2026-2027 Western Kentucky Physics Olympics: Event Descriptions

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Physics of the United States and Ben Franklin

        The WKU Department of Physics & Astronomy continues the revolution with another round of the Western Kentucky Physics Olympics on Saturday, 14 November 2026.  Teams of four high school students are invited to compete in this half-day competition consisting of a pentathlon of challenging problem-solving activities that reward teamwork, communication and creativity. 

        The 2026 Physics Olympics competition will commence with two activities that involve competitors arriving at the event ready to compete with devices they have designed, constructed, and tested.  For the “Air Cannon” event, teams will compete to test the strength and accuracy of their air cannon.  For the “Current in Motion” event, each team constructs a simple motor powered by a single D-cell batter to spin and lift a load.  The "Communication Challenge" will require each team to divide into pairs, with one pair creating a solution for a shocking problem, and the other pair following the directions to perform the experiment.  The "Impromptu Team Activity" and "Order-of-Magnitude Quiz" will remain cloaked in secrecy until the day of the event. 

 

Event 1: Build Ahead:  Air Cannon

1. Objective 

Teams will design and operate an air cannon capable of extinguishing the greatest number of candles from a designated firing line without physically contacting the candles or candle stand, using the air vortex generated by the air cannon.  

2. Eligibility 

• Open to currently enrolled high school students or equivalent.  

• Students must compete in teams of 4 members.  

• Each team may enter only one air cannon.  

• The air cannon must be constructed by the team members from commonly found materials and cannot be a purchased device or made from a kit.  

3. Air Cannon Specifications 

• The air cannon must use only compressed air generated manually.  

• No combustible fuels, explosives, flammable gases, or chemical propellants are permitted.  

• No materials (confetti, etc.) may be used in the air cannon to cause the air from the cannon to be visible.  

• The cannon must remain stationary during firing.  

• The air cannon may not launch any solid, liquid, or gel projectile.  

• Only moving air may be used to extinguish candles.  

• The air cannon may not exceed 50 cm by 50 cm by 50 cm.  

• Teams may put a “sight” on their air cannon, but the sight cannot project any light (i.e. not flashlight, laser, or similar devices) to aid in aiming the air cannon.  

4. Safety Requirements 

• All participants must wear safety glasses during testing and competition.  

• Air cannons must pass a safety inspection before competing.  

• Sharp edges and unsafe construction must be corrected before use.  

• Participants must follow all instructions from judges and event staff.  

• Unsafe behavior may result in immediate disqualification.  

5. Competition Setup

• Targets will be arranged in an area at various distances from the firing line.  Some targets will be at different elevations from the other targets.  

• Targets may need to be blown out, blown over, or blown aside depending on the nature of the target. 

• All targets of a similar nature will be of the same type and size.  

• The firing line will be located at a fixed distance from the targets (approximately 2 meters from the nearest target).  

• Team members nor the air cannon may not cross the firing line during an attempt.  

• All team members must stay behind the firing line during the contest.  

6. Competition Procedure 

• Teams will be assigned a competition time.  

• Competitors will have 1 minute to set up and fire their air cannon.  

• Each team has an unlimited number of attempts during their firing time to defeat as many targets as possible.  

• If the team defeats all the targets before their firing time has elapsed, the team can request that the judges reset the course for the opportunity to gain additional points.  

• No adjustments to candle placement are allowed.  

7. Scoring

Primary Score  

• The points for each target defeated is determined by the distance and elevation of the target with respect to the firing line.  

Competition Layout  

• Targets will be placed at predetermined distances and elevations from the firing line.  

• Each target position will have a point value based on its distance and elevation from the line.  

• Targets farther from the line are worth more points.  

Example Point Values  

Distance from Firing Line	Points per Target
2 m level	1 point
3 m level	2 points
3 m lower	3 points
3 m upper	3 points
4.5 m level	5 points

(Distances and point values may be adjusted by event organizers.)  

Scoring Method  

Candles 

• Points are awarded for each candle successfully extinguished.  

• The score for a round is the sum of the point values of all extinguished candles.  

• A candle must be completely extinguished for at least 3 seconds to count.  

• Candles knocked over but not extinguished do not earn points.  

Knock over Targets 

• Points are awarded for each target blown over. 

• The score for a round is the sum of the points values for each target blown over. 

• A Knock over target must be no longer in its vertical position. 

• Knock over targets pushed horizontally but not knocked over do not earn points. 

Push Aside Targets 

• Points are awarded for each target pushed aside. 

• The score of the round is the sum of the points for each target pushed aside. 

• A Push Aside target must be moved so that it is not blocking the area behind it. 

• Push Aside targets that still block the majority of the area behind, don’t earn points. 

Example  

If a team extinguishes:  

• Two candles (above and below) at 3 m (3 points each)  

• One candle at 2 m (1 points)  

Their score would be:  

3 + 3 + 1 = 7 points  

Tie Breaker  

1. Longest distance from which targets were defeated.  

1. Fastest successful completion time.  

8. Prohibited Actions 

• Touching or knocking over a target or target holders.  

• Using projectiles, water, powder, foam, or any material other than air.  

• Using multiple cannons simultaneously.  

• Modifying the competition setup.  

• Interfering with another team.  

9. Judges' Decisions 

• Judges' decisions are final.  

• The judging panel may stop any attempt deemed unsafe.  

• Organizers reserve the right to clarify rules before the event begins.  

10. Sportsmanship 

• Teams are expected to demonstrate good sportsmanship and respect toward competitors, judges, and volunteers.  

• Unsportsmanlike conduct may result in penalties or disqualification.  

   

Event 2: Plan, Build, and Test Ahead:  Simple Motor

The goal of this competition is to construct a device that spins via electromagnetic forces and is capable of lifting a small paperclip a vertical distance of 20-cm.  Each team that registers by the deadline will receive a kit containing everything required to construct the Locomotion Coil.  

Each Locomotion Coil kit contains  

• Provided and Required to be used in final device:  

• 1.5-meters of 24-gauge magnet wire  

• 2 neodymium magnets  

• (For the device which is used in the competition, no substitutions or additions for the 1.5-meters of 24-gauge magnet wire or the 2 neodymium magnets will be allowed.)  

• Also Provided:  

• 2 banana clip connecting wires  

• 2 jumbo paper clips  

• 1 large soda straw  

• 1 small square of medium grit sandpaper  

• 1 rectangular cuboid of packing foam  

• 1 battery holder for D-cell batteries  

• 2 D-cell batteries  

• 1 small paper clip  

• 50-cm long thread or light string  

Constructing an Electromagnetic Coil 
Wind the magnet wire into a coil.  Wrap the ends of the wire around the coil a couple of times on opposite sides to hold the coil together.  Leave  about 2-cm projecting from each side of the coil.  

* The diameter of the coil and the number of loops will affect the performance of your device; be sure to experiment to determine the arrangement which optimizes performance.  

The magnet wire had an insulating coating of red enamel.  Use the sandpaper to remove the enamel on one side of one of the projecting ends.  It is very important that the orientation of the sanded face of the wires be the same on both sides.  For instance, if the coil is held in a vertical plane, sand only the top half of the two ends of the projecting ends of the wire and leave the bottom half red.)  

Constructing the Locomotion Coil (Simple Motor) 
(Suggested method although other configurations are acceptable as long as you use the wire and magnets provided.) 
Unfold one end of each paper clip and stick them into the packing foam.  Rest the ends of the coil in the cradles formed by the paper clips.  Adjust the height of the paper clips so that when the coil spins, it clears the magnets.  

* The gap between the magnet and the bottom-most edge of the coil will affect the performance of your device.  

Adjust the coil and the paper clips until the coil stays balanced and centered while spinning freely on the clips.  Good balance is important in getting the motor to operate well.  

Place the D-cell batteries in a battery holder.  Use the alligator clip leads to connect one terminal of the battery to one paper clip and the other terminal to the other paper clip.  

Give the coil a spin to start it turning.  If it doesn't keep spinning on its own, check to make sure that the coil assembly is well balanced when spinning, that the enamel has been thoroughly scraped off on, that the projecting end has been painted with black pen as noted, and that the coil and the magnet are close to each other but do not hit each other.  You might also try adjusting the distance separating the cradles: This may affect the quality of the contact between the coil and the cradles.  Keep making adjustments until the Locomotion Coil works smoothly.  

After the joy of watching the Coil spin finally starts to wear off, tie or glue a piece of thread or thin string to one of the projecting ends of the wire.  With a small paper clip attached to the other end of the thread, hand the clip over the edge of a table and set your Coil in motion so it reels up the paper clip as it spins.  

Event Scoring:  

• 1 point -- properly prepared coil, generates a magnetic field  

• 1 point -- spins unattended for at least 1-second  

• 1 point -- with adjustments, will spin in both directions  

• 1 point -- spins unattended for at least 60-seconds  

• 1 point -- without any intervention, lifts a paper clip a vertical height of at least 20-cm in 60-seconds  

• first tie-breaker -- height to which paper clip is raised  

• second tie-breaker -- number of paper clips raised  

All contestants will ensure that their entry works through the application of physics principles and generally follows the spirit of the competition.  

 

Event 3: Communication/Calculation Challenge: The Charges Move 

Your team will be asked to divide into pairs.  Two members of the team will be given 
information and will be asked to produce a written plan to allow the remaining two 
teammates to accurately use the information in the plan to perform a task. 

 

Evert 4: Impromptu Challenge

Activity and precision are the key words for this competition, with the goal for each team to 
achieve the desired results as quickly as possible.  The instructions regarding this event are 
secret and not released until the event begins, so each team starts in the same position. 
The situation is designed to reward teamwork and prudent thinking. 

 

Event 5: Fermi Questions

Arrive at a reasonable approximation for the value of a complex situation with very little to 
no information available to directly compute the answer.  In this quiz, the contestants will 
need to quickly make assumptions for values to use in simple calculations in order to arrive at the “correct” answer, stated as the power of ten of the of the number that fits the accepted value, basically the exponent for the power of ten if written in scientific notation. 

Teams will receive 10 questions to complete within 15 minutes.  The teams can divide the 
work in any way they see fit, but only one answer per question per team will be accepted. 
Answers will be judged according to how many orders of magnitude the team's answer is 
from the judge's solution.  The lowest score wins -- 0 points awarded for the answer 
accepted by the panel of judges, with 1 point scored per order of magnitude from the 
accepted value. 

Examples of Order-of-Magnitude Quiz questions include: 

• If 100 one-dollar bills had a thickness of one inch, how much would a stack of one 
  dollar bill be if it were as tall as Mount Everest? 

• How many times would a tire of a Ford Taurus rotate when driven from NYC to LA? 

• Estimate the number of gallons of gasoline used annually by all the cars in the USA.