Vietnamese students win 1 gold, 4 silver medals at 2025 Int’l Physics Olympiad

Nguyen The Quan, a 12th-grade student from Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted in Nghe An Province, earned the gold medal at the competition.

The silver medals were awarded to Ly Ba Khoi and Truong Duc Dung, both 12th-grade students at the High School for Gifted Students under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi, Nguyen Cong Vinh from Bac Ninh Specialized High School in Bac Ninh Province, and Tran Le Thien Nhan from Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted in Hue City.

With this achievement, Vietnam ranked among the top 10 countries at IPhO 2025.

This year's IPhO drew 406 contestants from over 80 countries and territories.

The competition included two main theoretical and experimental tests, each lasting five hours.

The exam questions blended modern physics with real-world phenomena, exploring topics from hydrogen atomic structure and galactic formations to magnetic oscillations and meteorite crater formation.

A standout question focused on the physics behind champagne bubbles – linking concepts of pressure, acoustics, and viscous friction – while also offering a cultural nod to French culinary tradition.

The experimental test consisted of two complex problems requiring analytical thinking and precise measurement.

One involved the challenge of a Mars rover landing and navigating safely without getting trapped in sand dunes.

The other used a Gouy balance to measure magnetic moments, a homage to French physicist Louis Georges Gouy, recognized for his contributions to magnetism and optics, reflecting the spirit of scientific legacy in the host country.