Events BC

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Divisions BC Events

Divisions B and C 2024-25 Events

These events are from the previous season (2024-25), but are still here to give new teams an idea of what Science Olympiad events are like. You can also still download last year's rules for additional details. The rules for the 2025-26 season will be available on September 2, 2025.

Download 2024-25 Rules

Event Conflicts

Air Trajectory

UMW Regional & States

Prior to the competition, teams will design, construct, and calibrate a single device capable of launching projectiles onto a target.

BC

Div

Botany

States Only (Trial Event)

Participants will demonstrate their knowledge of plant life and general botany principles.

BC

Div

Codebusters

All VASO Tournaments

Teams will cryptanalyze and decode encrypted messages using cryptanalysis techniques for historical and modern advanced ciphers.

BC

Div

Disease Detectives

All VASO Tournaments

Participants will use investigative skills in the scientific study of disease, injury, health, and disability in populations or groups of people.

BC

Div

Electric Vehicle

All VASO Tournaments

Teams must design, build and test one vehicle that uses electrical energy as its sole means of propulsion to travel as quickly as possible and stop close to a Target Point.

C

Div

Experimental Design

All VASO Tournaments

This event will determine a participant's ability to design, conduct and report the findings of an experiment entirely on-site.

BC

Div

Geologic Mapping

UMW Regional & States

Teams will demonstrate understanding in the construction and use of topographic maps, geologic maps, and cross sections, and their use in forming interpretations regarding subsurface structures and past depositional environments on Earth and other planetary bodies.

C

Div

Meteorology

UMW Regional & States

Participants will use scientific process skills involving qualitative and quantitative analyses to demonstrate an understanding of the factors that influence world climate and climate change through the interpretation of climatological data, graphs, charts and images.

B

Div

Mission Possible

UMW Regional & States

Prior to the competition, participants design, build, test, and document a Rube Goldberg®- like Device that completes required Start and Final Actions through a series of specific actions.

B

Div

Reach for the Stars

All VASO Tournaments

Participants will demonstrate an understanding of late-stage stellar evolution and stellar remnants, and their observation across the electromagnetic spectrum.

B

Div

Scrambler

All VASO Tournaments

Teams design, build, and test a mechanical device, which uses the energy from a falling mass to transport an egg along a track as quickly as possible and stop as close to the center of a Terminal Barrier without breaking the egg.

B

Div

Write It Do It

UMW Regional & States

One student will write a description of an object and how to build it, and then the other student will attempt to construct the object from this description.

BC

Div

Anatomy and Physiology

All VASO Tournaments

Participants will be assessed on their understanding of the anatomy and physiology for the human Integumentary, Muscular, and Skeletal systems.

BC

Div

Bungee Drop

UMW Regional & States

Each team will design one elastic cord to conduct two separate drops at a given height(s) and attempt to get a drop mass, placed in a bottle, as close as possible to, but without touching, a landing surface.

C

Div

Crime Busters

UMW Regional & States

Given a scenario, a collection of evidence, and possible suspects, students will perform a series of tests that along with other evidence will be used to solve a crime and answer questions.

B

Div

Dynamic Planet

All VASO Tournaments

Participants will demonstrate an understanding of the processes involving the cryosphere of the Earth, with an emphasis on glaciers.

BC

Div

Engineering CAD

States Only (Trial Event)

Teams will read a set of engineering drawings and collaboratively create CAD parts and assemblies that match the drawings while incorporating provided components

B

Div

Forensics

All VASO Tournaments

Given a scenario and some possible suspects, participants will perform a series of tests which along with other evidence or test results, will be used to solve a crime.

C

Div

Helicopter

All VASO Tournaments

Prior to the tournament, teams will construct, collect data on test flights, analyze and optimize a free flight rubber-powered helicopter to achieve maximum time aloft.

BC

Div

Metric Mastery

All VASO Tournaments

Teams will estimate and then measure properties of identical objects including mass, area, volume, density, force, distance, time, and temperature. Teams will also perform metric unit conversions.

B

Div

Optics

All VASO Tournaments

Teams participate in an activity involving positioning mirrors to direct a laser beam towards a target and are tested on their knowledge of geometric and physical optics.

BC

Div

Road Scholar

UMW Regional & States

Participants will answer interpretive questions that may use one or more state highway maps, USGS topographic maps, Internet-generated maps, a road atlas or satellite/aerial images.

B

Div

Tower

All VASO Tournaments

Teams will design and build a Tower (Structure) meeting requirements specified in these rules to achieve the highest structural efficiency.

BC

Div

Astronomy

All VASO Tournaments

Teams will demonstrate an understanding of Stellar Evolution: Star Formation & Exoplanets.

C

Div

Chemistry Lab

All VASO Tournaments

Teams will complete one or more tasks and answer a series of questions involving the science processes of chemistry focused in the areas of equilibrium and chemical reactions/stoichiometry.

C

Div

Cybersecurity

States Only (Trial Event)

Competitors will be assessed on their knowledge of cybersecurity through hands-on tasks as well as theoretical questions focused in the areas of cryptography and web architecture.

C

Div

Ecology

All VASO Tournaments

Participants will answer questions involving content knowledge and process skills in the area of ecology and adaptations in featured North American biomes.

BC

Div

Entomology

All VASO Tournaments

Students will be asked to identify insects and selected immature insects by order and family, answer questions about insects, and use or construct a dichotomous key.

BC

Div

Fossils

All VASO Tournaments

Teams identify and classify fossils and demonstrate their knowledge of ancient life. Tasks will be related to interpretation of past environments and ecosystems, adaptations, evolutionary relationships, and the use of fossils in dating and correlating rock units.

BC

Div

Materials Science

UMW Regional & States

Teams will complete lab activities and answer a series of questions related to the materials science of ceramics with an emphasis on chemical and crystalline structure, and behavior.

C

Div

Microbe Mission

UMW Regional & States

Teams will answer questions, solve problems and analyze data pertaining to microbes.

BC

Div

Potions and Poisons

All VASO Tournaments

This event is about chemical properties and effects of specified toxic and therapeutic chemical substances, with a focus on household and environmental toxins or poisons.

B

Div

Robot Tour

UMW Regional & States

Teams design, build, program and test one Robotic Vehicle to navigate a track to reach a target at a set amount of time as accurately and efficiently as possible.

C

Div

Wind Power

All VASO Tournaments

Teams construct a blade assembly device prior to the tournament that is designed to capture wind power and complete a written test on the principles of alternative energy.

BC

Div

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