Staff photos / David Skolnick Brad Burgoyne, left, and Quinlan Bulick, Poland Seminary High School seniors, stack folded index cards to build a house of cards at the Youngstown State University’s Physics Olympics. The 45th annual event took place Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — About 150 students from schools throughout the area participated in nine events as part of Youngstown State University’s 45th annual Physics Olympics.

“It’s really hard to get students interested in physics so we make it more hands-on and more accessible,” said Sarah Bika, the event’s coordinator. “Some students have a negative mindset with physics. It’s intimidating to some people. The Physics Olympics makes it more approachable to students. They’re learning while they have fun.”

Bika said students shared ideas while competing.

“The kids are very excited to participate and work together,” she said.

Twelve teams from nine schools participated in Saturday’s event at YSU’s Stambaugh Stadium.

Columbiana High School won the competition.

The nine events were the ping-pong ball launch, making a house of cards, making music out of household items, the egg drop, heating water in a metal bottle by creating friction with a bicycle’s rear tire, building a rubber-band-propelled boat that floats along a plastic pipe, Barbie bungee to give the doll the longest safe fall, creating posters around the theme of “what makes things move,” and constructing the longest soda straw arm to support 50 grams for 10 seconds.

Ben Uehlinger, a junior at Heartland Christian School in Columbiana, said: “Unlike chemistry and biology, you have to use logic in physics. It’s discovering the undiscovered. It’s awesome.”

John Rock of Liberty, an Ursuline High School senior, made a small catapult with classmate Vincent Prezioso using a 3D printer and some items from Home Depot. He was able to successfully launch ping-pong balls into a nearby sand pit.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Rock said. “We did it last year. We made some adjustments to the design.”

Preston Buckingham, a Columbiana High School senior, excelled at the challenge of heating water in a metal bottle by pedaling a bicycle while classmate Liam Surgenavic pressed the bottle against the rear tire.

“The Physics Olympics are cool,” Buckingham said. “We get to compete against local schools and have fun in the process.”

Kevin Crowley, a retired YSU physics professor, was one of the six organizers of the first Physics Olympics at the university.

“We were trying to make physics fun and look at the different principles of physics,” he said. “The kids remain very excited and interested in physics because of the event. They put a lot of time into experimenting in advance. They’re well prepared because they put in the effort to get ready. There is a real focus on preparation. You’re not walking in here with empty hands and an empty mind.”

Crowley added: “There’s a lot of thought and preparation with physics. It’s nice to see teamwork in something other than athletics. These kids are making major contributions to the world by thinking outside the box. This has been an excellent activity and hopefully it will continue for many more years.”