Preparing for the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)

[mabramovich]

Hey,

So I'd like to do the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) next year, and I was wondering what any of you wonderful physicists would suggest as adequate preparation, particularly those who have done IPhO before. I live in Ontario so I've looked at the University of Toronto Prep. Questions, and I have Fundamentals 7th Ed. (Halliday/Resnick/Walker), and that book looks quite good (it's our grade 12 text), although it's probably not enough. It's not as simple as buying a first or second year university book I don't think, since I don't have that level of math knowledge/ability and IPhO does not require any undergraduate math. So, any resources or textbooks would be of great help.

Thanks a lot (and good luck to whoever else wants to do IPhO, should be just as good as IChO).

 

[Dr.Brain]

In India , I first gave my regional/state level NHPO exam , through which students from all over India were selected , total 260 of them , and then A national olympiad was help in which 50 people out of 260 were selected . Then these 50 people were trained for physics at B.Atomic,Research Centre Mumbai, after training got over , only 5 of the 50 were selected to represent INDIA at the IPHO.So i think procedure in INDIA is damn tough considering a huge population, the competition is tough.

BJ

 

[mabramovich]

In India , I first gave my regional/state level NHPO exam , through which students from all over India were selected , total 260 of them , and then A national olympiad was help in which 50 people out of 260 were selected . Then these 50 people were trained for physics at B.Atomic,Research Centre Mumbai, after training got over , only 5 of the 50 were selected to represent INDIA at the IPHO.So i think procedure in INDIA is damn tough considering a huge population, the competition is tough.

BJ

I don't think it's _that_ difficult here (in Canada) but yeah.

So what (English) texts did you use?

 

[Dr.Brain]

I used HC Verma Physics Vol I and II (Indian author book, excellent book for strengthening of problem solving books)

I also did problems from Resnick-Haliday-Krane Physics Vol I and II

Then for Advances Problems in Physics I did 'Irodov-Problems In Genral Physics) , the book is tough if you don't have a teacher nearby.

I also did some last year papers of IPHO

 

[ramollari]

I suppose that the organizing committee of your country (Canada) should give the participants enough training to participate gracefully in an IPHO. It consists of two parts: the experimental exam and the theoretical one. I just can tell you that the problems are long enough and need concentration and work, and not just some problem solving tricks. You will need a solid theoretical and experimental foundation in Physics.