Miory Regional Executive Committee

Reli-ably the law of conservation of energy is reliably observed in the "RemerUmki" team of Gymnasium No. 5 in Vitebsk named after I.I. Lyudnikov. This is how physics teacher Nika Tishchenko briefly explains the students' passion and dedication to their work. As expected, this very energy does not arise from nothing nor disappear, but merely transforms from one form into another. It then transforms into the substance of victories, earned through diligent study of theory, problem-solving, and lengthy experiments. Today, "RemerUmki" consists of five promising gymnasium students (four tenth-graders and one eighth-grader). In this composition, they participated in the XXXII Republican Tournament of Young Physicists, held at the premises of the BSU Lyceum in February. The Vitebsk team returned with a third-degree diploma.

The World of Experiments

To someone unfamiliar with them, young physicists may seem rather reserved and taciturn. But a simple request to demonstrate an experiment seems to switch them to a completely different "operating mode". Within a second, already animated and enthusiastic teenagers lay out a set for the next experiment on a school desk.

They demonstrate a trick with a ruler. Physics teacher Nika Gennadievna explains that it is described in the school curriculum. The measuring instrument is placed so that half of it rests on the edge of the table, while the other half hangs in the air. A ball is thrown onto the free end of the ruler. If at that moment its hanging part is covered with a sheet of paper, it will remain on the table. "It says it's due to atmospheric pressure. No. Everything actually manifests differently," the educator asserts.

A seemingly simple task turned out to be several times more difficult than expected. When it was presented at the tournament, many admitted that they racked their brains and did not know how to approach it at all. "We even applied the theory of impact from the second-year university course 'Theoretical Mechanics' and used some additional devices. We had to buy an air blower to prove that it was not about atmospheric pressure. A leaking air stream creates reduced pressure. And this effect holds the ruler in place," explains Nika Tishchenko energetically.

Having prepared everything necessary for the experiment, tenth-grader Kirill Sukharev drops a small ball onto a ruler covered with an A4 sheet. After the impact, the ruler changes position but remains on the table. He repeats the same action without the paper. "The differences are noticeable to the naked eye," the young man concludes. Another tenth-grader, Stanislav Garanin, squeezes a spring with calipers and lowers it into a soapy solution. "Then the Slinky stretches out. Coils form, we pierce the soap film with a needle. We recorded slow-motion video and analyzed the movement of the film," he clarifies.

The teacher adds: on the Internet, only the movement of the film was considered in the case where the puncture is made from below. "It was also positioned vertically," someone among the young physicists chimes in. "In the version available online, only one parameter was taken into account, whereas we investigated multiple factors simultaneously. Moreover, we found different Slinky configurations. Everyone expected the film to run faster downward. But when we saw that the soap spiral runs faster upward than downward, we continued our study and discovered the reason for this effect. The soap film breaks down. Where it is thicker, the speed will be lower," Nika Tishchenko says during the demonstration of the experiment.

When Internet Arguments Mislead

Sometimes, both the team and the solutions emerge unexpectedly. Nika Gennadievna often looks through books and the Internet for new or popular experiments to supplement her subject's school curriculum. The World Wide Web presents challenging problems where the stated answer is fundamentally incorrect.

"We browse the Internet to find out what experiments are available. And tasks for many of them, as it turns out, have not been solved at ally, - she says. - In other words, these are open-ended problems whose solutions remain unknown. We mainly select children's research projects, but if the material originates from a dissertation or another source of that caliber, I adapt it and present it to the children in a manner they can comprehend. When we examine it, we observe that much of what is written is fabricated: a theory is developed, we begin to conduct an experiment, and it fails to work."One such myth concerned the "Ping-Pong Rocket" experiment. A table tennis ball is placed in a vessel filled with water, which is then dropped to the ground. Following the fall of the container, the ball may ascend to a significant height.

"This demonstrates the cumulative effect. When the water vessel strikes the ground, a small jet forms that can propel an object upward. The original account cited various phenomena, mentioning the wetting effect. In fact, when we carried out the experiment, lubricating the ping-pong ball with oil, glycerin, and similar substances yielded the exact opposite result. Without glycerin lubrication, the ball rebounds 1.5–2 m, whereas in this instance the result was 4.26 m," the teacher clarifies.

The students performed this experiment on the porch in the presence of numerous spectators – half the gymnasium observed the launch of the "Ping-Pong Rocket."

A Physicist's Ingenuity. And How Rømer Appeared in the Team Name

Major discoveries begin with small steps, sometimes even with a concise answer during a lesson. In this case, it concerns the children's talent, which an experienced teacher identified in a timely manner. The current roster of "RømerUmok" was assembled during the previous academic year, entirely renewing the team. Gymnasium graduates have been admitted to various universities across Belarus.

"Each situation is unique," recounts Nika Gennadievna regarding how the students joined the team. "Kirill Sukharev, in seventh grade when he had just begun studying physics, received scores of 5–6–7. However, he provided targeted answers in class that were genuinely non-trivial, requiring ingenuity and a sharp perception of a given situation." It was then that she recognized in the student a talent worthy of development.Kirill himself notes that once, during a foundational lesson, he observed older students at work. They were preparing for a young physicists' tournament. The team enthusiastically conducted an experiment and discussed the procedure. The gymnasium students were investigating the sound emitted by prand the impact of a metal ball on a rubber membrane stretched over a plastic cup. "That was my starting point. Later, I participated in a subject-specific olympiad and began studying physics additionally," recalls the teenager.

"Other children are exactly the same, but every story has its own specifics. Some could not speak in public at all," Nika Tishchenko clarifies. "Artem Klimovets joined us only this year. Previously, he observed the team's development, but then said that he also wanted to work. Stas Garanin initially studied all subjects and later showed a special interest in physics. In the previous academic year, there was an oblast-level olympiad for 7th-grade students in this subject. Milana Shcherbik became its absolute winner. She also performs quite well: sometimes she demonstrates precisely physical ingenuity. Few people possess physical cleverness; even scientific studies have proven this. In general, I give everyone a chance. There are also children who help us with our work. Due to various circumstances, they cannot devote as much time and effort to physics, but they participate selectively."

Nika Gennadievna tries to recall in detail how the team received its name. The ninth-graders were just beginning to study certain sections of physics and had moved on to optics. Since the teacher advocates a comprehensive approach, the class studied not only the paragraphs themselves but also the history of the section and the biographies of scientists related to some discoveries.

"The children became interested in the scientist Rømer, who first determined the speed of light," the teacher smiles. The gymnasium students suggested combining the words "Rømer" and "mind" into the team's name, but Nika Tishchenko gently corrected them: due to their age, they are still "smarties".

The route is built

As the teacher admits, the team initially went to the Young Physicists Tournament to gain experience. "But I saw that it was truly very high potential (I did not expect that they would show such results last year either). Imagine, lyceums of BSU, BNTU (11th grades) - among the competitors. And our Vitebsk tenth-graders received a third-degree diploma - this is a fairly high award. After all, even if it is an olympiad, for example, they issue only 12 diplomas, a conference - 10-11, then here at the iIn this republic, only 7-8 diplomas," the teacher cites figures. "And besides the Vitebsk team, teams from other regions have not advanced that far for quite some time. Mainly Minsk, the Minsk Region, and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) from Dolgoprudny. We tied with MIPT in total points, and after the first round we were actually in second place".

Representatives of leading higher education institutions in the country have taken note of the Vitebsk team’s results. The Energy Faculty of the Belarusian National Technical University has already expressed interest in the students, and Belarusian State University would also be pleased to welcome young physicists from Gymnasium No. 5. During the tournament, all five participants received commendation from a distinguished jury in the scientific community, and its chairman presented Kirill Sukharev with a special award.

Notably, the tenth-grader has already made a decision regarding his future profession: "I have already visited the National Children's Technopark twice for the 'Energy of the Future' program. I plan to visit once more, complete the distance learning course, and subsequently enroll at the Energy Faculty of BNTU". When asked whether the university has already extended an admission offer, the student modestly replies: "The President invited me".

This refers to the fact that the Head of State visited the Children's Technopark in September. Kirill Sukharev posed questions to the Belarusian leader and requested a commemorative photograph. The photograph currently adorns the classroom and the gymnasium lobby.

"The President visited all areas of the technology park, but stayed with us the longest. He provided us with the opportunity to visit the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant. It was interesting," shares a gymnasium student.

Great to Work With, or Riding the Wave of Physics

When discussing how she manages to inspire students to achieve results and spark their interest in her subject, the teacher quickly comes to the conclusion that it is a form of "mutual motivation."

"It is a cycle of energy exchange," Nika Tishchenko smiles. "The law of conservation of energy applies here as well. We simply have a very capable team. It is truly rewarding to work with them. When we begin an experiment, I take my seat and start adjusting equipment according to past experience. They quietly approach and independently perform related tasks simultaneously."

This is hardly surprising, as during lessons with Nika Gennadievna, students simultaneously engage with biology, astronomy, and other disciplines. This approach allows them to examine cause-and-effect relationships and grasp the complete picture. The educator, who has over 30 years of experience, advocates exclusively for a comprehensive approach. Even when the "RemerUmki" group is traveling, attending a conference, tournament, or festival in another city, they continue studying all subjects together. If they grow tired of preparing for a physics presentation, they open textbooks on other disciplines and study jointly. They then reinforce the material through topic-specific tests prepared in advance by the teacher, even if those subjects fall outside her primary expertise.

"It is unacceptable to rely solely on dry textbook information. Simply memorizing a formula without the contextual framework that reveals the true picture yields no real prospects. During conversations with students at conferences or tournaments, it is immediately apparent whether they have merely memorized and recited a formula. However, when they genuinely possess the knowledge, there is a distinctly different sparkle in their eyes," concludes Nika Tishchenko.

She finds immense satisfaction in witnessing the achievements of the "RemerUmki" group and discovering new phenomena alongside them. The success of her students (who alone this academic year have earned two dozen different diplomas) provides the motivation to continue advancing and the desire to demonstrate to an even wider audience of gymnasium students the beauty of physics.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by