Lansing Area High School Physics Competition
(LAHSPC)

Scoreboard

Problem Set 1 (Due date: passed)
Problem Set 2 (Due date: passed)
Problem Set 3 (Due date: passed)

The goals of the competition
Rules of participation
Solving the problems
Formatting and submitting your solutions
The organizing committee

The goals of the competition:

• High school students from the four counties around Lansing - Ingham, Clinton, Eaton, Shiawassee - receive three sets of physics problems in three consecutive months - November, December, January - during the 2002/2003 academic year.
• They individually work on the problems, and submit their solutions by mail within one month. The solutions are then graded and the results are posted. The students compete in four categories from Grade 9 to Grade 12. The fifth category - Grade 8 - is for 8th graders and younger students if they wish to participate.
• The problems are the same for all grades.
• After every problem set the names of the top three students in each category are published. An alphabetical list of all other participants is compiled and published as well.
• The official solutions are published after the deadline of each problem set.
• At the very end of the competition the top three students in each category are rewarded with a certificate and a small award of 50, 30, 20 dollars respectively.
• The first problem set is sent directly to the schools by mail, and published on this homepage at the same time. The second and the third sets, the solutions and the lists of sudents are published electronically only.
• The general goal is to provide interested students an opportunity to develop their talent and problem solving skills. We wish to give a positive learning experience to these students, and raise the public awareness about Physics as a fundamental scientific discipline. With the current resources we can only include the four counties around Lansing for now, but we hope to grow rapidly. If you are outside of the area, don't get discouraged. Follow the competition and try to solve the problems.
• HAVE FUN AND ENJOY LEARNING !

Rules of participation:

• You must be an enrolled K-12 student in the State of Michigan in one of the following four counties: Ingham, Clinton, Eaton, Shiawassee.
• You must register by printing and filling out the registration form and sending it in with your first set of solutions. You have to register only once in an academic year.
• You compete individually. Solutions produced by a group of students are not accepted. Solutions copied from each other are all automatically disqualified.
• You can use any mathematics or physics textbook, encyclopedia, calculator or computer, or any other resources.
• You can ask your teacher for small hints or a little guidance, but not for the solutions.
• Participation is an optional extracurricular activity. Your active participation is greatly appreciated by our organizing committee, your school and your teachers. Your physics or science teacher might give you extra credit for participation.

Solving the problems:

• If you can solve only a few problems, don't get discouraged. You don't need to solve every problem each month. What is important is that you learn something you didn't know before.
• If you have only a partial solution, send it in. You will receive partial credit for it, if it is correct. You can learn a lot from a partial solution.
• When solving the problems try to draw a figure. A good figure is often the first step toward the correct solution.
• Make a table of the known quantities and parameters. Then make sure you understand what the question is.
• Do the algebra first, then plug in the numbers only at the end.
• If you have a second solution to the same problem, write it down. You might receive extra points for it.
• Elegant or unusual solutions are rewarded with extra points and will be published along with the official solutions.
• Write your solution carefully. Do not write long essays. A mathematical formula often says more than a paragraph of text.

Formatting and submitting your solutions:

• The solutions for different problems should be written on separate pages.
• Put your name, grade and the label of the problem on the top left corner of the page. Write your solution on the rest of the page. You are allowed to use both sides of the paper.
• If a solution is long, extra pages may be used. These extra pages must be clearly numbered and stapled to the first page of the solution. The solutions for different problems should not be stapled to each other.
• Use plain, ruled or quad ruled white or yellow 8.5 by 11 inch letter sized paper, and black or blue permanent ink. The paper must be neat.
• The use of pencil is not allowed.
• The use of computer and printer is allowed, but not required.
• Figures - if needed - can be drawn neatly with a ruler and a pen. Figures made by computers are allowed but not required.
• Illegible solutions are not graded.
• Solutions should be submitted by regular mail, postmarked by the date indicated on each problem set. Solutions postmarked after that date are not accepted. The use of letter or half-letter sized envelope is recommended. The use of special mail service - express, registered, certified, etc - is not needed.
• Manuscripts are not returned back to students. Keep a copy of your solutions.
• Send your solutions to:

  LAHSPC, Department of Physics, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824.

The organizing committee:

• Dr. Tibor F. Nagy, Teaching Development Physicist, Department of Physics (Contact: (517) 355-9200 x2515, nagy_t@pa.msu.edu)
• Jenny McCampbell, Director, Gifted and Talented Education Office, a Division of the Honors College
• Prof. Daniel Stump, Associate Chairperson for Undergraduate Programs and Associate Professor, Department of Physics
• Prof. Edwin Kashy, University Distinguished Professor, Department of Physics