Eight Richard Huish College students have gained awards in the Senior Physics Challenge created by the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO).
Around 5,300 students from across 380 schools virtually took part in the challenge this year from their homes. Former Heathfield Community School student, Will Baverstock, achieved a Gold Award, whilst Sam Arrowsmith, Virgil Lelong, Harvey Eustice and Ewan Popham each picked up a Silver Award and Gugu Mlotshwa, Mcrenzo Porras and Sam Gilding all earned Bronze Awards.
To gain an award is a real triumph; all participants had to tackle a multiple-choice test designed to measure entrants quick thinking and fluency in a range of small topic areas. To complete the 40 questions within the hour was a challenge itself.
The BPhO commented “The competition could certainly have been made easier with fewer and simpler questions, but the BPhO is here to push students and encourage them to aim high in their physics, allowing them to participate in a national competition taken by the most able physicists of their own age in the country”.
Physics Course Manager, Barrie Hall, said, “The British Physics Olympiad allows students to see how their Physics skills compare with others across the country, all of the students who took part should be immensely proud of facing this challenge and well done to all on their remarkable achievements”.