Division A Events

Each team will build and fly a forced air propelled paper rocket using provided materials towards a target set at a distance.

Teams will demonstrate their problem‐solving skills by solving as many logic puzzles as they can within a set given time. These puzzles may be math, language, or picture orientated.

This event tests participants’ knowledge of historic and current information and discoveries using telescopes.

Contestants will build and test one chopper (rotary flying device) using only the materials provided at the competition. This event has a written test on the possible topics of relating to the parts and operation of rotary winged aircraft.

This event tests participants’ knowledge of the basic principles of genetics.

This event tests participants’ knowledge of macromolecules.

This event tests participants’ knowledge of microbes.

Teams will demonstrate their understanding of tides, tidal action and the adaptations of animals living in the intertidal zone.

Teams will build one paper plane to try and accurately hit a target. This event may take place outside, inside, or both depending on site restrictions for events. If the event takes place outside it may be delayed or canceled if inclement weather with rain or lightning predicted, but not wind. This event has a written test on the possible topics of the basics of flight, parts of a winged aircraft, the history of airplane flight.

Each team will build a strong, stable bridge from 20 paper drinking straws and 1 meter of tape. The team that spans the largest distance and holds an object for 10 seconds with the fewest straws will be the winner.

This event tests participants’ knowledge of atoms and the trends seen in the Periodic Table.

Teams will receive a challenge at the competition. The challenge could be anything. For example, building a contraption, creating an ecosystem for an animal, or traveling to a distant star. The team will not have any advance notice of the topic. This is a “hands on” building event that includes a student presentation.

This event tests participants’ knowledge of waves.

Teams will build a device out of given materials to travel a distance while holding a golf ball and stopping as close to a designated finish point as possible. All building of devices will take place during the competition. This event has a written test on the possible topics of gravity, basic parts of wheeled vehicles and distance, rate and time calculations.

Teams will build a device out of given materials to travel a distance using magnetic properties. This event will have a written test on the properties of magnets and related topics.

Teams will create a simple lighted telegraph to send and receive messages in morse code between two stations.

Teams will build a strong, stable tower from index cards and masking tape. The team that builds the highest tower with the fewest cards while holding a mass no less than 100 grams and no more than 1000 grams will be the winner. This event has a written test on the possible topics of bridge building techniques, parts, and related vocabulary.

Teams will make a material called “Gunk” from three specific materials to meet criteria announced at the event.

This event tests participants’ knowledge of the digestive system.

Teams will build a barge on‐site to hold the greatest amount of cargo before sinking. This event has a written test on the possible topics of buoyancy, density, the building and basic parts of ships and barges.

This event tests participants’ ability to provide rough estimates of a quantity to a series of Fermi Questions.

Teams will demonstrate their understanding of the laws of motion and their abilities to calculate data using formulas for force, motion, and vectors. This event will include a test on the scientific steps used during an experiment and may include observations of/or conducting an experiment.

This event tests participants’ knowledge of matter and may be asked to build a common compound.

Each pair of students will make a device out of paper straws and masking tape, supplied on‐site by the event supervisor, to hold a large raw egg. The device containing the egg will be dropped from a fixed height to a target. This event has a written test on the possible topics of eggs, parts of a parachute, and related vocabulary.

Teams will build and test a blade assembly for a wind turbine. This event will have a written test component. This event has a written test on the possible topics of power generation and storage, weather and global wind patterns, basic parts of wind turbines.