2000 School Magazine

intern, in on o1younq physicists tournoment

In the July holidays, a team of five BGGS students, Tegan Davey, Sophie Ferris, Claire Humphreys, Vanessa Haberkern and Jusveer Rakhra, accompanied by team leaders Mr Allinson and Dr Stephens, competed in the International Young Physicists Tournament (IYPT) in Budapest, Hungary. Earlier in the year, the team (with Maria Barker competing in the place of Claim Humphreys) won the right to represent Australia at the IYPT by winning the Australian Young Physicists Challenge. Many months of research, experiment and calculation were carried out by the team on the seventeen set tournament problems. Each problem was an open-ended task aimed at allowing the student studying it to interpret, analyse and approach the question in a unique and scientific way. The conductivity of candle flames, irregular motion of rolling objects, air drag on projectiles, household radioactivity and buoyancy forces were all topics covered by the team in order to prepare themselves for participation in the IYPT. At the IYPT, the Australian team represented their school and country with flair and determination. Months of hard work, countless experiments, retrials and persistence, were reflected in the overall achievements of the team. Missing out on a place in the semifinals by three points, the Australian team finished on a commendable tenth, the highest ever ranking achieved in the IYPT by a non- European team. In the individual rankings, team captain Sophie Ferris was placed twelfth out of nearly I 00 competitors. The IYPT proved to be an invaluable experience for all girls involved. Meeting and befriending other international students with a

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similar passion for science was a highlight of the trip. Scientific approaches and interpretations of the questions varied widely and it was fascinating to observe the way in which students from countries vastly different to Australia, addressed the problems. As the only all female team in the competition, the girls also seized the opportunity to display the talent and capability of women in science, and turned quite a few heads in doing so. Thank you to Mrs Hancock and Brisbane Girls Grammar School for your support. The generous donations of our sponsors and members of the school community made the trip feasible. Lastly, a big thank you to our chaperones and guides, Mr Allinson and Dr Stephens, for your endless patience and assistance. The AYPT is an amazing scientific experience that is open to all Year I I students' We sincerely recommend it to anyone with a passion for physics, to those who enjoy communicating with other scientifically minded people and for students who want to forge friendships throughout the world.

Sophie kms

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