By Qingyang Zhang, Y13
On the 25th of November, LGB’s Maxwell’s Demons Physics Club participated in the Online physics brawl, a virtual physics problem-solving competition. Bubi Zhou, Kevin Tian, Akemi Sabatier, James Forsyth and I worked intensely on topics including mechanics, optics, and electricity from 5 to 8 p.m. We received 100 points with 8 bonus points, and placed 41st out of 135 active teams.
To prepare for the competition, we gathered weekly, solving physics problems on Isaac physics and other resources. We focused on developing clear logical reasoning when confronted with novel problems, improving mathematical manipulation, learning new physics, and exploring difficult questions together through productive communication.
I asked my teammates for their impressions of the competition; their thoughts are included below.
Kevin: “I strengthened many topics during preparation. In the competition, I was able to use my knowledge and contribute to the team.”
Akemi: “The competition taught me how to adapt to questions I was unfamiliar with and think of ways of solving them using different areas of physics rather than a single unit. I also learned the importance of staying organized to explain my working out and to be able to refer back to past unsolved questions. Working as a team through coordination and discussing the questions was fun and kept us motivated until the end.”
Bubi: “The competition tested and challenged collaboration as well as individual skills. There were simply too many questions to tackle individually, so it made us spread out the work and collaborate for more difficult problems. The competition also showed us the areas that we need to work on.”
James: “The competition highlighted the importance of teamwork. If I had not worked through and checked a question with one of my teammates, I would not have answered it correctly”
As the leader of the physics club, this experience taught me more about leading than problem-solving. I was impressed by how my teammates had gotten on with questions harder than what we had practiced. The competition also highlighted the importance of drawing diagrams and presenting clear working even under timed conditions, as it clarifies thought.
Maxwell’s Demons Physics Club needs more people! Anyone in Y10-Y13 looking to improve their knowledge of physics, problem-solving skills, and mathematical skills can contact me, Qingyang Zhang (qingyang.zhang@learning.ecolint.ch). The club runs on Tuesdays at 16:30 in the STEM centre.
