Optics B/C

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Re: Optics B/C

Post by chalker »

2win wrote: Although, to ensure fairness, keep the graphing calcs, just make everyone clear the memory as they walk into the door....
Do you really expect event supervisors to know the ins and outs of every possible programmable / graphing calculator that could be brought through the door such that they can make sure that students are clearing it and not hitting random buttons pretending to clear it?

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Re: Optics B/C

Post by smartkid222 »

blue cobra wrote:Why allow programmable calculators if you don't allow programs?
Programmable calculators are easier to type (press buttons) on. :mrgreen:
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Re: Optics B/C

Post by 2win »

You can archive all your programs, then just clear the RAM (which won't clear the ARCHIVED programs)... that takes me a while because i have like, 20 programs. (I'm sure others have more) Then after the event, you can unarchive them?

But hey, i'm just saying.... I'm all for the calculators and NOT clearing them, haha.
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Re: Optics B/C

Post by Rochelimit »

Does anyone know if there is a restriction on the number of rulers and protractors you can bring? The rules just say rulers but do not specify a number.
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Re: Optics B/C

Post by Schrodingerscat »

These are some of my opinions on the event for next year
1. Programmable calculators should still be allowed and not cleared for the competition. We are already allowed a binder, so it is not an issue of people bringing in extra reference materials.
2. There should be restrictions on the closest the barrier can be to the laser and the target.
3. I think templates should still be allowed, but with some specific rules restricting what may and may not be included on the template to keep some challenge to the laser shoot.
4. The target should be allowed to be anywhere within maybe 5-10 cm of the center line to add some additional challenge and to make templates more difficult.
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Re: Optics B/C

Post by tuftedtitmouse12 »

Rochelimit wrote:Does anyone know if there is a restriction on the number of rulers and protractors you can bring? The rules just say rulers but do not specify a number.
?? im also not sure...because i think the rules say that you can bring one calculator per group....but the supervisor was like "if you brought your calculators, you can use them" and many teams brought like 2? one for each person, not us tho, and they didn't get yelled at or anything........
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Re: Optics B/C

Post by OptimusPrime »

I'm fine with the concept of the laser shoot, but in practice I don't think it works out that well.

First of all, it's 40% of the entire grade, which seems like way too much. I see how test someone's knowledge of the law of reflection, but is something so basic worth that much? I feel that by making it worth so much, it distracts people from the focus of the event (actual physics), and spend more time practicing the laser shoot than actually learning optics.

But when you add in the templates, it just takes that much more away from the event since it removes all traces of calculation. All you have to do is twist the mirrors around until it hits the target and record that. Then at competition, the only thing that teams have to practice for is to line up the mirrors with their templates quickly and accurately. Even if templates are banned though, that still doesn't mean much. Before my team started using templates, we just estimated, and most of the time we could get within 2 or 3 cm. It's even worse for Div B. None of the really good teams really spend to time to calculate all the angles.

I guess if the laser shoot is back next year, I just want it to be worth a whole lot less. Like 20% maybe.
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Re: Optics B/C

Post by kxiao »

I agree with OptimusPrime.
Laser shoot should be worth a lot less (especially the time). It should have a (very) heavily weighed writing/test part.

Test
Part A % * 30
Part B % * 30

Laser
Setup time (300-T)/300 * 10
Accuracy 30-D/10
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Re: Optics B/C

Post by zyzzyva980 »

Two calculators are allowed at competition. Official rules clarification (FAQ, whatever) here.

When talking about templates, I think of them like lasers in Trajectory last year (but let's not go down that path). Really, I think they're completely unnecessary, remove any challenge at all from the actual target test, and should be disallowed. There's nothing in the rules that really suggests that they should be allowed, anyway.
Since all teams have the option to use them, there really is no unfair advantage. I just don't see why they should be allowed.
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Re: Optics B/C

Post by 2win »

tuftedtitmouse12 wrote:
Rochelimit wrote:Does anyone know if there is a restriction on the number of rulers and protractors you can bring? The rules just say rulers but do not specify a number.
?? im also not sure...because i think the rules say that you can bring one calculator per group....but the supervisor was like "if you brought your calculators, you can use them" and many teams brought like 2? one for each person, not us tho, and they didn't get yelled at or anything........
I do believe that we're allowed to bring as many as we want?? But i mean.. why need more than 2 or 3....??
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