These are the IYPT problems being used in all New Zealand 2027 IYPT competitions including the School’s Team Tournament and selecting the NZ Representative team .

1. Invent yourself: Pinhole sunglasses

Investigate the optimal arrangement of pinholes in an opaque film to produce sunglasses that reduce light intensity and help correct short-sightedness.

2. Singing capacitor

Certain types of ceramic capacitors emit an audible sound when an alternating voltage is applied across them. Investigate the characteristics of the sound produced and how they depend on relevant parameters, such as voltage, frequency, and capacitor properties.

3. Y-shaped pendulum

Construct a Bowditch pendulum (a pendulum whose strings form a “Y” shape). Investigate how the Lissajous patterns generated by the bob depend on the relevant parameters.

4. Seeing sound

A thin rubber membrane is stretched over a circular frame and driven into vibration by a loudspeaker. A small mirror is attached to the membrane, and a laser beam is reflected off it onto a distant screen. Under certain conditions, the laser spot traces out complex, steady, or evolving geometric patterns. Investigate the relationship between the driving parameters, the membrane’s properties, and the resulting light patterns.

5. Sinking funnel

When a long-stemmed and sufficiently heavy funnel is released vertically into water with the stem pointing downward, it undergoes a series of damped vertical oscillations while gradually sinking. Investigate the motion and stability of the sinking funnel and the conditions under which the funnel tips over.

6. Air vortex

Place a small rod-shaped magnet on the bottom of a vessel filled with liquid and set it into rotation using a magnetic stirrer. Above a certain rotation speed, a thin air channel forms, extending from the liquid surface down to the rotating magnet itself. Investigate and explain this phenomenon.

7. Cold drink

A can or bottle of drink at room temperature can be cooled in a cooler containing ice. Adding salt and alcohol to the ice can increase the rate of cooling and affect the drink’s final temperature. Investigate how the relevant parameters affect the lowest achievable temperature and the maximum cooling rate.