Physics Phenomena Lab
Mentor: Sergey Samsonau, PhD
What Students Do
Discover the world through the lens of physics research. High school and home school students investigate real-world physics phenomena with no textbook answers - open-ended questions about how things work. Unusual effects, weird behaviors, astonishing and counterintuitive observations. Build apparatus, develop theory, run simulations, collect data. Present findings, defend conclusions, challenge peers.
About the Mentor Dr. Samsonau
- 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 in preparation for USA IYPT and USAYPT
- Developer of original research education methodologies (publications in references below)
Lab Structure
Weekly Zoom meetings (1-1.5 hours) with Dr. Samsonau and fellow lab members. Normally 4-6 members per meeting.
Projects:
- Individual - Solo work on your own problem
- Collaborative - Multiple students tackle the same problem with different focuses (apparatus, theory, simulation)
- Tournament team - Full team prepares together for tournaments like IYPT and USAYPT, covering a large set of problems - theory, experiments, simulations. Available if enough interested and qualified students request this.
- Augmented tournament team - Support for students preparing with their school teams
During meetings, students practice presenting and challenging each other's work.
Dimensions of work:
- Theory - Mathematical modeling and analytical work
- Experimental - Building apparatus and collecting data
- Computational - Simulations and modeling (Mathematica)
- Combined - Theory, experiment, and simulations together
How the Lab Works
Open problems - Questions with no textbook answers, often from IYPT or original observations
DIY apparatus - Build experimental setups from materials available in school, household items, eBay, hardware store
Theory meets experiment - Mathematical modeling tested against real measurements; computer simulations (Mathematica) when useful
Argumentation skills - Defend your findings, anticipate counterarguments
Project Examples (from IYPT 2024)
| Field | Problem |
|---|---|
| Mechanics | Rigid Ramp Walker: Construct a rigid walker with four legs that "walks" down a rough ramp. Investigate how geometry affects terminal velocity. |
| Optics | Droplet Microscope: A water droplet on glass acts as an imaging system. Investigate magnification and resolution. |
| Acoustics | Giant Sounding Plate: A large, thin flexible plate produces a howling sound when bent. Explain and investigate. |
| Electromagnetism | Another Magnetic Levitation: A smaller magnet moved under a conductive plate can make a disk magnet on top levitate. Investigate the phenomenon. |
| Fluids | Wet Scroll: Tracing paper curls rapidly when placed on water, then slowly uncurls. Explain and investigate. |
Source: IYPT 2024 Problems
Problems can be formulated by students, drawn from tournaments like IYPT and USAYPT, or generated using the Research Question Workshop in AI Research Mentor.
Prerequisites
Open to high school and home school students.
- Active SoTS Membership
- One year of honors-level physics (or equivalent) required
- 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 looking for pre-packaged experiments with known answers.
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)
Questions? Contact ppl.lab@teenscientists.org