why do flags flutter in the wind? Investigate experimentally the airflow pattern around a flag. Describe this behaviour.

4. Hazy

The colour of a distant forest appears not green, but hazy blue. What is the minimum distance at which this phenomenon is observed? How do weather conditions affect this? Is it possible that a forest can appear grey?

5. Pond skater

It is known that unwettable small bodies can float on water due to the surface tension force. Construct a floating raft based on this principle and determine its static and dynamic parameters.

6. Stop and start

Sometimes a flow of traffic can experience sudden stops and starts for no apparent reason. Build a physical model to explain why this occurs.

7. Ohm's Law for a liquid

It is said that electric current “flows”. Is this the only analogy between electric current and the flow of a liquid? Investigate theoretically and experimentally other analogies between these two.

8. Charged sand

Fine, well-dried quartz sand is poured out of a short thin tube into a conical metallic vessel connected to an electrometer. Investigate the behaviour of the sand stream as the vessel fills up. What changes if the stream is lit by a UV-lamp?

9. Chromatography

Put a drop of coloured liquid on a piece of absorbant paper. Describe quantitatively the observed phenomena.

10. Sound cart

Construct and demonstrate a device that can be propelled solely by sound. Investigate its properties.

11. Equilibrium

Fill a glass with water up to the point where a convex meniscus is formed. Place a table tennis ball on the surface of the water. Investigate and explain the stability of its equilibrium. Repeat your experiment with other liquids.

12. Electro-conductivity

How can you measure the electro-conductivity of salt solutions without using direct contact electrodes? Analyse the problem and demonstrate your device.

13. Spinning ball

A steel ball of diameter 2-3 cm is put on a horizontal plate. Invent and construct a device, which allows you to spin the ball at high angular velocity around a vertical axis. The device should have no mechanical contact with the ball.

14. Torn sail

Determine the dependence of the efficiency of a sail on its degree of perforation. What would be the effect of using a fishing net as a sail?

15. Pulsating air bubble

Trap an air bubble of radius 1-2 cm under an inverted watch glass beneath a water surface. Introduce alcohol into the bubble through a thin tube, controlling and adjusting the rate of flow until the bubble pulsates rhythmically. Study the phenomenon and explain your observations.

16. Elastic pendulum

Study and describe the behaviour of a pendulum where the bob is connected to a spring or an elastic cord rather than to a stiff rod.

17. Bottle battle

Take two opened glass bottles of cola and knock one against the other. After a short while, the cola spurts out of one of the bottles. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.