The annual Junior Young Physicists’ Tournament (JYPT) invites students to present their findings from research and experimental work conducted throughout the year, before engaging in a discussion about their work with opponents from other schools in a ‘Physics Fight’. Problems this year ranged from investigating balloon-powered cars, to exploring how the motion of a rolling hoop is affected by the addition of masses.
Four Year 10 students represented BGGS at the 2020 tournament last month: Jeanie Ha (10H) and Emma Armitage-Ho (10R), who presented their work and acted as opponents; and Ella Sinclair (10G) and Kiara Packard (10G), who stepped in to provide opposition for problems presented by a school team from New Zealand.
As has been the case for many events this year, the tournament adjusted to an online format. This required our students to demonstrate some of their newly developed skills including preparing videos with voiceover, ‘zooming’ and screen sharing. The BGGS team performed admirably and demonstrated strong physics skills both in discussion of their own work, and by asking probing questions regarding the physics presented by others.
It is hoped that the tournament can revert back to its usual format next year, to be hosted in the new Science Learning Centre at BGGS. Any current Year 8 or 9 students who are curious scientific thinkers and enjoy hands-on science are encouraged to contact me via ckeating@bggs.qld.edu.au to express their interest in being involved in JYPT 2021.
Ms Carmen Keating
Science Teacher
Kiara Packard (10G), Ella Sinclair (10G), Emma Armitage-Ho (10R), and Jeanie Ha (10H)
