SYPT 2025
Schedule for SYPT 2025
SYPT 2025 e-briefing: https://go.gov.sg/sypt2025ebriefing
SYPT 2025 interest form: https://go.gov.sg/sypt2025interest
SYPT 2025 Participation form: https://go.gov.sg/sypt2025participation
SYPT 2025 e-briefing
24 Aug 2024, Sat (9 am - 1 pm)
​Programme:
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Overview of SYPT 2025
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Sharing of past SYPT experiences
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Analysis of Category A and B problems (in concurrent sessions)
Important Dates
30 Aug 2024 - Interest form deadline (interest to receive materials to
SYPT 2025 problems)
1 Nov 2024 - Registration form deadline (confirmation of team members)
16 Nov 2024 - Shortlisting: Category B
23 Nov 2024 - Shortlisting: Category A
15 Feb 2025 - Finals: Category B
22 Feb 2025 - Finals: Category A
Category A - for participants in JC1 / IP5 / PU1 (or equivalent) and below as of 2024
Category B - for participants in Sec 3 / IP3 (or equivalent) and below as of 2024
Problems for the SYPT 2025
Approved by the IOC on 18 July 2024
Please refer to the official and signed pdf as
the authoritative source.
Category A
A1. Invent Yourself: Paper Boomerang
Make a returning boomerang from a sheet of paper by folding and/or cutting.
Investigate how its motion depends on relevant parameters.
A2. Climbing Magnets
Attach a rod assembled from cylindrical neodymium magnets horizontally
to a vertical ferromagnetic rod. Limit the motion of the magnets to the
vertical direction. When the ferromagnetic rod is spun around its axis
of symmetry, the magnetic rod begins to climb up. Explain this phenomenon
and investigate how the rate of climbing depends on relevant parameters.
A3. Dancing Slinky
Twist a slinky several times and keep its bottom fixed. After releasing
the top, the slinky starts to "dance" - wave-like phenomenon can be observed
from the side-view. Explain the phenomenon and investigate the parameters
affecting the slinky's motion.
A4. Dripping Faucet
A leaky faucet develops interesting dripping patterns, where the time
between drops depends on the water flowrate. Investigate this phenomenon
and study how it depends on relevant parameters.
A5. Levitating Fluid
When a container partially filled with liquid is oscillated vertically
and air is injected at the bottom of the container, the fluid can "levitate".
investigate the phenomenon.
A6. Magnetic Assist
Attach one or two magnets to a non-magnetic and non-conductive base such
that they attract a magnet suspended from a string. Investigate how the
motion of the moving magnet depends on relevant parameters.
A7. Rayleigh-Benard convection
Uniformly and gently heat the bottom of a container containing a suspension
of powder in oil (e.g. mica powder in silicon oil), cell-like structures
may form. Explain and investigate this phenomenon.
A8. Wailing Bowl
When you strike the side of a metal bowl containing some water, you hear
a characteristic sound. the sound changes when the water in the bowl is
moving. Explain and investigate the phenomenon.
A9. Quantum Fingerprint
Shine laser light onto an organic polymer (eg. styrofoam). The scattered
light may have a higher or lower wavelength than the incident light. Explain
the phenomenon and determine what can be concluded about the molecular
structure of the material from the wavelength shift.
Category B
B1. Invent Yourself: Paper Boomerang
Make a returning boomerang from a sheet of paper by folding and/or cutting.
Investigate how its motion depends on relevant parameters.
B2. Air Muscle
Place a balloon inside a cylindrical net (as is sometimes used to wrap
garlic) and inflate it. The net will expand and shorten. Investigate the
properties of such a "muscle".
B3. Lato Lato
Attach a ball to each end of a string and connect the center of the string
to a pivot. When the pivot oscillates along the vertical direction, the
ball start to collide and oscillate with increasing amplitude. Investigate
the phenomenon.
B4. Ruler Canon
Two rulers are tightly held against each other. A round projectile (e.g.
a plastic bottle cap or a ball) is inserted between them close to one of
their ends. When extra force is exerted on the surface of the rulers, the
projectile is ejected at a high speed. Investigate this effect and the
parameters that affect ejection speed.
B5. Spring Hysteresis
Connect two identical linear springs symmetrically to a mass in a "V"
shape, and apply an adjustable force to the mass. When this force is varied,
the resulting motion of the mass depends on the history of changes in the
applied force under certain conditions. investigate this phenomenon.
B6. Sound Versus Fire
A small flame can be put out by sound. Investigate the parameters of the
flame and characteristics of the sound that determine whether the flame
will be extinguished.
B7. Spaghetti Accelerator
When a piece of spaghetti is pushed into a bent tube, small debris of
spaghetti may be ejected from the other end of the tube at a surprisingly
high speed. Investigate this phenomenon.
B8. Water Bottle Rocket
Pump air into a plastic water bottle partially filled with water. Under
certain conditions, the bottle is launched and flies into the air. Investigate
how the acceleration during lift-off depends on the relevant parameters.
B9. Wirtz Pump
A Wirtz Pump is a hollow spiral, mounted vertically. It is arranged such
that one end dips below water once per revolution, while the other end
(at the center of the spiral) is connected to a vertical tube. When rotated,
it can be used to pump water to a great height. Explain this phenomenon
and investigate how relevant parameters affect the pumping height.
Some general tips for the problems:
Model the theories mathematically beyond qualitative observations, predict
and tally predictions with observations.
Check the source of information/equations for accuracy to ensure the accuracy
of basic concepts e.g. direction of refracted rays, use of appropriate
equations
Appropriate fitting of line e.g. checking the physical appropriateness
of y-intercept. A line fit may only be useful if there is a comparison
with a mathematical model. Otherwise, observing a general trend of the
data points may be sufficient.
Use experimental data to verify if theory is valid instead of relating
different parameters without further investigation into the related physical
insights
Reference:
Problems | International Young Physicists’ Tournament (iypt.org)