2009 Physics Olympiad

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Laser Maze

The information below is subject to change as more event tips and details are included. Please monitor this page regularly.

Faculty coordinator: Professor Vanessa Sih [vsih@umich.edu].

Event Description:

A laser beam is guided through an optical maze onto a bull's eye target. Three mirrors must be aligned such that the laser beam bounces off all mirrors and passes through circular apertures located along the beam path. The laser is turned off during most of the alignment procedure.

Event Location and Time:

Randall Lab, Room 4265
10:30AM - 11:50AM and 1:00PM - 2:50PM

Apparatus and Materials:

The following equipment will be provided:

• Helium-Neon Laser (1mW power; not to be moved)
• Three mirrors
• Three mirror mounts
• Bull's eye (not to be moved)
• Circular apertures (some not to be moved)
• Aperture mounts

Event Rules:

• Every team must have two members.
• At the beginning of the event, an official will reiterate the event rules and answer questions. A sheet outlining the rules and objectives will be handed out to the contestants.
• Theoretical Part: each team will have 5 minutes to complete a short multiple-choice quiz covering optics concepts such as speed of light, wavelength, frequency, power, reflection, refraction, Snell's law, lenses and lasers.
• Experimental Part: each team will align the mirrors to guide the beam through the apertures to the target. It is allowed to move the locations of the mirrors and the adjustment screws on the mirror mount. The laser is turned off during most of the alignment procedure. After each team has finished, they are permitted an additional two minutes for supervised alignment with the laser on.

Judging Criteria:

• The maximum score for the activity is 100 points.
• Theoretical Part: the questionnaire earns up to 20 theory points.
• Experimental Part: There will be a maximum of 80 experimental points. Teams will earn 10 points for the achievement of each of three core objectives specified in the rules. Up to 20 additional points will be awarded based on the location at which the laser beam hits the bull's eye target. If a team finishes the activity within 20 minutes, the team earns a time score of 30 points. After 20 minutes, the time score drops at a rate of 2 points per minute.
• Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals will be awarded to the teams with the highest three scores, respectively.

Olympiad Contact Information Professor Georg Raithel University of Michigan, Randall Laboratory, email: graithel@umich.edu Michelle Young FOCUS Administrator, email: mamurn@umich.edu

The University of Michigan. All rights reserved. The Physics Olympiad Logo is a Registered Service Mark in the State of Michigan The University of Michigan Physics Olympiad has no connection, association, or implied authorization by the USOC, the IOC, or the IPC. Revised: March, 2009.