The 2011 contest started on Friday, November 4, 2011 at 6pm MDT, when the following problems were posted:
Problem A. Space Tower Launch Costs:
Sending
payloads into low earth orbit on traditional rockets is very expensive,
with current costs running approximately $15,000 US Dollars per
kilogram. If a tower could be built tall enough, rockets might be
launched from the top of this tower and reduce the cost of sending a
payload into orbit. How much would it cost to launch a payload of
10,000 kg from towers of different heights?
Problem B. Shooting a Basketball for Three Points
In
the game of basketball, a player scores three points by successfully
making a shot from beyond the three point line, which is 6.2 meters away
from the basket in international games, such as the Olympics. Suppose a
player in an Olympic basketball game is at the three point line
standing at a point making an angle 45 degrees to the principal axes of
the court. What initial ball velocities and spins will result in a
successful shot from this point?
77 teams submitted solutions for judging before
the 48 hour deadline had elapsed. The following announcement of results
was made on Monday, December 19, 2011:
We are very pleased to announce the results of the
second annual University Physics Competition.
The University Physics Competition is an international contest for
undergraduate students, who worked in teams of up to three students at their
home colleges and universities all over the world, and spent 48 hours during the
weekend of November 4, 5 & 6 analyzing an applied scenario using the
principles of physics, and writing a formal paper describing their work.
During this year 77 teams submitted papers for
judging. 28 teams selected “Problem A - Space
Tower Launch Costs” and 49 teams selected “Problem B - Shooting a Basketball
for Three Points.”
For Problem A, the Gold Medal Winning Team was:
Team 352: Christopher Frye, Jie Liang, & Ryan Hardy
Of the 77 teams in the 2011 University Physics
Competition, 2 teams (3%) were ranked as Gold Medal Winners, 14 teams (18%)
were ranked as Silver Medal Winners, 21 teams (27%) were ranked as Bronze Medal
Winners, and 40 teams (52%) were ranked as Accomplished Competitors. The 2011 University Physics Competition
received official sponsorship from the American Physical Society and American
Astronomical Society, which provided prizes for the gold medal winning teams.
We extend our sincerest congratulations to each of
the 77 competing teams for their excellent work and their enthusiasm for
physics!
Kelly S. Cline
Carroll College; Helena, MT
Director of the 2011 University Physics
Competition, director@uphysicsc.com
www.uphysicsc.com
2011 Gold Medal Winners: Christopher Frye, Jie Liang, & Ryan Hardy
