Division BC Clarifications

Rule 3.c. corrections:

• 3.c.xiv. 47 Tucanae X9

• Delete 3.c.xv.

• Renumber 3.c.xvi. to 3.c.xv.

This event will not be held at VASO regional tournaments. It will be held at the State tournament.

Rule 6. Test Apparatus: A list of possible questions, tasks, stations and/or examples that will help to demonstrate how the event may be run.

Rule 4.f. - Logs will not necessarily be returned to teams. Teams should keep their original log and submit a copy to the Event Supervisor.

This event will not be held at VASO regional tournaments. It will be held at the State tournament.

The Rail Fence Cipher - Science Olympiad rules do not define Rail Fence. ACA rules allow encryption to be either writing into the rainfence pattern on the zigzag and reading off on rows, or writing into the pattern on rows and reading off on the zigzag. Are both encryptions allowed?

Only the pattern where the cipher text is written in rows and the plaintext is read through the zigzag is allowed. For example with the cipher text "RFEALECIN" would be written into three rows of "R F E" "ALEC" and "IN" and would be read out via zigzag as "RAILFENCE".

Rule 3.e.v. - Relating to the Fractionated Morse Cipher, will it always end with the last letter or will there be an XX at the end to mark the end of the word?

No. For a Fractionated Morse Cipher, the cipher can end with 0,1, or 2 X at the end depending on how many are needed to pad to a group of 3 symbols.

Rule 3.b. - …All supporting circuits must be assembled on either a solderless or solderable breadboard. The following are construction violations: preassembled devices, load cells, preassembled load cells where the strain gauges are already wired together or attached to a flexible material, parts taken from such a preassembled load cell, printed circuit boards…

National FAQ dated 12/2/22 regarding a team’s request to mill their own circuit board - While Nationals is allowing a team to mill its own circuit board, VASO will not allow it.

Formatting error corrections:

• Rule 5.Part II.a.ix(4) should become Rule 5.Part II.b.

• Rule 5.Part II.a.ix(5) should become Rule 5.Part II.c.

These rules apply to all tournament levels.

VASO considers writing code to be an integral part of building a device, so the Constructed Devices Policy applies to the code as well as the physical device. To ensure this policy is being followed, teams will be required to transfer a copy of their source code file (after they have modified it during the setup period) onto a USB flash drive provided by the Event Supervisor. The team is responsible for ensuring they will have a way to connect the provided USB flash drive to their laptop or calculator.

Rule 4.e. - Logs will not necessarily be returned to teams. Teams should keep their original log and submit a copy to the Event Supervisor.

Environmental Chemistry Equipment - Teams should not bring electrolysis equipment or glassware larger than 100-mL capacity. It is recommended that teams do bring enough disposable pipettes (droppers) and beakers to create and analyze up to 6 solutions during the session block. The glassware holding the solutions must have a wide opening (>1.25 inches) to allow for measurements.

This event will serve as a substitute at VASO regionals for the Experimental Design event that is in the National rulebook. Its use will be re-evaluated for the State Tournament. The VA rules for this event can be downloaded here.

This event will not be held at VASO regional tournaments. It will be held at the State tournament.

2023 National Tree List (Pg 2, Column 1, Line 4) - Moris Morus rubra (Red Mulberry)

Rule 3.e. - Can different parts of the "one" mechanism trigger the signal (i.e. 3 sections of a mechanism trigger the same signal)?

Every signal happens because something (a mechanism) directly causes it to happen. For example, the bell sounding is a signal, but the sound is caused by a hammer striking the bell. The flag being raised is the signal, but it is caused by a string pulling it up the pole. The hammer and the string are the mechanism. The mechanism must be the same in all instances, so, in order to allow for the next signal, the mechanism will need to reset itself for the next signal (i.e. the hammer must retract back or the string must go slack to let the flag back down). However, multiple different components or parts in the device can initiate the action of the mechanism that causes the signal (i.e. different cogs initiating the hammer action or different elements pulling the flag’s string).

This event will not be held at VASO regional tournaments. It will be held at the State tournament.

This event will not be held at VASO regional tournaments. It will be held at the State tournament.

Minerals List (Column 2) - "Willemite*" and "Zircon*" should not be indented underneath "Tourmaline Group" since they are not members of the Tourmaline Group.

Rule 3 (Construction Parameters) - The entire track must not be fully enclosed and the ball should be easily removable for the entire roller coaster, not just the loop in 3.k.ii. For the ball to be considered “easily removable”, the device/track must not have to be manipulated by the Event Supervisor to get the ball out.

Add a rule 4.b.iv. - If a kit was used to build the team’s device, the Design Log must also include an explanation of at least one substantial modification made to the kit as required by the Constructed Devices Policy.

Rule 4.e. - Logs will not necessarily be returned to teams. Teams should keep their original log and submit a copy to the Event Supervisor.

Rule 3.e. - ...The egg backstop must be built of any rigid material, and it must have a flat surface of 5.0±0.5 cm wide by 5.0±0.5 cm high by 1.27 cm (0.50”) thick 1.1 cm or thicker.

Rule 3.a. - Teams, even if they are from the same school, may NOT share an energy propulsion system (launcher) in VASO tournaments.

Rule 3.g. - Event Supervisors at VASO tournaments will not allow the egg to be placed inside a bag.

Rule 3.f. - Since dowels sold as “¼ inch dowels” are typically slightly narrower than that, VASO will accept dowels that measure approximately ¼ inch.

Add a rule 4.b.iv. - If a kit was used to build the team’s device, the Design Log must also include an explanation of at least one substantial modification made to the kit as required by the Constructed Devices Policy.

Rule 4.e. - Logs will not necessarily be returned to teams. Teams should keep their original log and submit a copy to the Event Supervisor.

Song Excerpt (States) - The excerpt of Battle Hymn of the Republic original published in the Rules should be discarded and the State Tournament will use this version where the notes below G4 were re-written to different notes within the G4 to G5 octave.

Rule 6.b.iv. Song Score (SS) = (Device Song Score/Highest Device Song Score of all teams) x 15 points 20 points

Section 6: Is the bucket in the same location if two bucket shots are taken (one after being close to the near target and one after being close to the far target)? Does the bucket shot have to follow the shot that earned it?
The shot does not have to be taken immediately after the shot that earned it. The bucket is at the same location for both shots.

Rule 5.b.ii. 0.25 m Timing Line - a line of 2.5 cm tape, approximately 70 cm long, to be placed perpendicular to and centered on the imaginary Center Line. The edge of the line closest to the Start Point must be 0.25 cm m from the Start Point.

Rule 3.e. - Since dowels sold as “¼ inch dowels” are typically slightly narrower than that, VASO will accept dowels that measure approximately ¼ inch.

Add a rule 4.b.iv. - If a kit was used to build the team’s device, the Design Log must also include an explanation of at least one substantial modification made to the kit as required by the Constructed Devices Policy.

Rule 4.e. - Logs will not necessarily be returned to teams. Teams should keep their original log and submit a copy to the Event Supervisor.

Rule 6c - At Charlottesville, the event will be held in a hallway 74 meters long, although the maximum distance will be set at shorter than that to allow space for the testing equipment setup.

Rules 2.d. and 7.f. - As this is not an impound event, VASO is not requiring teams to bring their device in a box and will not be awarding the Submission Bonus (SB).

Rule 4.e. - At regional tournaments VASO will use the submission timestamp on the form for uploading photos of the team’s build as the tiebreaker.

Rule 3.b. - In VASO tournaments, the writer will be required to handwrite their description on paper. Descriptions may not be typed.