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Event Clarifications
These are the official events and descriptions (B Division, C Division, Trial Events) for 2009-2010.
Always check for official event clarifications at the NSO site!!
Event Clarifications - FOR ILLINOIS (Also Check the NSO Site for National Updates!)
Each team must:
- Build their own robots, planes, catapults, towers/booms, etc
- Use their own notes and gather their own sources for competition
Varsity and JV teams MAY NOT SHARE event materials or notes.
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2010 Event Clarifications |
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| Battery Buggy |
B |
The vehicle track as defined in the rules is "the distance measured perpendicular to the direction of travel between the outermost left side and the outermost right side of the widest part of a track that would be left..."(2.g.) This definition applies to rule 5.d., where the vehicle track is the track width left by the vehicle in or on the surface it travels across. During the competition, we consider the vehicle to have crossed the center line, and thus lost the point bonus, when we can see the center line tape on the outside of the widest point of the vehicle track width. For example, if the rear axle is wider than the front axle of the vehicle, then the vehicle track would be the distance between the outside of the rear wheels. If the vehicle turns to the left during the run, it crosses the center line when the outermost edge of the right wheel crosses the right edge of the tape (center line). |
| Egg-o-naut |
C |
Under general rule # 1. "Teams may not interpret the rules so that they have an unfair advantage over the rules or another team.
Clarification: Purchasing a device to retrieve a rocket or Egg-O-Naut, that landed in a tree or on a building would constitute an "unfair advantage" over another team and is not permitted. Not every team would have access to a device if in the same situation.
Under general rule # 5. "Event supervisors are obligated to prevent unsafe acts and devices. Safety decisions are not subject to appeal." Clarification: Climbing a wall, tree or onto a roof to retrieve a rocket or Egg-O-Naut would constitute an "unsafe act" and is not permitted.
Under the rules for Egg-O-Naut: Section 3, Item G. "Potential or kinetic sources of energy may be used in the recovery system; however, objects (such as springs, rubber bands, etc) must be in their lowest energy state at launch." Clarification: "Lowest energy state" for rubber bands and springs is defined as not stretched or extended at launch.
Under the rules for Egg-o-Naut: Section 4 item A. "When called to launch, the teams will have a total of 10 Minutes to launch 1 or 2 rockets brought to the competition."
Section 4, Item D. "The teams will retrieve their rockets and immediately show the rocket or capsule with the Egg-O-Naut to an event inspector." Clarification: Immediately would be within the 10 minutes allotted for launch and or reasonable time allowed by the event supervisor.
Section #5, Item B " Egg-O-Nauts that can be retrieved and survive will receive a 15 second bonus." Clarification: If a rocket or Egg-O-Naut cannot be retrieved in the allotted 10 minutes for launch and or reasonable time allowed by the event supervisor, they will not receive the bonus.
Reasonable time is determined at the discretion of the event supervisor and will be applied consistently to all teams where necessary.
QUESTION: I was helping to run theEgg-o-naut event earlier this year at the Crystal Lake Invite, and one of the teams seemed to used soap or some sort of suds producing substance in their rockets. Is that acceptable? They still used the water provided byhe person running the event, but they definitely added something to it. The rules don't seem to actually directly forbid this, so we weren't sure about it. Is it acceptable to add substances to the water?
ANSWER:
From the Egg-O-Naut Rules Section 3, Item F: "All energy imparted to the rocket at launch must originate from the water/air pressure combination(both provided by the event supervisor)"
The assumption they made by putting the soap into the bottle is that it would impart more energy to the rocket at launch than was provided. It therefore would NOT be allowed under this section.
(There is a brand of rockets on the web that uses water, air & dish soap to power the rockets. They are more powerful and fly higher than regular water rockets.) It also is contrary to General rule #1 "Teams may not interpret the rules so that they have an unfair advantage over the rules or another team." Adding something like soap to bottle before launch would give an unfair advantage over another team. |
| Elevated Bridge |
B/C |
Q: Can the bridge legs be straight?
A: (2-2-10) Yes, the legs can be straight. They just need to allow the block to be cleared and the distance needs to be in the zone for the span of B or C.
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| Helicopter Duration |
B/C |
The helicopters that were built in the clinic will not be acceptable for the Nationals. If they use paper cups in place of plastic cups for the rotor blades, their helicopters should be ok.
Section 2b. Materials, Add the word "plastic' between paper and plastic covering on line 1. that is, it should read, "...paper, plastic, plastic covering...."
Section 3c. Flight logs, Change 6 parameters to 5 parameters. |
| Junkyard Challenge |
B |
Q: Can the trigger mechanism of the mousetraps be modified as to the surface area with a piece of thin cardboard? Also, for the start mechanism, can the ball be dropped more than once, or does a single drop trigger all of the mousetraps in sequence?
A: (2-2-10) The golf ball needs to be dropped once and then the process should run by itself until completion. Any additional touches count as deductions. The golf ball does not necessarily have to set off any mousetraps, but it must be dropped in to start the mechanism.
Q: Can part or all of the device be taped to the floor provided the mousetraps themselves are not taped to the floor?
A: Nothing can be taped to the floor.
Q: The time limit for junkyard is 60 seconds. The way we read it, and from one email we received, anything over 60.0 would be a penalty. However, we have one email and tournament experience where anything between 60.0 and 60.99 was rounded down to 60. Since electronic microprocessor timers are allowed, many people will be spot on for time and there will be many with 60.0 or within the 59.99-60.99 range so, we want to know how to coach our kids by letting them know how the judges will judge time. We don't have an electronic timer (because we have a mechanical one the kids built). In the event of identical times would the tie breaker come down to nonelectronic timers, built by kids, winning over a purchased microprocessor, as it has been in past years in other building events?
A:
THE LAST WORD I RECEIVED WAS THAT 60.00 - 60.99 IS ROUNDED TO 60
THE TIE BREAKER IS TIMING TO THE HUNDRETH OF A SECOND OVER 60.00 & CLOSEST TO 60 (IE - 60.01 BEATS 60.1)
The only way to get a perfect score is to get between 60.00 and 60.99. 59.99 get a full 1 second deduction.
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| Mission Possible |
C |
Q: Can we drill out a golf ball to be lighter but it still be considered a golf ball?
A: (Answered on the NSO FAQ) No, then it would not be a golf ball anymore, but you may tape or glue things to the golf ball.
Q: Can we use a practice golf ball( AKA wiffle ball).
A: From the rules: a. Starting Task - Drop a standard golf ball from above.... A practice golf ball is not a standard golf ball. |
| Model This |
B/C |
This is a 2-person event (not a 3-person event). |
| Ornithology |
B/C |
Q: Will the tournaments use the national ornithology bird list, or a subset(s) of this list?
A: (12-03-09) We will use the full list unless individual regions want to reduce it.
Q: We have (DK) American museum of natural history "Birds of North America: The complete photographic guide to every species" Published March 2009. Is this an acceptable Field Guide?
A: This is an acceptable field guide. The rule says one published field guide, so this fits.
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| Protein Modeling |
C |
Q: In the on-site build portion will students be given the jmol reference sheet displayed on the MSOE event site with the online environment?
A: The protein modeling event will allow a pop-up reference sheet on the computer. Beyond the Jmol window and the reference sheet, no internet access is allowed. |
| Trajectory |
B/C |
It is a requirement to have eyeware that is stamped with ANSI Z87+ for this event. We will be checking the goggles for this marking at the same time the device is being verified for construction specifications. Participants should be aware of where the marking is on their goggles to aid us in releasing them to compete. Rule 2.c states "Participants must wear eye protection rated ANSI Z87+ during building, testing, and launching." We will start the 10 minute clock on the team when we have completed the verifications and let teams use their time to get themselves legal with the possibility that they will not get off all 4 shots.
QUESTION: Does ANSI Z87.1 meet the requirements? All of our goggles have this designation.
ANSWER: Sorry but ANSI Z87.1 does not meet the requirement. The + designations denotes that the eye ware has been tested to afford basic impact protection - the .1's are not so rated. This requirement was in place since the rules came out and we are expected to enforce it. In the 'Code of Ethics & General Rules' it states that "Teams MUST NOT be allowed to compete without adequate eye protection. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE".
WHERE TO FIND GOGGLES:
National Clarification - posted today - on Trajectory Goggles:
Events requiring Eye Protection #5 (High Impact Protection - ANSI Z87+) - Goggles with lenses identified as Z87+ regardless of markings on other parts of the goggles and Spectacles identified as Z87+ with side shields regardless of markings on other parts of the spectacles will be acceptable for events requiring High Impact Protection #5.
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| Wright Stuff |
B |
University of Illinois Armory: The ceiling is about 30 meters and the floor has a track that is close to 1/6 mile in circumference. ISO will do some measurements this weekend so the SO site can publish them with more official numbers.
Q: Are canards allowed? I have noticed some of the kits/plans call for a CG location aft of the center of lift, which would load the stabilizer as a lifting wing.
A: (2-2-10) Canards are allowed.
Q: Does the horizontal stab have to be aft of the main wing? At what point does this qualify as a Biplane?
A: (2-2-10) As long as the wing and stabilizer are in conformation with the specified dimensions, the airplane is not a biplane. The stabilizer does not have to be aft of the wing. If your question arises because the stabilizer has no maximum chord specified, it would be possible to have a stabilizer with a greater area than the wing. Because of that, this question should be deferred to the National Science Olympiad Rules Clarification process. In any case, only one wing and one stabilizer is allowed. That is, if there are 2 stabilizers and one wing or visa-versa, it would be a biplane.
Q: How wide can a piece of balsa wing structure be before it starts being considered a solid wing? Could you drill some holes in a solid wood wing, cover it with tissue, and then pass inspection?
A: (2-2-10) The specification for no "solid balsa wing or tail assemblies" may also need clarification by the National SO. However, to my way of thinking, just taking a solid sheet of balsa and cutting holes for lightening is not an assembly. Assembly means taking more than two separate pieces and joining them. For a wing with, for example a 10- cm chord, an assembly with LE and TE each 4cm wide joined by 2 cm long ribs would not be disallowed.
Q: Could we really use a formed carbon wing? I would hope no one would, but is this allowable under the rules as they are written?
A: (2-2-10) A formed carbon wing may be used as long as there are no pre-glued assemblies.
Q: Does the weight for the airframe include the prop & mount, or does that go with the rubberband weight?
A: (2-2-10) The airframe includes everything but the rubber motor. The propeller assembly is part of the airplane. The propeller assembly is not part of the rubber motor. (kids get confused by this sometimes).
Q: Are the span limits as projected to a flat surface below, or as measured from center (in other words, could you use dihedral to have an effectively longer wing)?
A: (2-2-10) The span for wing and stabilizer is the projected span. Span is measured on the assembled airplane. it is common for the pre-dihedral wing and stab to exceed the spec. Be careful that the propeller diameter does not exceed 20 cm as measured for all axis thru the center, not just on the centerline.
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Tournaments