MOSh Problems and Solutions

First held in 1939, when 216 students entered and 28 reached the final, making it one of the oldest school physics competitions in Russia. Archived here is the final stage for grade 11, which is sat over two rounds.

2024

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Potential of three charged disks*not published
  • 2Air hockey collisions*not published
  • 3Two batteries and LC circuit*not published
  • 4Bicycle tire inflation*not published
  • 5Cylindrical lens and meniscus*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Nonlinear rubber cord with mass*not published
  • 7Charged hemispheres with common center*not published
  • 8Proton and electron in gradient field*not published
  • 9Lens construction from image*not published
  • 10Compression of saturated steam*not published

2023

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Cooling gas between two pistons*not published
  • 2Grid in changing magnetic field*not published
  • 3Two-lens magnification system*not published
  • 4Compressed spring under load*not published
  • 5Dielectric hysteresis in nonlinear capacitor*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Transformer with center tap*not published
  • 7Electron spiral and semiconductor current*not published
  • 8Liquid thermodynamics with expansion*not published
  • 9Thermodynamic constants of a liquid*not published
  • 10Diffraction grating spots on screen*not published

2022

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Problem 1not published
  • 2Problem 2not published
  • 3Problem 3not published
  • 4Problem 4not published
  • 5Problem 5not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Puck and hoop on ice*not published
  • 7Charged plates on tetrahedron*not published
  • 8Water vapor in cylinder*not published
  • 9Imaging by a glass sphere*not published
  • 10Magnetic analogies and fields*not published

2021

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Tub moving in rain*not published
  • 2Ideal diode source characteristic*not published
  • 3Currents one second after switch*not published
  • 4Coin image in liquid*not published
  • 5Evaporative cooling of a water droplet*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Split-system heat pump power ratio*not published
  • 7Disk on rubber bands*not published
  • 8Schlieren method with Foucault knife-edge*not published
  • 9Faraday flashlight charging*not published
  • 10Garage door lifting mechanism*not published

2020

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Capacitor switching with resistors*not published
  • 2Vessel with air and steam in ice*not published
  • 3Sun image in polished sphere*not published
  • 4Starter motor model circuits*not published
  • 5Vacuum cannon projectile speed*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Small body in rotating tube*not published
  • 7Table on thin legs*not published
  • 8Water-steam-water cycle*not published
  • 9Caustic from a glass of water*not published
  • 10Peltier element oscillations*not published

2019

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Anamorphic prism pair angle*not published
  • 2Adiabatic exponent measurement*not published
  • 3Betatron field ratio*not published
  • 4LED lamp component selection*not published
  • 5Iceboat sail as wing*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Problem 6not published
  • 7Problem 7not published
  • 8Problem 8not published
  • 9Problem 9not published
  • 10Problem 10not published

2018

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Two masses on rhombic prism*not published
  • 2Stirling cycle with regenerator*not published
  • 3Charged hemisphere on metal wall*not published
  • 4Coaxial cylinders in magnetic field*not published
  • 5Clear image range in concave mirror*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Two uncalibrated dynamometers with mass*not published
  • 7Centrifugal governor small oscillations*not published
  • 8Square plate resistance network*not published
  • 9Barretter capacitor charging circuit*not published
  • 10Three transformers output ratio*not published

2017

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Ball toss between balcony and ground*not published
  • 2Sliding block on moving wedge*not published
  • 3Cyclic process of ideal gas*not published
  • 4Charged nested cubes*not published
  • 5Zener diode in rl circuit*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Problem 6not published
  • 7Problem 7not published
  • 8Problem 8not published
  • 9Problem 9not published
  • 10Problem 10not published

2016

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Earth radius from ship sighting*not published
  • 2Cat jumping from stool*not published
  • 3Soap bubble deflation time*not published
  • 4Hexagonal grid with added conductors*not published
  • 5Two masses with spring and pulley*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Sliding rod on inclined plane*not published
  • 7Elastic collision energy transfer*not published
  • 8Two heat engines on a circle*not published
  • 9Grounded sphere potential change*not published
  • 10Charged sphere in magnetic field*not published

2015

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Boat waves and river current*not published
  • 2Hoop rolling on fixed cylinder*not published
  • 3Rain on boiling pot*not published
  • 4Cut wire in resistor network*not published
  • 5Maximizing light pressure on sphere*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Pipe rolling with attached block*not published
  • 7Polytropic refrigeration cycle*not published
  • 8Capacitance of a network*not published
  • 9Ring of hinged springs*not published
  • 10Ink channel viewed through hexagonal pen*not published

2014

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Sliding suitcase in braking train*not published
  • 2Helium heated with mercury seal*not published
  • 3Capacitor network equivalent capacitance*not published
  • 4Magnetic field of four wires*not published
  • 5Cart under oscillating mass*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Boat crossing a river*not published
  • 7Liquid-vapor heating with adiabatic cooling*not published
  • 8Resistance of symmetric resistor network*not published
  • 9Charged ball and spring collision*not published
  • 10Diode in LC circuit*not published

2013

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Cruise liner boat intercept*not published
  • 2Dumbbell sliding on smooth floor*not published
  • 3Cyclic process with isotherms and isochores*not published
  • 4Force on charge in infinite line*not published
  • 5Capacitor discharge into two inductors*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Hula hoop sliding and return*not published
  • 7Block with variable friction*not published
  • 8Cyclic process with adiabatic shift*not published
  • 9Source with overload protection*not published
  • 10Ant and curved mirror sizes*not published

2012

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Two masses on a spring*not published
  • 2Helium cycle with linear and isothermal legs*not published
  • 3Five voltmeters in circuit*not published
  • 4Uniform E and B fields*not published
  • 5Prism with total internal reflection*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Chupa-chups in a corner*not published
  • 7Water and nitrogen in vessel*not published
  • 8Capacitance of modified plate system*not published
  • 9Rubber cord and spring in series*not published
  • 10Sun reflection from mirror*not published

2011

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Elastic collision with moving wedge*not published
  • 2Oscillating mass after train stops*not published
  • 3Cycle efficiency from density-temperature diagram*not published
  • 4Diode bridge with resistors*not published
  • 5Bead on inclined rod in magnetic field*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Acceleration after cutting string*not published
  • 7Water heat engine cycle*not published
  • 8Tension on charged rod-ball*not published
  • 9Charged pendulum with spring*not published
  • 10Phased array radar antenna*not published

2010

Russia

Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 1Ant on a brick*not published
  • 2Gas partition with adiabatic piston*not published
  • 3Power supply charging capacitor*not published
  • 4Charged ring in collapsing field*not published
  • 5Camera lens diameter from blur*not published
Problems5 problemsProblemsSolutions
  • 6Puck over moving wedge*not published
  • 7Efficiency of pV cycle*not published
  • 8Infinite wire sock resistance*not published
  • 9Rod deflection in magnetic field*not published
  • 10Two lenses imaging a rectangle*not published