NSMQ: Prempeh Protests Results
Prempeh College, a five-time winner of the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), has raised objections regarding the semi-finals’ event, which resulted in them being denied a spot in this year’s grand finale.
In the second semi-final held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Thursday, October 19, 2023, Prempeh College competed against Opoku Ware Senior High School (OWASS) and Pope John Senior High School & Minor Seminary.
OWASS emerged as the winner with 38 points, surpassing both of their rivals by two points.
In a letter addressed to Primetime Limited, the competition’s organizers, Prempeh College’s NSMQ Team coordinators lodged a protest against a riddle presented in the last round of the contest, which they believe had unfairly impacted their results.
The riddle read, “I am a physical principle. Even though there is no theoretical basis for me, I am an experimentally confirmed principle. I operate across many domains of physics including mechanics, electromagnetism, and even quantum mechanics. According to me, the whole is equal to the sum of the parts. You call on me whenever you determine the electric field or the scalar potential at a point due to a collection of stationary charges So, who am I?”
Prempeh College answered with “superposition,” but the consultant claimed that different types of superposition existed and that the answer should have been more specific, specifically “linear superposition.”
However, Prempeh College’s quiz team coordinators argued in their letter, citing Britannica and other sources, that “superposition” and “linear superposition” can be used interchangeably. They maintained that the student’s answer was correct.
“There are several sources that show that the principle of superposition when used applies to only linear systems. When applied in the broadest sense the principle of superposition is also known as the principle of linear superposition…There is no clue in the riddle that restricts the answer to the principle of linear superposition; The application of the principle of superposition to electrical circuits would be the only point that nullifies it being the correct answer to the riddle. The third clue did not include electrical circuits and; What’s the principle of superposition as defined in physics?” a part of their letter explained.
Their protest stemmed from alleged “missteps and miscalculations on the part of the organisers” that they believe have negatively affected their interests, which they claim they have been enduring for years.
Owass is seeking to clutch their third title this year.
