Physics Tournament Lab
Available: In-person: Princeton, NJ. Hybrid: everywhere.
For high school, middle school, and home school students
Mentor: Dr. Sergey Samsonau
Doing Real Physics
IYPT problems are among the best vehicles for doing real physics: open-ended, requiring theory, experiment, and simulation. Build your own apparatus, develop mathematical models, run computer simulations, defend your conclusions. Some students pursue these problems for competition; others use them for independent research. The methodology is the same either way.
World-Class Physics Problems
The International Young Physicists' Tournament (IYPT) publishes 17 open-ended physics problems each year. These problems have no textbook answers. They require building apparatus, developing theory, running simulations, and defending your conclusions. Professional physicists design them to be genuinely challenging.
Some students use these problems for competition entry. Others pursue them as independent research projects. The work is the same either way, with publishable outcomes. Students who want to compete can submit to the US selection process. Students focused on research can publish through SoTS or other journals.
What You'll Do
Investigate real physics phenomena with no textbook answers. Unusual effects, weird behaviors, counterintuitive observations.
- Build apparatus from household items, hardware store materials, eBay finds
- Develop mathematical models and test them against real data
- Run computer simulations (Mathematica)
- Present findings, defend conclusions, challenge peers
This is how professional physicists work. Theory, experiment, and computation together.
Want to go deeper into physics as a subject, not just a single project? See the Physics Lyceum. For where a physics education leads, and why it is one of the strongest undergraduate paths, see The Hidden Ivy League.
Project Examples (from IYPT 2027)
| Field | Problem |
|---|---|
| Mechanics | Tennis Racket Theorem: When an object with different principal moments of inertia about each axis is thrown while it rotates, it can suddenly start rotating around a different axis. Investigate how rotational motion is affected by relevant parameters during free fall. |
| Optics | Sweet Monochromator: Pass linearly polarized white light through a column of sugar solution. When observed through a polarizer, the light may appear colored - and the color changes as you rotate the polarizer. Construct and optimize for the narrowest wavelength bandwidth. |
| Fluids | Ring Fountain: When a flat metal ring falls into a water tank, it generates a fountain that can shoot water high into the air. How does the maximum height depend on the ring's parameters? |
| Electromagnetism | Magnetic Newton's Cradle: Repulsing, non-touching magnets replace colliding balls in a new type of Newton's cradle. The cradle can act similarly to a regular one, but also exhibits other interesting behavior. Explain and study the movement. |
| Fluids | Autumn Coin: The motion of a coin falling to the bottom of a liquid-filled tank can be remarkably similar to the fluttering and tumbling of a falling autumn leaf. Investigate how the motion depends on relevant parameters. |
Source: IYPT 2026 Problems
About the Mentor
- Trained 100+ students in research methodology at NYU
- Built and directed research labs program at PRISMS (one of the top USA high schools)
- Coached teams for USA IYPT
- Endorsed by USIYPT leadership for IYPT preparation
- Developer of original research education methodologies
Tournament Details
IYPT 2027: Auckland, New Zealand, July 2027
Format: Each student works on their own selected problem. US selection chooses one student per problem; students submit a PDF of their slides and a 12-minute video presentation.
See tournament philosophy, rules, and advice from organizers: USIYPT.net (US selection), IYPT.org, and IYPT 2027 Auckland
Prerequisites
Open to high school, middle school, and home school students.
- One year of honors-level physics (or equivalent) - taken or in progress
- Commitment to weekly meetings and independent work
- Access to basic materials and willingness to build apparatus
- Curiosity about how everyday things work
Not for students who want pre-packaged experiments with known answers.
General Details on SoTS Research Labs
Enrollment
Available in In-person and Hybrid formats, in Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. See Princeton Labs enrollment for full details and the schedule call.
Real physics problems. Real methodology. Publishable outcomes. Whether you pursue competition or independent research, the work is the same.
References
- Computer simulations combined with experiments for calculus-based physics laboratory course (Physics Education, 2018)
- Integrating science through authentic research in secondary schools (IEEE, 2018)
- Authentic Research Education Framework (arXiv)
Outside the Princeton, NJ area? Hybrid lets students anywhere participate in authentic weekly research: Zoom sessions plus a few half-day in-person visits per semester. See Princeton Labs enrollment for details.