The United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO) is a

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

competition run by the

American Association of Physics Teachers The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was founded in 1930 for the purpose of "dissemination of knowledge of physics, particularly by way of teaching." There are more than 10,000 members in over 30 countries. AAPT publications includ ...

and the

American Institute of Physics The American Institute of Physics (AIP) promotes science and the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies. Its corpora ...

to select the team to represent the United States at the

International Physics Olympiad The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is an annual physics competition for high school students. It is one of the International Science Olympiads. The first IPhO was held in Warsaw, Poland in 1967. Each national delegation is made up of at ...

(IPhO). The team is selected through a series of exams testing their problem solving abilities. The top 20 finalists are invited to a rigorous study camp at the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

to prepare for the IPhO.

History

The

began in 1967 among Eastern European countries; many western countries soon joined in the 1970s. In 1986, the

led by Jack Wilson organized the United States Physics Team for the first time. The 1986 team was made up of 20 talented high school physics students nominated by their teachers. Five students were selected for the International Physics Olympiad after a rigorous preparation at the

. At the 1986 London IPhO, the team brought home three bronze medals. Since then, the US Physics Team has regularly placed in the top ten nations at the international competition. It has accumulated 66 Gold Medals, 48 Silver Medals, 29 Bronze Medals, and 11 Honorable Mentions at IPhO as of 2019.

Academic directors

* Tengiz Bibilashvili (2021–present) * JiaJia Dong (2018–2021) * Paul Stanley (2008–2018) * Robert Shurtz (2006–2008) * Mary Mogge (1998–2006) * Ed Neuenschwander (1996–1998) * Larry D. Kirkpatrick (1988–1996)

Alumni

Sherry Gong Sherry Gong is an American mathematician specializing in low-dimensional topology and known as one of the most successful female competitors at the International Mathematical Olympiad. She is an assistant professor at Texas A&M University. Early ...

(2006) *

Natalia Toro Natalia Toro (born 1985) is an American particle physicist known for her pioneering work in the study of dark matter. Based at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario, Toro was the youngest winner of the Intel Scienc ...

(1999) *

Chris Hirata Christopher Michael Hirata (born November 30, 1982) is an American cosmologist and astrophysicist. Hirata was 13 years old when he won the gold medal in 1996 at the International Physics Olympiad. He received a bachelor's degree in Physics at C ...

(1996) *

Rhiju Das Rhiju Das (born 1978 in Houston, Texas) is a computational biochemist and an associate professor of biochemistry and physics at Stanford University. Research in his lab seeks a predictive understanding of how RNA molecules and their complexes for ...

(1995) *

Steven Gubser Steven Scott Gubser (May 4, 1972 – August 3, 2019) was a professor of physics at Princeton University. His research focused on theoretical particle physics, especially string theory, and the AdS/CFT correspondence. He was a widely cited scho ...

(1989)

Physics team selection

The procedure to select the U.S. Physics Team consists of two exams: the "F=ma" and the "USA Physics Olympiad" (USAPhO). Approximately the top 20 finishers are invited to the U.S. Physics Team training camp. (In some previous years, there was also an intermediate, quarterfinal exam.)

F = ma exam

Approximately 6,000 students take this first exam, which consists of 25 multiple choice questions to be solved in 75 minutes, focusing on algebra-based mechanics. In the past, a quarter point was deducted for each incorrect answer. From 2015 onwards, no points were deducted for incorrect answers. Prior to 2018, the exam was offered over multiple weeks at the discretion of the exam centers. From 2018 to 2023, the exam was changed to two single-day events with two different exams, F=ma A and F=ma B, to increase exam security. As of 2023, only one F=ma exam is given.

USAPhO exam

Approximately the top 400 students from the F=ma exam are invited to take a free-response, calculus-based exam covering all topics in introductory physics, including mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, fluids, relativity, waves, and nuclear and atomic physics. There are two parts in the exam, each allotted 90 minutes, and 6 problems in total. Prior to 2017, the exam could be taken at any time during a two-week window in March. Afterward, the exam was changed to be a single day event in early April, to protect exam security. All USAPhO qualifiers receive certificates of recognition for their physics skill. The medal system is modeled on that of the International Physics Olympiad: approximately the top 10-12% scorers in the USAPhO will receive gold medals, the next 14-16% receive silver medals, the next 19-21% receive bronze medals and the next 24-26% receive honorable mentions.

Training camp

Approximately the top 20 students in the nation are selected for the U.S. Physics Team, and invited to a training camp at the

. There, students receive intensive theoretical and experimental preparation and take a series of selection tests. The top five students travel to the

to represent the United States.

References

{{Reflist

External links

U.S. Physics Team Home PagePast Tests and Solutions
Youth science Student quiz competitions Physics competitions Science events in the United States Education competitions in the United States