The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University founded the Mechanics Scholar Program in the Spring of 2002 to identify and honour the best students in Physics 206 (Classical Mechanics). The top performers are identified by an end-of-semester Challenge Exam that is open to all students in all sections (typically ~750 in the Fall semester, and ~2,000 in the Spring), with a turnout of around 5-10% writing the exam. It covers the material from the first three exams. While the difficulty level of the Challenge Exam is above the norm for Physics 206 exams, it is nevertheless meant to be for “fun” and is a way to let you match your physics (aka problem-solving) skills against the very best here at A&M. Note that we do not stress memorization; a formula sheet will be provided with all of the formulae and conversions you will need.

The top three winners will be presented with the Dr. Phyllis Toback Award, given a textbook for PHYS 207, and a monetary award for their accomplishment. As an added incentive, all students who perform well on the challenge exam will be named a MacMillan Mechanics Scholar (which includes a certificate suitable for framing), and will be invited to a catered luncheon in their honour. In addition to lunch, we will have presentations by faculty members regarding potential careers for people with high levels of physics problem solving skills. The exam is typically held just before (or during) Reading Days, right before finals.