Speaker
Description
Problems in the IPT, and similar competitions such as IYNT and IYPT, surprisingly often ask for a solution to an engineering problem presented as a physics problem. IPT 2026 Problem 5, the "Ping-Pong Balls Cannon", is a clear example. It asks for a device that launches ping-pong balls as far as possible; meaning there is no single phenomenon to explain, but rather a design space to explore, almost from first principles. This makes it a different challenge from the traditional physics problems, but one that is especially rewarding for a physics student. This talk presents the solution to the cannon as a case study, while also using it to outline a general workflow for such problems: showing how physical intuition can drive design decisions, and where physics has to be supplemented by empirical and engineering judgement.