2007-2008 Science Olympiad Events and Descriptions

C (HIGH SCHOOL) ONLY EVENTS

Astronomy: Students are shown a variety of images from deep space and then asked questions about these objects. Some of questions may deal with stellar evolution, types of galaxies, etc

 Cell Biology: Students are asked a number of questions about the molecular aspects of cell biology: identification of molecules based on their structure, cell organelles and their function, enzymes, enzyme inhibition, energy production etc. Many questions may be related to graphs or determining sizes of objects based on the scale from a micrograph.

 Chemistry lab: Proper safety equipment and attire required to participate. The topic of the event varies from year to year. In 2008, the emphasis is on chemical reactions and energy . Students will be expected to perform a number of lab procedures, make measurements and predictions. Also questions about kinds of reactions and the amount of energy required for a particular reaction will be asked.

 Circuit Lab: Students will see a number of different DC circuits, either drawn or real, and be asked a number of questions, including calculations, about the circuit. They may also be asked to design a circuit that will accomplish a specified task.

 Fermi questions: An event dealing with exponents and scientific notation. Students will be asked to estimate quickly the correct exponent for a given item such as number of cells in human body, the volume of water in Loch Ness, the mass of a 10 story building, etc. Some questions may involve negative exponents. Students receive credit for answers within two orders of magnitude of the correct answer.

 Five Star Science: Proper safety equipment and attire required to participate . Students will progress through five stations, performing a specified task at each station. Each station will deal with a different aspect of science: one station will deal with biology, one with chemistry, etc. Some stations may involve making measurements or performing an actual procedure; other stations may involve merely calculations.

 Physics lab: An event in which the content area changes yearly. This year the emphasis is on work, energy, and power . Students may have to collect and analyze data, make calculations, and to use various pieces of equipment. In some places, the event may be run as stations.

 Remote Sensing: Students will be shown a number of satellite images, mainly of Mars, and asked questions about the images. They may be asked to interpret geological features, calculate distances between these features, determine the scale used in the image, or provide the longitude/latitude of a location. Various questions about the geological history of Mars may also appear.

 Robot Ramble: Students build and bring a remote controlled robot that is capable of picking up a number of objects within 3 minutes from the 4' x 4' course and placing the objects in a cube, also on the course. Some of the objects are typically flat such as index cards, CDs, etc; other objects are of different shapes, etc. Scoring is based on how many object are moved into the scoring area and how many objects are placed in the cube.

 Sounds of music: Students build ahead of time two musical instruments capable of producing certain notes. Students will play two short songs, one specified and one of their own choice. Evaluation involves the generation of correct notes and answering some questions, often written, about the physics of sound.

 Wright Stuff: Students build a head of time a light, plane out of balsa wood and tissue paper.The propeller moves via rubber band, and the plane must have certain dimensions.. Students have 8 minutes to launch up to two planes. Time aloft determines the winner, and students should bring a log book of test flights. Event is typically held in a gymnasium.