OPTICS - Division C

Teams compete in activities and answer questions related to geometric and physical optics.

Added 01/29/12 National Rule Clarification:
The templates may remain under the mirrors and stay when the laser is turned on.

Added 01/26/12 Information from the Coaches & Event Captain Meeting Jan. 25, 2012
 2.a and 2.b. – These two paragraphs make a distinction between reference material in a 3-ring binder and “any measuring tool, premade templates, writing utensils,….calculators….”   Therefore, students may bring notes or any other information they want as long as it is secured in the 3-ring binder.  They may ALSO bring measuring tools, pre-made templates, pens and pencils, and any type of calculators.  It would be very nice if the stuff other than the binder were secured in some way or another so that they don’t fall all over the floor.
Mirror:  standard glass mirror
All templates must be removed prior to testing.
Multiple choice written part less than 30 questions, 1 tie breaker.
Each question is worth the same amount no penalty for a wrong answer.

Photos of the Laser Shoot Surface (LSS), laser, mirrors and barriers...optics 1

optics 2optics 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Added 01/24/12 Question: Which version of primary colors should the students know?  An article on the internet on primary colors mentions all the color models RGB, CMYK and RYB and says the choice of primary colors is arbitrary.
Answer: When Light is projected, the RGB primaries are appropriate (projectors, computer screens, laser display devices, Floodlights on a stage etc.)
When dealing with printed or painted materials the Cyan/Magenta/Yellow model is appropriate (think about the toner cartridges in your laser printer).
The students need to know when to use each set based on the description of the problem.
Another Answer – same content, other event captain:
Primary colors are not just the RGB; they are also the CMYK and anything you want it to be.
I know that sounds vague but that’s the way it is.
By definition primary colors are the color combinations that can cover the entire visible spectrum
Secondary is what you get when you mix your primary colors.
Complementary is when you add two colors and produce black or white
Ie.... R+G+B = White = R+(G+B) = R + Cyan   Therefore red and cyan are
Complementary.

*****Note that the maximum set up time for both Optics B & C is four minutes for the Laser Shoot.  Since there is no scoring that takes the time into consideration, we will have the teams stop after 4 minutes.

Added 01/22/12 Reminder: Teams may use templates (which must arrive secured in their binders) to set up their laser shoots.  The templates must be removed before the laser shoot.

Added 01/18/12 You may bring templates for the laser shoot as long as they are in a pouch that is secured in the rings of a 3-ring binder.  You may use them to set up the Laser Shoot Surface (LSS) at the Competition.  The templates must be taken out of the LSS before the laser is turned on.
The photos of the LSS that are posted on our website do not include:
1.  3.d.ix the line that will be drawn from the “point directly below the … laser to a point directly below the center of the of the laser beam where it strikes the opposite wall” and
2. 3.d.xi. the metric scale
Of course, those things will be on the LSS at both B & C Competitions.

Question:  “Can students bring a flat template to lay on the surface of the LSS for reference? Can the mirrors and barriers be placed on the template during set-up time?”
Answer:  2.a. of the event description says that templates are OK.  So, yes, students may bring templates but only if they are in something that snaps into the 3-ring binder so that they are not loose. 
The students may use the templates during set up by placing mirrors on them. 

Added 12/17/11 From the Regional Event Captain:
The Laser Blocks are made from the same 1x4 Stock (so nominally 3 ½ inch tall and ¾ Inch thick)  that the walls of the box were made out of , and they are 3.5 cm wide.  [spec 2-4 cm]
The mirrors are 3 inch square flat rear surface glass mirrors mounted to blocks cut from the same 1x4 stock and are 7.5 cm wide [spec 5-8 cm]

Added 10/19/11 The event description in this year’s Rules Manual trumps all other information.  3. xiii. – 1 – 5 mirrors means that the teams are required to use only 1 mirror, but they may choose to use up to 5 mirrors.
Another confusion that might pop up on message boards is that Divs B & C have different numbers of barriers even though the LSS diagram is the same. Division C has 3 barriers.

Added 10/13/11 The diagram of the Laser Shoot Surface (LSS) shows only one barrier.  In the 2012 event description for Division C, paragraph 3. xii. states that there will be three barriers.  That is correct.  The diagram is incorrect for Division C.  At our San Diego Regional Competition, Optics C will have three barriers.  Optics B will have one barrier.

Resources:


______________________________________________________back to DIVISION C LIST

 

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

This page provides event resources from the national and regional levels. Content is added regularly and noted by date.

Please bookmark this page and check often. If you have resources to add, please contact Liz Jablecki.

San Diego Regional Competition events follow:
1. The rules in the Rules Manuals
2. Clarifications on the National Science Olympiad web site
3. Additional clarifications, if any, from our Regional Event Captains
Nothing else counts.