By the end of March 2018 it is possible to submit entries for the sixth edition of the Chain Experiment contest. The participants are supposed to build a device that will transport a metal ball from one place to another using as many physical laws and phenomena as possible. The contest has no age limit, and the only limitations are imagination, time and space.

The competition combines physics with fun and DIY. It is primarily aimed at stimulating the participants’ imagination and creativity in knowledge acquisition. Needless to say, taking part in the contest is also an opportunity to have a good time, work in a team and understand many physical phenomena.

 

The main rules:

• the ball must be transferred in no less than 20 but no more than 120 seconds,
• the device must not exceed the space of a school desk,
• the complication level of the physical phenomena should match the age category of a given team (kindergarten, primary school - classes 1-3 or 4-8, high school, higher education students, families),
• the laws of physics can be both used to transport the ball and triggered by the ball as it moves.

The jury evaluates the projects and devices, taking into account the number of physical phenomena involved along with the participants’ ability to explain them, the complexity and effectiveness of the device, as well as creativity and esthetics. Each age group will be evaluated and awarded separately.

 

Competition schedule:

• 31 March 2018 – registration deadline. To register, fill in the form on the Chain Experiment website (in Polish). After registration, each team is sent metal balls to be used in the device, and they can get down to work.
• 14 April 2018 – documentation submission deadline. After the device is built, the team has to sent the organiser the project documentation, that is, the name of the project and the description of how the device works;
• 9 June 2018 – grand finale in Kraków – the teams present their devices to the audience.