Appendix to the Statutes of the International

Physics Olympiads
General

a. The extensive use of the calculus (differentiation and integration) and the use of complex
numbers or solving differential equations should not be required to solve the theoretical
and practical problems.
b. Questions may contain concepts and phenomena not contained in the Syllabus but
sufficient information must be given in the questions so that candidates without previous
knowledge of these topics would not be at a disadvantage.
c. Sophisticated practical equipment likely to be unfamiliar to the candidates should not
dominate a problem. If such devices are used then careful instructions must be given to
the candidates.
d. The original texts of the problems have to be set in the SI units.

A. Theoretical Part
The first column contains the main entries while the second column contains comments and
remarks if necessary.

1. Mechanics
a) Fou ndation of kinem atics of a point m ass

V ector description of the position of the point

m ass, v elocity and acceleration as v ectors

b) N ew ton's law s, inertial sy stem s

P roblem s m ay be set on changing m ass

c) C losed and open sy stem s, m om entu m and

energy , w ork, pow er
d) C onserv ation of energy , conserv ation of
linear m om entu m , im pu lse
e) Elastic forces, frictional forces, the law of
grav itation, potential energy and w ork in a
grav itational field
f) C entripetal acceleration, K epler's law s

Hooke's law , coefficient of friction (F/R =

const), frictional forces, static and kinetic,
choice of z ero of potential energy

2. Mechanics of Rigid Bodies

a) Statics, center of m ass, torqu e

C ou ples, conditions of equ ilibriu m of bodies

b) M otion of rigid bodies, translation, rotation,

angu lar v elocity , angu lar acceleration,
conserv ation of angu lar m om entu m

C onserv ation of angu lar m om entu m abou t

fix ed ax is only

c) Ex ternal and internal forces, equ ation of

m otion of a rigid body arou nd the fix ed ax is,
m om ent of inertia, kinetic energy of a rotating
body

P arallel ax es theorem (Steiner's theorem ),

additiv ity of the m om ent of inertia

d) A ccelerated reference sy stem s, inertial

forces

K now ledge of the C oriolis force form u la is not

requ ired

3. Hydromechanics
No specific questions will be set on this but students would be expected to know the elementary
concepts of pressure, buoyancy and the continuity law.

4. Thermodynamics and Molecular Physics

a) Internal energy , w ork and heat, first and
second law s of therm ody nam ics

Therm al equ ilibriu m , qu antities depending on

state and qu antities depending on process

b) M odel of a perfect gas, pressu re and

m olecu lar kinetic energy , A v ogadro's nu m ber,
equ ation of state of a perfect gas, absolu te
tem peratu re

A lso m olecu lar approach to su ch sim ple

phenom ena in liqu ids and solids as boiling,
m elting etc.

c) W ork done by an ex panding gas lim ited to

isotherm al and adiabatic processes

P roof of the equ ation of the adiabatic process is

not requ ired

d) The C arnot cy cle, therm ody nam ic

efficiency , rev ersible and irrev ersible
processes, entropy (statistical approach),
B oltz m ann factor

Entropy as a path independent fu nction,

entropy changes and rev ersibility , qu asistatic
processes

5. Oscillations and waves

a) Harm onic oscillations, equ ation of harm onic Solu tion of the equ ation for harm onic m otion,
oscillation
attenu ation and resonance -qu alitativ ely
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b) Harm onic w av es, propagation of w av es,

D isplacem ent in a progressiv e w av e and
transv erse and longitu dinal w av es, linear
u nderstanding of graphical representation of
polariz ation, the classical D oppler effect, sou nd the w av e, m easu rem ents of v elocity of sou nd
w av es
and light, D oppler effect in one dim ension
only , propagation of w av es in hom ogeneou s
and isotropic m edia, reflection and refraction,
Ferm at's principle
c) Su perposition of harm onic w av es, coherent
w av es, interference, beats, standing w av es

Realiz ation that intensity of w av e is

proportional to the squ are of its am plitu de.
Fou rier analy sis is not requ ired bu t candidates
shou ld hav e som e u nderstanding that com plex
w av es can be m ade from addition of sim ple
sinu soidal w av es of different frequ encies.
Interference du e to thin film s and other sim ple
sy stem s (final form u lae are not requ ired),
su perposition of w av es from secondary sou rces
(diffraction)

6. Electric Charge and Electric Field

a) C onserv ation of charge, C ou lom b's law
b) Electric field, potential, G au ss' law

c) C apacitors, capacitance, dielectric constant,

energy density of electric field

G au ss' law confined to sim ple sy m m etric

sy stem s like sphere, cy linder, plate etc., electric
dipole m om ent

7. Current and Magnetic Field

a) C u rrent, resistance, internal resistance of

Sim ple cases of circu its containing non-ohm ic
sou rce, O hm 's law , K irchhoff's law s, w ork and dev ices w ith know n V -I characteristics
pow er of direct and alternating cu rrents, Jou le's
law
b) M agnetic field (B ) of a cu rrent, cu rrent in a
m agnetic field, L orentz force

P articles in a m agnetic field, sim ple

applications like cy clotron, m agnetic dipole
m om ent

c) A m pere's law

M agnetic field of sim ple sy m m etric sy stem s

like straight w ire, circu lar loop and long
solenoid

d) L aw of electrom agnetic indu ction, m agnetic

flu x , L enz 's law , self-indu ction, indu ctance,
perm eability , energy density of m agnetic field
e) A lternating cu rrent, resistors, indu ctors and
capacitors in A C -circu its, v oltage and cu rrent
(parallel and series) resonances

Sim ple A C -circu its, tim e constants, final

form u lae for param eters of concrete resonance
circu its are not requ ired

8. Electromagnetic waves
a) O scillatory circu it, frequ ency of oscillations,
generation by feedback and resonance
b) W av e optics, diffraction from one and tw o
slits, diffraction grating,r esolv ing pow er of a
grating, B ragg reflection,
c) D ispersion and diffraction spectra, line
spectra of gases
d) Electrom agnetic w av es as transv erse w av es,
polariz ation by reflection, polariz ers

Su perposition of polariz ed w av es

e) Resolv ing pow er of im aging sy stem s

f) B lack body , Stefan-B oltz m anns law

P lanck's form u la is not requ ired

9. Quantum Physics
a) P hotoelectric effect, energy and im pu lse of
the photon
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Einstein's form u la is requ ired

b) D e B roglie w av elength, Heisenberg's

u ncertainty principle

10. Relativity
a) P rinciple of relativ ity , addition of v elocities,
relativ istic D oppler effect
b) Relativ istic equ ation of m otion, m om entu m ,
energy , relation betw een energy and m ass,
conserv ation of energy and m om entu m

11. Matter
a) Sim ple applications of the B ragg equ ation
b) Energy lev els of atom s and m olecu les
(qu alitativ ely ), em ission, absorption, spectru m
of hy drogen like atom s
c) Energy lev els of nu clei (qu alitativ ely ),
alpha-, beta- and gam m a-decay s, absorption of
radiation, halflife and ex ponential decay ,
com ponents of nu clei, m ass defect, nu clear
reactions

B. Practical Part
The Theoretical Part of the Syllabus provides the basis for all the experimental problems. The
experimental problems given in the experimental contest should contain measurements.
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Additional requirements:
1. Candidates must be aware that instruments affect measurements.
2. Knowledge of the most common experimental techniques for measuring physical
quantities mentioned in Part A.
3. Knowledge of commonly used simple laboratory instruments and devices such as
calipers, thermometers, simple volt-, ohm- and ammeters, potentiometers, diodes,
transistors, simple optical devices and so on.
4. Ability to use, with the help of proper instruction, some sophisticated instruments and
devices such as double-beam oscillosc