Since 1986, well over 5000 students have taken the contest!


Rex Rice and Frank Cange have put together a great historical record of the first 25 years and warrants a look --- CLICK HERE    

 

Results for some of the recent years are linked below.

 

 

 

36th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest -- Apr 29, 2023

RESULTS AND OTHER INFO IN A GOOGLE DRIVE FOLDER ...... HERE

The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 29, 2023. The contest is open to all high school students and will have two different exams - Mechanics (usually 1st years) and Comprehensive. Students can only take one of the exams. Students are required to bring their own pencils and calculators which must be cleared before the start of the exam. A formula sheet will be provided. You can find previous years' results and exams with keys at the SLAPT's Contest website. To avoid the “hunt and peck” on the website, here is a shared Google folder of some previous years' exams with keys that you can share with your students.

 

Due to the tremendous support of SLAPT and WUSTL, there will be no fee for entering the competition. Please have interested students sign-up for the contest with this Student Registration Form. Having students fill out the registration form allows us to grade hundreds of exams and prepare certificates with a quick turn around. We do need volunteers for this event! If you have students entering the contest, please consider donating some time to proctor and help with the awards on that day. If you can commit to only an hour or two, that’s still helpful!

 

The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50-ish multiple-choice questions. The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

 

The second comprehensive exam will also consist of 50-ish multiple choice questions. The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics: mechanics, waves, sound, fluids, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and modern physics. The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.

 

To enable smaller schools to compete more fairly, we will have a large and a small division for all team awards this year. The team score from a large school (>500 students) will be the total of the highest four scores from that school. The team score from a small school will be the total of the highest three scores from that school. The top three highest-scoring schools in each division will receive certificates marking their excellence.

 

Teachers - 

If you have any concerns or urgent questions, feel free to email to Cong Zu, zuchong07@gmail.com or Nicolas Dronchi, n.dronchi@wustl.edu.

 

 

35th Annual SLAPT High School Physics Contest at Washington University in St. Louis is Back!!

Contest results from April 2022:  HERE 

The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 30, 2022.  The contest is open to all high school students and will have two different exams.  Students can only take one of the exams.

The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50-ish multiple-choice questions. The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

The second exam will also consist of 50-ish multiple choice questions.  The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics:  mechanics, waves, sound, fluids, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and modern physics.  The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.

To enable smaller schools to compete more fairly, we will have a large and a small division for all team awards this year.  The team score from a large school (>500 students) will be the total of the highest four scores from that school.  The team score from a small school will be the total of the highest three scores from that school. The top three highest-scoring schools in each division will receive certificates marking their excellence.

For both exams we will allow calculators of all types. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared or put into press-to-test mode.  We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations.  The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet.  Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results.

Students should arrive at 8:40 am. The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a 1.75-hour lunch break (featuring WUSTL-provided free pizza!!!) and an award ceremony lasting from12:45 until 1:15 pm.   During lunch, we may be treated to a physics talk or two by the professionals at WUSTL.  The test and awards ceremony will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus.  Maps can be found HERE.   

Teachers - Due to the tremendous support of SLAPT and WUSTL, there will be no fee for entering the competition. Please register your students with this Registration Form by Monday, April 25, 2022. You'll need your contact information, the enrollment count of your school, and a list of student names with Mechanics or Senior test designation.  We will be able to accommodate 200 students, and probably at least an occasional student who did not register in time.  You do NOT need to attend to send your students, but you are encouraged to do so. As an incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course.  The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking an AP Physics exam in the following weeks.

You can find previous years' results and exams with keys at the SLAPT's Contest website. For more information, contact Anders Carlsson, aec@physics.wustl.edu 

 

(Contests in 2020 and 2021 were canceled) 

 

April 27, 2019 - 34th Annual SLAPT High School Physics Contest    

April 2019 Results are not available online - contact Dr. Schuster if needed.

The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 27, 2019.  The contest is open to all high school students and will have two different exams.  Students can only take one of the exams.

The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50-ish multiple-choice questions.  The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

The second exam will also consist of 50-ish multiple choice questions.  The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics will be:  mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3).  The cash prizes for this exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.

To enable smaller schools to compete more fairly, we will have a large and a small division for all team awards this year.  The team score from a large school (>500 students) will be the total of the highest four scores from that school.  The team score from a small school will be the total of the highest three scores from that school.  The top three highest-scoring schools in each division will receive certificates marking their excellence.

As an incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course.  The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking an AP Physics exam in the following weeks.

 For both exams we will allow calculators of all types.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared or put into press-to-test mode.  We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations.  The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet.  Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results. Individual scores below the top three in each division will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.

Students should arrive at 8:40 am.  The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a 1.75-hour lunch break (featuring WUSTL-provided free pizza!!!) and an award ceremony lasting from

12:45 until 1:15 pm.   During lunch, we may be treated to a physics talk or two by the professionals at WUSTL.  The test and awards ceremony will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus.  Maps can be found HERE.   

Due to the tremendous support of SLAPT and WUSTL, there will be no fee for entering the competition.  To register your students,  please use THIS  online form.   You'll need your contact information, the enrollment count of your school, and a list of student names with Mechanics or Senior test designation.  Kindly register by Monday, April 22, 2019.  We will be able to accommodate 200 students, and probably at least an occasional student who did not register in time.  You do NOT need to attend to send your students, but you are encouraged to do so.

This link hosts some old exams and some statistics about the contest.  If I get a break from my spring grading-induced haze, I may even update it from the past couple years.  Directing your students HERE can help them prepare.

Please pass this onto to a local teacher-friend.  We have been steadily increasing participation, and we'd love to have more schools involved. Bring all your favorite rivals!

Thanks,

David Schuster, PhD

Clayton Physics

April 2018 Contest Results - Click HERE

 

 

April 21, 2018 - 33rd Annual SLAPT High School Physics Contest

  April 2018 Results - click HERE

The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 21, 2018.  The contest is open to all high school students and will have two different exams.  Students can only take one of the exams.

The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50-ish multiple-choice questions.  The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

The second exam will also consist of 50-ish multiple choice questions.  The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics will be:  mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3).  The cash prizes for this exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.

To enable smaller schools to compete more fairly, we will have a large and a small division for all team awards this year.  The team score from a large school (>500 students) will be the total of the highest four scores from that school.  The team score from a small school will be the total of the highest three scores from that school.  The top three highest-scoring schools in each division will receive certificates marking their excellence.

 As an incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course.  The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking an AP Physics exam in the following weeks.

For both exams we will allow calculators of all types.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared.  We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations.  The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet.  Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results. Individual scores below the top three in each division will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.

The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a 1.75-hour lunch break (featuring WUSTL-provided free pizza!!!) and an award ceremony lasting from 12:45 until 1:15 pm. Students should arrive at 8:40 am.  The test and awards ceremony will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus.  Maps can be found here: http://wustl.edu/community/visitors/maps/. Metered parking is available in yellow parking spaces on Saturdays at the east end of campus.  There has been some pretty dramatic construction in the area, so parking may require a minute or two longer than it has in the past. There is a cafeteria on campus, but who cares, since there's free pizza?

Due to the tremendous support of SLAPT and WUSTL, there will be no fee for entering the competition.  To register your students, please fill out this brief form: https://goo.gl/forms/wQ411hwAxCRSAsxw2.  You'll need your contact information, the enrollment count of your school, and a list of student names with Mechanics or Senior test designation.  Kindly register by Monday, April 16, 2018.  We will be able to accommodate 200 students, and probably at least an occasional student who did not register in time. You do NOT need to attend to send your students, but you are encouraged to do so. 

Please pass this onto to a local teacher-friend.  We have been steadily increasing participation, and we'd love to have more schools involved.

Thanks,

David Schuster, PhD

Clayton Physics

 

April 22, 2017:  32nd Annual SLAPT High School Physics Contest at Washington University in St. Louis

2017 Results are posted HERE

 The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 22, 2017. There will also be a scientific talk for the general public occurring during the exam.   The contest itself, open to all high school students, will have two different exams.  Students can only take one of the tests.

The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50-ish multiple-choice questions.  The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

The second exam will also consist of 50-ish multiple choice questions.  The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics will be:  mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3).  The cash prizes for this exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.

To enable smaller schools to compete more fairly, we will have a large and a small division for all team awards this year.  The team score from a large school (>500 students) will be the total of the highest four scores from that school.  The team score from a small school will be the total of the highest three scores from that school.  The top three highest-scoring schools in each division will receive certificates marking their excellence.

As an incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course.  The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking an AP Physics exam in the following weeks.

For both exams we will allow calculators of all types.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared.  We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations.  The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet.  Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results.  Individual scores below the top three in each division will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.

The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a 1.75-hour lunch break (featuring WUSTL-provided free pizza!!!) and an award ceremony lasting from 12:45 until 1:15 pm.  Students should arrive at 8:40 am.  The test and awards ceremony will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus.  Maps can be found here: http://wustl.edu/community/visitors/maps/. Metered parking is available along Brookings Drive, and visitors may park in yellow parking spaces on Saturdays at the east end of campus.  There is a cafeteria on campus, but who cares, since there's free pizza?

Due to the tremendous support of SLAPT and WUSTL, there will be no fee for entering the competition.  To register your students, please fill out this brief form:  www.bit.ly/2ltri5x.  You'll need your contact information, the enrollment count of your school, and a list of student names with Mechanics or Senior test designation.  Kindly register by Monday, April 17, 2017.  We will be able to accommodate 200 students, and probably at least an occasional student who did not register in time.

Please pass this onto to a local teacher-friend.  We have been steadily increasing participation, and we'd love to have more schools involved.

Thanks,

David Schuster, PhD

WGHS Physics

 

 

April 23, 2016: 31st Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at Washington University, St. Louis

2016 Result Posted HERE

 

April 23, 2016:  31st Annual SLAPT High School Physics Contest  at Washington University in St. Louis


The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April
23, 2016. There will also be a scientific talk geared to teachers and parents occurring during the exam.   The contest
itself, open to all high school students, will have two different exams.  Students can only take one of the tests.

The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50-ish multiple-choice questions.  The cash prizes for this exam will
be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of  $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the
next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

The second exam will also consist of 50-ish multiple choice questions.  The approximate numbers of questions covering the
various topics will be:  mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11),
optics (5), and modern physics (3).  The cash prizes for this  exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and
Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the
contestants.

To enable smaller schools to compete more fairly, we will have a large and a small division for all team awards this year.  The
team score from a large school (>500 students) will be the total of the highest four scores from that school.  The team score
from a small school will be the total of the highest three scores from that school.  The top three highest-scoring schools
in each division will receive certificates marking their excellence.

As an incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become
excused from their final exam in your course.  The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be
taking an AP Physics exam in the following weeks. For both exams we will allow calculators of all types.  It is
the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared.  We will supply the values of physical
constants, but no equations.  The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet.  Each contestant may keep a copy of the
test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students
participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results.  Individual scores below the top three in each
division will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.

The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a 1.75-hour lunch break (featuring WUSTL-provided free pizza!!!)
and an award ceremony lasting from 12:45 until 1:15 pm.  Students should arrive at 8:40 am.  The test and awards ceremony
will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus.  Maps can be found
here: http://wustl.edu/community/visitors/maps/. Metered parking is available along Brookings Drive, and visitors may park in
yellow parking spaces on Saturdays at the east end of campus.  There is a cafeteria on campus, but who cares, since there's
free pizza?

Due to the tremendous support of SLAPT and WUSTL, there will be no fee for entering the competition.  To register your students,
please fill out this brief form:  bit.ly/1QsTWeq.  You'll need your contact information, the enrollment count of your school,
and a list of student names with Mechanics or Senior test designation.  Kindly register by Monday, April 18, 2016.  We
will be able to accommodate 200 students, and probably at least an occasional student who did not register in time.

Please pass this onto to a local teacher-friend.  We have been steadily increasing participation, and we'd love to have more
schools involved.

Thanks,
David Schuster, PhD
WGHS Physics


April 25, 2015: 30th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at Washington University
, St. Louis

.........Results, Exams and Keys can be accessed by clicking HERE.

April 25, 2015: 30th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at Washington University, St. Louis

The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 25th, 2015.  There will also be a scientific talk geared to teachers and parents occurring during the exam.   The contest itself, open to all high school students, will have two different exams.  Students can only take one of the tests.

The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions.  The cash prizes for this exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

The second exam will also consist of 50 multiple choice questions.  The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics will be:  mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3).  The cash prizes for this exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.

To enable smaller schools to compete more fairly, we will have a large and a small division for all team awards this year.  The team score from a large school (>500 students) will be the total of the highest four scores from that school.  The team score from a small school will be the total of the highest three scores from that school.  The top three highest-scoring schools will receive certificates marking their excellence.

As an added incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course.  The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking an AP Physics exam in the following week.

For both exams we will allow calculators of all types.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared.  We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations.  The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet.  Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results.  Individual scores below the top three in each division will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.

The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a 1.75-hour lunch break and an award ceremony lasting from 12:45 until 1:15 pm.  Students should arrive at 8:40 am.  The test and awards ceremony will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus.  Maps can be found here: http://wustl.edu/community/visitors/maps/.  Crow is building 23.  Metered parking is available along Brookings Drive, and visitors may park in yellow parking spaces on Saturdays at the east end of campus.  There is a cafeteria on campus.

There will be no fee for entering the competition.  To register, please send an email to Kasey Wagoner, kwagoner@physics.wustl.edu, with your contact information, the enrollment count of your school, and a list of student names with Mechanics or Senior test designation by April 21, 2015.  We will be able to accommodate 200 students.

April 26, 2014: 29th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at Washington University, St. Louis

.........Results are posted by format (click desired format): (.doc or .pdf) .....also, the Exams with Keys can be accessed HERE.......

April 26, 2014: 29th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at Washington University, St. Louis

The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 26th, 2014.  There will also be talk of interest to parents and teachers from WUSTL’s Professor Marty Israel called "We Are Stardust -- where most of the atoms in our bodies come from” occurring during the exam.   The contest itself, open to all high school students, will have two different exams.  Students can only take one of the tests.

MECHANICS CONTEST:  One exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions.  The cash prizes for this exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants in each division (see below).  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

SENIOR CONTEST:  The other exam option will consist of 50 multiple choice questions with one or two tiebreaker problems.  The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics will be:  mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3).  The cash prizes for this exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants.  The test is excellent practice for students who will be taking an AP Physics exam.

DIVISIONS:  To enable smaller schools to compete more fairly, we will have a large and a small division for all team awards this year.  The team score from a large school (>500 students) will be the total of the highest four scores from that school.  The team score from a small school will be the total of the highest three scores from that school.  The top three highest-scoring schools in each division will receive certificates marking their excellence.  Student scores will also be awarded certificates of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each division, but the prize money will go to the top three overall scores on each test only.

For both exams we will allow calculators of all types.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared.  We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations.  The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet.  Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results.  Individual scores below the top three in each division will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.  Hint – some old contests and solutions are linked to the SLAPT website!

TIMING:  The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a 1.75-hour lunch break and an award ceremony lasting from 12:45 until 1:15 pm.  The Physics Department will provide free pizza and drinks for lunch.  Students may eat while they enjoy a presentation about WUSTL physics, see some demonstrations, and pose physics career questions to actual physicists.  Students should arrive at 8:40 am.  The test and awards ceremony will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus.  Maps can be found here: http://wustl.edu/community/visitors/maps/.  Crow is building 23.  Metered parking is available along Brookings Drive, and visitors may park in yellow parking spaces on Saturdays at the east end of campus.

There will be no fee for entering the competition.  To register, please send an email to Kasey Wagoner, kwagoner@physics.wustl.edu, with your contact information, the enrollment of your school, and a list of student names with Mechanics or Senior test designation by April 22, 2014.  We will be able to accommodate 200 students.

April 27, 2013: 28th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at Washington University, St. Louis

.........Results are posted HERE along with the exams and keys......

The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 27th, 2013. The contest itself, open to all high school students, will have two different exams held at the same time. The first option ("The Mechanics Test") will be only mechanics and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions. The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools. We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.

The second option ("The Senior Test") will consist of 50 multiple choice questions with one or two tiebreaker problems, and will include both qualitative and quantitative questions. The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics will be: mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3). The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools.

For both exams we will allow calculators of all types. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared. We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations. Students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet. As an added incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course. The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking the AP exam.
Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets. We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results. Individual scores will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.

The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a 1-1/2 hour lunch break and an award ceremony lasting from 12:30 until 1:00 pm. Students should arrive at 8:40 am. The test and awards ceremony will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus. Maps can be found here: http://wustl.edu/community/visitors/maps/. Crow is building 23. Metered parking is available along Brookings Drive, and visitors may park in yellow parking spaces on Saturdays at the east end of campus. There is a cafeteria on campus. There will be no fee for entering the competition, as it is sponsored by Washington University's Institute for School Partnership. To register, please send an email to Kasey Wagoner, kwagoner@physics.wustl.edu, with your full contact information and a list of student names (and which test they will be taking) by April 22, 2013. We will be able to accommodate 200 students. To keep the teachers busy, Dr. Kasey Wagoner of Washington University will give a public lecture on Relativity and Collisions at 10am in the same building.

April 28, 2012: 27th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at Washington University, St. Louis
.........To View the results from the 2012 contest, CLICK HERE

The Physics Department of Washington University in St. Louis will host a competition to be held on its campus Saturday, April 28th, 2012.  There will also be a SLAPT workshop occurring during the exam.   (There are no current plans for a similar contest at SIUE)
The contest itself, open to all high school students, will have two different exams.  Students can only take one of the tests.  The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions.  The cash prizes for this exam will
be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools.  We encourage first-year physics students to take this test.
The second exam will consist of 50 multiple choice questions with one or two tiebreaker problems, and will include both qualitative and quantitative questions.  The approximate numbers of questions covering the various topics will be:  mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3).  The cash prizes for this exam will be:  First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25.  We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools.
As an added incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course.  The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking the AP exam.
For both exams we will allow calculators of all types.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared.  We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations.  The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet.  Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results.  Individual scores will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.
The tests will run from 9:00 am until 11:00 am followed by a
1-1/2 hour lunch break and an award ceremony lasting from 12:30 until 1:00 pm.  Students should arrive at 8:40 am.  The test and awards ceremony will take place in Crow Hall in the northeast section of Washington University's Danforth Campus.  Maps can be found here: http://wustl.edu/community/visitors/maps/.  Crow is building 23.  Metered parking is available along Brookings Drive, and visitors may park in yellow parking spaces on Saturdays at the east end of campus.  There is a cafeteria on campus.  There will be no fee for entering the competition.  To register, please send an email to Kasey Wagoner, kwagoner@physics.wustl.edu, with your full contact information and a list of student names (and which test they will be taking) by April 21, 2011.  We will be able to accommodate 200 students.

May 7, 2011: 26th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at SIUE

The Physics Department of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will sponsor the Twenty-sixth Annual SLAPT High School Physics Competition to be held on our campus on Saturday, May 7, 2011. There will also be a SLAPT workshop occurring during the exam.
The contest itself, open to all high school students, will be having two different exams. Students can only take one of the tests. The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions. The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools.
The second exam will consist of 50 multiple choice questions with one or two tiebreaker problems, and will include both qualitative and quantitative questions. The numbers of questions covering the various topics will be: mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3). The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $150, Second Prize of $75, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools.
As an added incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course. The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking the AP exam.
For both exams we will again allow calculators of all types. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared. We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations. The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet. Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets. We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results. Individual scores will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.
The tests will run from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM followed by a 1-1/2 hour lunch break and an award ceremony lasting from 12:30 until 1:00 PM. Students should arrive at 8:40 am. The test and awards ceremony will take place in the Science Building on SIUE's campus in the first floor auditorium (SL1105). Parking is free in Lot A, which is directly north of the science building. There is a cafeteria on campus.
There will be no fee for entering the competition. To register, please send an email to Tom Foster, tfoster@siue.edu, with your full contact information and a list of student names (and which test they will be taking) by May 2, 2011. We will be able to accommodate 200 students.

May 1, 2010: 25th Annual SLAPT Physics Contest at Southwestern Illinois College

.........To View the results from the May 1, 2010 contest, CLICK HERE (or HERE for a spreadsheet version)
..........

Southwestern Illinois College will sponsor the Twenty-fifth Annual SLAPT High School Physics Contest to be held on the campus on Saturday, May 1, 2010.  This contest is open to all high school students and will include two different exam levels.  Students can participate in and only take one of the exam levels. The first exam will include qualitative and quantitative questions which cover only mechanics topics. It will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions. We will present certificates to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place individuals, and honorable mention certificates to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants. There will be award certificates for the top three scoring schools, based on the sum of top 3 scores from each school.
.
The second exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions and will include both qualitative and quantitative questions.  The number of questions covering the various topics will be:  mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3). We will present certificates to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place individuals, and honorable mention certificates to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants. There will be award certificates for the top three scoring schools, based on the sum of top 3 scores from each school.

 For both exams we will again allow calculators of all types.  We will supply values of physical constants, but no equations. The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet. Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets.  We will send a list of scores of their students to each teacher with students participating in the competition and the overall results will be posted on the SLAPT website with the winning individuals and teams along with statistics of the test results.  Individual scores will be kept confidential, except that we will report the scores of each contestant to his or her teacher.

The tests will run from 9 AM until 11 AM followed by a 1 hour lunch break and an award ceremony lasting from noon until 12:30PM.  Signs will be posted to direct students and teachers to the contest rooms.  Students should arrive by 8:30 AM.  The test and awards ceremony will take place on the SWIC campus in the first floor in a room yet to be determined. Parking is anywhere on campus except the spots marked for Faculty/Staff.  There are plenty of restaurants nearby.

There is no fee for entering the competition.  To register, please send an email to Frank Cange, fcange@trinitycatholichigh.org , with your full contact information and a list of student names (and which test they will be taking) as soon as possible. 

Directions to Southwestern Illinois Jr. College(SWIC):

From Interstate 64, heading east on 64, past the Illinois 159 south exit, take the next exit(O’Fallon Exit-# 14) go west (right) off the exit and immediately get into the left turn lane at the stop light(Hartman Lane).  Hardee’s is on your left.  Turn left(south) on Hartman Lane and travel to the end of Hartman Lane(approx. 5 miles).  At the stoplight, go left on Lebanon Ave. and travel appprox. 1 ½ miles to Greenmount Rd.  This intersection has a stop light, make a right(south)  onto Greenmount Rd. and travel to Southwestern Illinois College, approx. 3 miles.  The Jr. College is on the left.  We will meet in E building or D building doors and follow the signs to the 1st floor rooms where the contest will be held.  The address is Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville, Illinois, 62221. If you need any further info please contact Frank Cange at fcange@trinitycatholichigh.org

April 26, 2008: SIUE Physics Contest Results

For the Twenty-Third Annual SLAPT Physics Competition there were two tests this year.

The Mechanics test had 50 questions and 57 students took this test. The average score on the test was 25.9 and the high score was a 48. There were eleven honorable mention certificates (Isaac Newton Awards) given out for scores above 32. The individual winners were:
FIRST PRIZE - Ben Montgomery, Helias High School
SECOND PRIZE - John Galbraith, Helias High School
SECOND PRIZE - Michael Hillstrom, Helias High School
THIRD PRIZE - Garrett McCormack Helias High School
The school winners (based on top three scores per school) were:
FIRST PLACE - Helias High School
SECOND PLACE - Carbondale Community High School
THIRD PLACE - McCluer North High School

The Senior Physics test had 50 questions and 23 students took this test. The average score on the test was 25.4 and the high score was a 43. There were six honorable mention certificates given out for scores above 29. The individual winners were:
FIRST PRIZE - Paul Orland, Clayton High School
SECOND PRIZE - Paul Botros, Carbondale Community High School
THIRD PRIZE - Adrienne Stormo, Clayton High School
THIRD PRIZE - Michal Hyrc, Clayton High School
THIRD PRIZE - Ka Suen, Clayton High School
The school winners (based on top three scores per school) were:
FIRST PLACE - Clayton High School
SECOND PLACE - Helias High School
THIRD PLACE - Carbondale Community High School

We had students from 9 different schools and one home-school group, making 2008 our most diverse year ever. Congratulations to all participants.

For more information and previous exams, visit: http://www.siue.edu/~tfoster/PhysCont/

Yours Sincerely,
Tom Foster
Associate Professor of Physics, SIUE

April 26, 2008: SIUE Physics Contest and Fuel Cell Workshop

Dear High School Physics Teacher:

The Physics Department of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will sponsor the Twenty-third Annual SLAPT High School Physics Competition to be held on our campus on Saturday, April 26, 2008. There will also be a SLAPT workshop occurring during the exam. Dr. Phil Weyman from UMSL will lead us through several exercises using hydrogen fuel cell cars from Thames and Kosmos. Given today's gas prices, it is hard to imagine a more topical workshop.

The contest itself, open to all high school students, will be having two different exams. Students can only take one of the tests. The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions. The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools.

The second exam will consist of 50 multiple choice questions with one or two tiebreaker problems, and will include both qualitative and quantitative questions. The numbers of questions covering the various topics will be: mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3). The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $150, Second Prize of $75, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools.

As an added incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course. The test is also an excellent practice opportunity for students who will be taking the AP exam.

For both exams we will again allow calculators of all types. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared. We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations. The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet. Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets. We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results. Individual scores will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.
The tests will run from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM followed by a 1-1/2 hour lunch break and an award ceremony lasting from 12:30 until 1:00 PM. Students should arrive at 8:40 am. The test and awards ceremony will take place in the Science Building on SIUE's campus in the first floor auditorium (SL1105). Parking is free in Lot A, which is directly north of the science building. A map of nearby restaurants will be provided.

There will be no fee for entering the competition. To register, please send an email to Tom Foster, tfoster@siue.edu, with your full contact information and a list of student names (and which test they will be taking) by April 23, 2008. We will be able to accommodate 200 students.

 

April 21, 2007: SIUE Physics Contest Results

For the Twenty-Second Annual SLAPT Physics Competition there were two tests this year.

The Mechanics test had 50 questions and 40 students took this test. The average score on the test was 25.6 and the high score was a 48. There were nine honorable mention certificates (Isaac Newton Awards) given out for scores above 29. The individual winners were:
FIRST PRIZE – Kurt Krautmann, Helias High School
SECOND PRIZE – Paul Botros, Carbondale Community High School
THIRD PRIZE – Alex Kelley, Helias High School
The school winners (based on top three scores per school) were:
FIRST PLACE – Helias High School
SECOND PLACE – Parkway South High School
THIRD PLACE – McCluer North High School

The Senior Physics test had 50 questions and 24 students took this test. The average score on the test was 26.0 and the high score was a 43. There were six honorable mention certificates given out for scores above 32. The individual winners were:
FIRST PRIZE – Paul Orland, Clayton High School
SECOND PRIZE – Adam Farquhar, Westminster Christian Academy
SECOND PRIZE – Tim Wiser, Lincoln Community High School
THIRD PRIZE – Zoe Liberman Clayton High School
The school winners (based on top three scores per school) were:
FIRST PLACE – Clayton High School
SECOND PLACE – Westminster Christian Academy
THIRD PLACE – Carbondale Community High School
THIRD PLACE – Trinity High School

For more information and previous exams, visit: http://www.siue.edu/~tfoster/PhysCont/

Yours Sincerely,
Tom Foster
Associate Professor of Physics, SIUE

April 21, 2007: SIUE Physics Contest

Dear High School Physics Teacher:

The Physics Department of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will sponsor the Twenty-Second Annual SLAPT High School Physics Competition to be held on our campus on Saturday, April 21, 2007. There will also be a SLAPT workshop occurring during the exam. Dr. Susan Wiediger of SIUE’s Chemistry Department will lead a workshop on Physics and Chemistry Design Problems.

The contest itself, open to all high school students, will be having two different exams. Students can only take one of the tests. The first exam will be only mechanics and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions. The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $100, Second Prize of $50, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools.

The second exam will consist of 50 multiple choice questions with one or two tiebreaker problems, and will include both qualitative and quantitative questions. The numbers of questions covering the various topics will be: mechanics (18), waves (5), sound (3), fluids (1), thermodynamics (4), electricity and magnetism (11), optics (5), and modern physics (3). The cash prizes for this exam will be: First Prize of $150, Second Prize of $75, and Third Prize of $25. We will present Certificates of Honorable Mention to the next highest scoring twenty percent of the contestants, and we will award certificates to the top three scoring schools. As an added incentive, you might want to consider allowing those students who place on their physics contest exam to become excused from their final exam in your course.

For both exams we will again allow calculators of all types. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all calculator memories are cleared. We will supply the values of physical constants, but no equations. The students are not allowed to bring a formula sheet. Each contestant may keep a copy of the test, but we will not return the graded answer sheets. We will send a list of all winners to teachers with students participating in the competition along with statistics on the test results. Individual scores will be kept confidential, except that we will report the score of each contestant to his or her teacher.

The tests will run from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM followed by a 1-1/2 hour lunch break and an award ceremony lasting from 12:30 until 1:00 PM. Students should arrive at 8:40 am. The test and awards ceremony will take place in the Science Building on SIUE’s campus in the first floor auditorium (SL1105). Parking is free in Lot A, which is directly north of the science building. A map of nearby restaurants will be provided.

To register, please send an email to tfoster@siue.edu with your full contact information and a list of student names (and which test they will be taking) by April 16, 2007. There will be no fee for entering the competition. We will be able to accommodate 200 students.

Yours Sincerely,
Tom Foster
Associate Professor of Physics

Results from the 2006 SIUE Physics Contest

For the Twenty-First Annual SLAPT Physics Competition there were two tests this year. The Mechanics test had 50 questions and 18 students took this test. The average score on the test was 26.6 and the high score was a 44. There were six honorable mention certificates given out for scores above 27. The individual winners were:
FIRST PRIZE ­ Paul Orland, Clayton High School
SECOND PRIZE ­ Brittany Huhmann, Helias High School
THIRD PRIZE ­ Brian Beney, McCluer North High School
The school winners were:
FIRST PLACE ­ Parkway South High School
SECOND PLACE ­ Helias High School

The Senior Physics test had 50 questions and 29 students took this test. The average score on the test was 34.0 and the high score was a 47. There were six honorable mention certificates given out for scores above 36. The individual winners were:
FIRST PRIZE ­ Amar Srivastava, Clayton High School
SECOND PRIZE ­ Erik Brinkman, Clayton High School
THIRD PRIZE ­ Joe Mello Clayton High School
The school winners were:
FIRST PLACE ­ Clayton High School
SECOND PLACE ­ Westminister Christian Academy

 

 
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