BPhO Computational Challenge 2024

Huge congratulations to Year 13 students Aayush Joshi and Sohaib Alam who have been awarded a prestigious Gold Award in the BPhO Computational Challenge 2024.

The BPhO encourages the study of physics and recognises excellence in young physicists through annual competitions. In order to compete for a Gold Award, Aayush and Sohaib attended a series of weekly online talks on Computational Physics given by Dr Andrew French of Winchester College. These sessions were held in order to train and expose applicants to a range of areas of computational physics before the release of the competition and its theme in April.

This year’s competition theme was on modelling projectile motion, with applicants completing nine different challenges in a programming language of their choice.  Aayush and Sohaib chose C++ and began the first challenge by plotting the horizontal and vertical displacement calculated using suvat equations (A level Physics and Mathematics curriculum). Towards the end of the challenges, the students were using verlet integration to model bounces, as well as modelling the path of a projectile experiencing air resistance with different cross-sectional areas. This is extremely advanced physics and coding, and is a truly a fantastic achievement.