There will be questions and lots of answers, sprinkled with generous amounts of fun, at the inaugural Johns Hopkins Physics Fair. The all-ages event, sponsored by the Department of Physics and Astronomy, will be held from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, in Homewood's Bloomberg Center.

The afternoon kicks off with the Physics Challenge, an individual competition geared toward Maryland high school students who are taking physics but open to everyone. Participants will be presented with a multiple choice test, similar in form to the SAT, which they have 30 minutes to complete. The top three scorers from K-12 schools will receive awards.

For team-oriented competition, the fair features the Physics Bowl. The contest will face off teams of K-12 students, up to four players, who will answers questions TV-game-show-style in Schafler Auditorium. The Physics Bowl is limited to 30 teams, and there will be two rounds of competition.

During the fair, various physics-related demonstrations will be set up throughout the building, including a demo show by professor emeritus Cal Walker. All attendees will receive a "scavenger hunt" question sheet, and the demonstrations provide the clues to the answers. Those who answer all the questions correctly will be given prizes.

Attendees can also take part in the Hopkins High Rise competition, where participants will use marshmallows and toothpicks to construct the tallest free-standing tower.

To preregister for the Physics Bowl, or for more information, contact Pam Carmen at 410-516-7346.

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