Slovak Physics Olympiad Cat A study guide
Slovak Physics Olympiad Cat A · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Slovak Physics Olympiad Category A (Fyzikálna olympiáda, kategória A) is the top tier of Slovakia's national physics competition, aimed at upper-secondary students who intend to study physics, engineering, or a related field at university. It runs in successive rounds - school, district/regional, and national - with the national round combining theoretical problems and an experimental task, followed by an oral defense of solutions before a jury. The Slovak Physics Olympiad Cat A study guide has 7 sections and about 1,612 words.
01Mechanics: Kinematics, Dynamics, Statics, Gravitation, Rigid Bodies, Fluids
Mechanics questions reward a disciplined choice of reference frame and of the physical model. For kinematics you must move fluently between position, velocity and acceleration graphs, handle projectile motion with independent horizontal and vertical components, and treat uniform circular motion (a = v²/r directed to the centre).
267 words, about 1 min02Molecular Physics and Thermodynamics
You must know the ideal-gas law in all forms (pV = nRT = NkT), the kinetic interpretation of temperature (⟨E k⟩ = (3/2)kT per molecule), and the equipartition of energy over degrees of freedom. First law: ΔU = Q − W (or Q = ΔU + W depending on sign convention - state yours explicitly).
257 words, about 1 min03Oscillations and Waves, Acoustics
Simple harmonic motion satisfies a = −ω²x with x(t) = A cos(ωt + φ). Know the spring–mass (ω = √(k/m)) and simple pendulum (ω = √(g/L)) results, and the energy exchange between kinetic and potential.
229 words, about 1 min04Electricity and Magnetism
Electrostatics: Coulomb's law, electric field, potential, Gauss's law for symmetric charge distributions, capacitance (C = Q/V, energy ½CV²). DC circuits: Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's rules, series/parallel combinations, internal resistance, power dissipation.
230 words, about 1 min05Optics: Geometric, Interference, Diffraction, Polarization
Geometric optics: reflection, Snell's law (n₁ sinθ₁ = n₂ sinθ₂), total internal reflection (sinθ c = n₂/n₁), thin-lens and mirror equations (1/f = 1/u + 1/v with a stated sign convention), magnification. Interference: Young's double slit, path difference, constructive (mλ) and destructive ((m+½)λ) conditions, thin-film interference including phase shift on reflection.
215 words, about 1 min06Modern Physics: Relativity, Quantum, Atomic, Nuclear
Special relativity: Lorentz factor γ = 1/√(1 − v²/c²), time dilation, length contraction, relativistic momentum and energy (E² = (pc)² + (mc²)²). Photoelectric effect: E = hf, work function, threshold frequency.
199 words, under 1 min07Experimental Physics: Design, Measurement, Errors, Data Treatment
You must be able to design an experiment: identify variables (independent, dependent, controlled), choose instruments with appropriate resolution, and describe a procedure that a reader could repeat. Distinguish random from systematic errors, and precision from accuracy.
215 words, about 1 min