Challenges

Senior Events

Are your plans of attending culinary school going to be thwarted after the spread of an infectious disease among other aspiring chefs attending a meet-up at a downtown hotel?

Advance Preparation

• Knowledge of mechanisms of disease transmission
• Knowledge of blood types and typing
• Knowledge of the procedure and theory behind the Disk Diffusion Assay
• Familiarity with the mode of action and resistance mechanisms of antibiotics

All materials required for this activity will be provided. Use of all electronic devices is prohibited.

Faculty Captain
Our captain for the Infectious Disease Investigation Challenge is Dr. Monica De Boer, a professor in the Biology Department. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at monica.deboer@kpu.ca.

Students will work in teams to crack a chemical code by conducting a series of experiments. Prepare for the challenge by reviewing the elements of the periodic table, pH, density, salt solubility, and balancing reactions.

Advance Preparation
Bring pens or pencils, and a scientific (not graphing) calculator. Use of other electronic devices, including phones and cameras, is prohibited. Students will be given the Chemistry 12 data booklet to use in the activity.

Faculty Captain
Our captain for the Chemistry Challenge is Professor Catherine Chow from the Chemistry Department. Professor Chow brings a wealth of chemistry expertise and a passion for hands-on experimentation to guide participants through the challenge. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at catherine.chow@kpu.ca.

Electric Car Stop Challenge

Students will design, build, and bring a battery-powered car to the competition with one goal: stop as close as possible to a finish line located 2 metres from the start. Cars will be powered by two AA batteries provided by the event organizers. Each team will have two attempts, with the better result used for scoring. Accuracy—not speed—is the challenge, although each attempt must be completed within 120 seconds.

Advance Preparation

Cars must be built by the teams and must be self-contained, wheeled vehicles that finish intact. Purchased or repurposed parts may be used, but ready-made cars are not permitted. The two AA batteries supplied by the organizers must be the car’s only power source, including for any electronic controls. No external controllers, additional batteries, solar cells, or objects placed on or near the course are allowed. Teams are encouraged to test and refine their designs in advance and should ask organizers beforehand if they are unsure whether a design meets the spirit of the rules.

Cars will be ranked according to how close the rear-most part of the car stops to the finish line. If a tiebreaker is required, the lower-mass car will prevail.

For complete specifications and competition rules, refer to the document here:

Senior Design Challenge Frequently Asked Questions

Faculty Captain
Our captain for the Electric Car Stop Challenge is Professor Takashi Sato from the Physics Department. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at takashi.sato@kpu.ca.

Do you shout answers at the TV when Jeopardy! is on? Put your knowledge to the test in our Science version of the popular TV quiz show. Work with your teammates, test your reflexes, and be the first team to buzz in with the correct response!

Advance Preparation
Review the Grades 11 and 12 Math and Science curriculum. There may also be some questions on recent science news stories.

Faculty Captain

Our captain for the Jeopardy Challenge is Professor Fergal Callaghan from the Physics Department. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at fergal.callaghan@kpu.ca.

Students will perform an experiment involving a simple pendulum and a physical pendulum. Students should bring a calculator. Students should also prepare and bring a list of relevant formulae on a single sheet of 8.5" by 11" paper.

Advance Preparation
Students should:

• be able to calculate the period of a simple pendulum and the period of a physical pendulum
• be able to perform standard lab skills such as taking measurements, calculating percent difference, making graphs, linearizing data, comparing expected and experimental results
• have a simple understanding of centre of mass
• have a simple understanding of moment of inertia and be able to calculate the moment of inertia of a bar, and of a cylinder (note: the related concepts of torque and angular acceleration are neither required nor useful in this experiment)
• be able to perform simple parallel axis theorem calculations

Faculty Captain
Our captain for the Pendulum Experiment Challenge is Professor Don Mathewson from the Physics Department. Don brings expertise in experimental physics and a passion for hands-on learning to guide participants through the challenge. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at don.mathewson@kpu.ca.

Junior Events

Paper Airplane Challenge

Students will fold paper airplanes to compete in three different events: Distance, Accuracy, and Mystery Stunt. Teams will compete against each other in double-elimination tournaments, with scores based on tournament results. Different planes may be used for each category. The events will take place indoors, but ventilation currents cannot be eliminated.

Advance Preparation
Paper planes must be constructed from a single sheet of standard letter-size paper (8.5” x 11”). The sheet must be modified by folding only — the entire sheet must be used, no pieces may be removed, and nothing may be added. The judges reserve the right to veto any design that they deem counter to the spirit of the rules. If you are unsure about a design, check in advance. For more information, refer to the attached file.

Junior Design 2025 FAQs

Faculty Captain
Our captain for the Paper Airplane Challenge is Professor Tyron Tsui from the Physics Department. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at tyron.tsui@kpu.ca.

Students will be given a simple map and cross section of an island off the coast of British Columbia. By identifying rocks and using principles of relative dating of geologic features, students will answer questions regarding the natural history and industry of this island. Students will be provided with some unknown rock samples to identify.

Advance Preparation
Students should review the three basic rock types (Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic), and how to identify common rocks from hand samples (e.g., granite). A small hand lens will be provided to view the rocks.

Students should be familiar with the relevant descriptive terms of rocks to describe their formation (e.g., intrusive vs. extrusive) and appearance (e.g., textures such as phaneritic).

Students should review relative dating principles in geology to determine the relative age (i.e., older or younger) of rock formations. Important principles include (but are not limited to) the principle of superposition and the principle of cross-cutting relations.

Faculty Captain
Our captain for the Junior Geography Event is Professor John Martin. John brings extensive geological knowledge and a keen interest in earth science education to guide participants through this challenge. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at john.martin@kpu.ca.

Do you shout answers at the TV when Jeopardy! is on? Put your knowledge to the test in our Science version of the popular TV quiz show. Work with your teammates, test your reflexes, and be the first team to buzz in with the correct response!

Advance Preparation
Review the Grades 8, 9 and 10 Math and Science curriculum. There may also be some questions on recent science news stories.

Faculty Captain

Our captain for the Jeopardy Challenge is Professor Laura Flinn from the Physics Department. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at laura.flinn@kpu.ca.

Students will calculate areas and volumes of shapes, draw equilateral triangles using a ruler and compass, and visualize how rotation of 2D figures in space can create 3D objects. See the animated GIF at Solid of Revolution as an example of volume of revolution.

• Solid of Revolution

Advance Preparation
Equipment provided — ruler, compass, formula sheet. Bring your own pencils and calculator.

Faculty Captain
Our captain for the Math Challenge is Professor Allyson Rozell from the Mathematics Department. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at allyson.rozell@kpu.ca.

TBD

Faculty Captain
Our captain for the Sustainability and Agriculture Challenge is Dr. Rebecca Harbut. If you have any questions about the challenge, you can reach out directly via email at rebecca.harbut@kpu.ca.