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Physics Olympiad Exams
published by the American Association of Physics Teachers
The Physics Olympiad Screening Exams are used each year by the American Association of Physics Teachers to help select members for the United State Physics Team.  Each year there are two or three rounds of exams consisting of both multiple choice and open response questions. The exams cover a broad range of topics in physics including mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, waves, and optics.

The exams linked below provide examples of the Olympiad screening tests from several previous years. In most cases both exams and exams with solutions are provided.
8 supplemental documents are available
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© 1993 AAPT
Keywords:
advanced placement, standardized evaluations
Record Creator:
Metadata Instance Creation Date October 16, 2003 by Bruce Mason
Record Updated:
February 24, 2016 by Bruce Mason
Last Update
when Cataloged:
February 2, 2009
Other Collections:

Questions show remarkable ignorance of physics

Author: Nona Busen
Posted: December 22, 2011 at 1:54PM
Source: The PSRC collection

I worked through the first dozen questions of the 2007 test, and I'm dismayed at how little knowledge of physics the question-writers appear to have had.  Calling gravitational binding energy "gravitational potential energy" is not a trivial mistake (question 8), nor is asking a question about what happens during a specific time period, and then expecting an answer about what has happened in total from zero to the end of that time period (question 4).  

These tests are useless for learners, and their only use for educators would be as a potential source for sample questions.

» reply

Re: Questions show remarkable ignorance of physics

Author: Bruce, ComPADRE Dir
Posted:

Nona, the US Physics Olympics Team, the source of these tests, is organized by the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Institute of Physics each year, with the tests provided here written by experienced physicists and physics teachers. The results of these tests have been quite good, with the US Physics Team doing well in international competitions. I don't know precisely the way the tests are written and approved, but I'm sure they are carefully vetted. They are provided mostly for teachers to use in their classes.

As to your specific questions, the term "gravitational potential energy" is standard for the gravitational energy between objects and is used in most textbooks. The question about what happens in a second time period given a first time period is a standard conceptual question that tests student understanding of kinematics.



> On Dec 22, 2011, Nona Busen posted:
>
> I worked through
> the first dozen questions of the 2007 test, and I'm
> dismayed at how little knowledge of physics the question-writers
> appear to have had.  Calling gravitational binding
> energy "gravitational potential energy" is not a trivial
> mistake (question 8), nor is asking a question about
> what happens during a specific time period, and then
> expecting an answer about what has happened in total
> from zero to the end of that time period (question 4).
>
>
> These tests are useless for learners, and their
> only use for educators would be as a potential source
> for sample questions.

» reply

thanks

Author: salvatore viva
Posted: June 26, 2009 at 7:27AM
Source: The PSRC collection

i hope to use this in phisycs summer school in Lecce, Italy

( sorry for my English )

» reply

Re: thanks

Author: Bruce, ComPADRE Dir
Posted:

I'm glad this can help you out with your class.

Bruce

> On Jun 26, 2009, salvatore viva posted:
>
> i hope to
> use this in phisycs summer school in Lecce, Ital
>
>
> ( sorry for my English )

» reply

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Record Link
AIP Format
(American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, 1993), WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=390&DocID=961).
AJP/PRST-PER
Physics Olympiad Exams (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, 1993), <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=390&DocID=961>.
APA Format
Physics Olympiad Exams. (2009, February 2). Retrieved March 29, 2024, from American Association of Physics Teachers: https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=390&DocID=961
Chicago Format
American Association of Physics Teachers. Physics Olympiad Exams. College Park: American Association of Physics Teachers, February 2, 2009. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=390&DocID=961 (accessed 29 March 2024).
MLA Format
Physics Olympiad Exams. College Park: American Association of Physics Teachers, 1993. 2 Feb. 2009. 29 Mar. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=390&DocID=961>.
BibTeX Export Format
@misc{ Title = {Physics Olympiad Exams}, Publisher = {American Association of Physics Teachers}, Volume = {2024}, Number = {29 March 2024}, Month = {February 2, 2009}, Year = {1993} }
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%T Physics Olympiad Exams %D February 2, 2009 %I American Association of Physics Teachers %C College Park %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=390&DocID=961 %O application/pdf

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%0 Electronic Source %D February 2, 2009 %T Physics Olympiad Exams %I American Association of Physics Teachers %V 2024 %N 29 March 2024 %8 February 2, 2009 %9 application/pdf %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=390&DocID=961


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