SJTU Students Achieve Outstanding Results in the 2022 International University Physics Competition
Recently, the results of the 2022 International University Physics Competition were announced. The team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University continued their impressive performance from previous competitions, winning 1 gold medal, 5 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals.
The International University Physics Competition is an international competition aimed at undergraduate students. Teams of up to three members from universities worldwide collaborate to analyze real-life physics scenarios using principles of physics. Within 48 hours, they submit a formal paper based on the competition's topics. This competition featured two problem sets. Problem A explored how to use near-Earth satellites to mitigate potential asteroid impacts on Earth, requiring calculations of the timing of satellite-asteroid collisions. Problem B involved finding the optimal initial velocity and angular velocity for a football penalty kick to maximize the probability of scoring a goal.
Impact schematic model drawn by the gold medalist team A460.
When discussing this competition, Junjie Lu, an undergraduate student from the SJTU-UM JI, who won the gold medal, stated, "When tackling complex physics problems like these, it is crucial to spend time breaking down the problems to obtain a clear understanding of the physical processes involved. Our team smoothly proceeded with the writing process after identifying the launch, impact, and drift stages on Saturday morning. Additionally, magnitude analysis greatly simplifies the calculations."
Goalkeeper position schematic model drawn by the silver medalist team B301
He Yinong, an undergraduate student from the SJTU-UM JI, who won the silver medal, also shared his experience of participating in the competition: "In just two short days, we unleashed unlimited potential. Our modeling progress was slow, and we constantly iterated and improved our models. Our code took all night to run, but no matter what challenges we encountered, we always found our rhythm and steadily moved forward with composure. This competition tested our willpower and mindset in delving into problems, and there was a great sense of accomplishment in persevering until the very end."
It is reported that a total of 417 teams from around the world participated in the 2022 International University Physics Competition. Shanghai Jiao Tong University has been participating in this event since 2012, and students from the University of Michigan have been a key part of the Jiao Tong University's participating team, consistently achieving excellent results. As of now, Jiao Tong University students have received 3 gold medals, 18 silver medals, and 28 bronze medals from this competition.