Division A Events

Teams will design, build, and race an air-powered balloon device to travel a distance along a fishing line track in the shortest amount of time. They will answer questions on Newton’s Laws of Motion and air pressure.

Team members will take turns drawing scientific terms while their teammates attempt to correctly identify each term based on visual representations. Terms will be drawn from the provided science term list with content across physical, life, earth, and space science.

Teams will design and construct a landing device that safely protects a simulated astronaut during a landing from a designated height. Before construction, teams will participate in a mock purchasing process, being scored on their use of a limited budget to select the materials used. Teams will also complete a written assessment covering the forces, energy transformations, and engineering principles involved in protecting astronauts during reentry and landing.

Teams will use cryptanalysis techniques to decrypt encrypted messages using a variety of historical and modern ciphers.

Teams will build and test one glider of any design using the cereal box they bring and the materials provided at the competition. They will also take a written assessment on principals of glider flight.

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of the properties and behavior of light, including reflection, refraction, image formation, color, and optical systems, as well as their ability to apply these principles in a hands-on activity involving mirrors and a laser beam.

Contestants will build and test one rubber band helicopter of any design using the materials provided at the competition, as well as take a written test on the principals of rotary flight.

Teams will construct a tower using paper drinking straws and tape. The tower will be evaluated on its height, strength, and engineering knowledge. Towers will be tested using progressively heavier loads to determine the maximum load successfully supported. Teams will also complete a written assessment covering tower design, structural forces, stability, and engineering principles.

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of ecological principles, ecosystems, species interactions, and major terrestrial and aquatic biomes.

Teams will design and construct a truss bridge that spans a 30.0 cm gap between two supports. The bridge will be tested by supporting a 300 g mass and, if successful, a 500 g mass for 30 seconds each. Teams will also complete a written assessment covering bridge types, structural design, and forces acting within bridges.

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of the formation, classification, evolution, and life cycles of stars.

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of energy forms, energy transformations, energy transfer, and major renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, including real-world energy production systems.

Teams will design, construct, and test a balloon hovercraft that levitates on a cushion of air. Choosing their desired ramp and starting position on the ramp, competitors will send their hovercraft down the ramp to stop as close to a finish line as possible, without passing the finish line. Competitors will also complete a written assessment covering hovercraft design, potential and kinetic energy, and friction.

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of the periodic table, including structure, element classification, atomic structure, and periodic trends.

Teams will design, build, and race a sail-powered model using wind as their only source of energy, to travel as straight a distance as possible in the shortest amount of time. They will answer questions on a written assessment on their understanding of wind, angles, and aerodynamics.

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of the structure, function, and organization of major human body systems and the organs that comprise them.

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the human digestive system.

Teams will design and construct a bungee cord system to drop a weight from a designated height. Teams will also answer questions on a written assessment on the principles of the law of conservation of energy, elastic potential energy, gravitational potential energy, and kinetic energy.

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of genetics, heredity, inheritance patterns, and the relationship between genes and traits.

Each team will build a device that uses a hydraulic system to accomplish the task of lifting a 100g weighted object as high as possible while holding the weight for as long as possible. The team will also take a written test on basic hydraulic concepts.

Participants will demonstrate skills in map reading, interpretation, and map construction using road maps and topographic maps.

Teams will receive a crime scenario, a collection of evidence samples, and a list of possible suspects. Participants will perform laboratory tests, analyze physical evidence, and apply scientific reasoning, to identify the most likely suspect(s) and solve the crime.