Canadian Association of Physicists
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP), or in French Association canadienne des physiciens et physiciennes (ACP) is a Canadian
professional society that focuses on creating awareness amongst Canadians and Canadian legislators of physics
issues, sponsoring physics related events, and publishes Physics in Canada. The organization was founded in 1945 and currently has over 1,600 members. CAP is bilingual
and functions in both English
and French
.
also known as the "University Prize Exam", is offered once a year, usually early February, to Canadian university undergraduate physics students. The CAP Best Student Presentation competition is held during the CAP's annual congress. The CAP awards prizes to the physics students, normally at the graduate level, who make the three best oral presentations and the three physics students who make the three best poster presentations. Students who wish to participate in any of the CAP's contets must register to do so according to the CAP's established procedures available on the website, www.cap.ca.
Public Memorial lecture. This year, the congress is in its 66th iteration, and was held from June 12 to June 17, at Memorial University of Newfoundland
, in St. John's
, Newfoundland and Labrador
. Next year, the congress will be held at the University of Calgary
, in Calgary
, Alberta
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional society that focuses on creating awareness amongst Canadians and Canadian legislators of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
issues, sponsoring physics related events, and publishes Physics in Canada. The organization was founded in 1945 and currently has over 1,600 members. CAP is bilingual
Bilingualism in Canada
The official languages of Canada are English and French, which "have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada" according to Canada's constitution...
and functions in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
Physics in Canada
Physics in Canada (PiC) is a bi-monthly journal published by CAP. The aim of this journal is to provide a window into developments in physics and the physics community. The journal contains scientific articles in both official languages, book reviews, job listings and many other items that may be important to Canadian Physicists. The french version is called La Physique au Canada.P. Phys.
The CAP can appoint an official designation called the P. Phys. which stands for Professional Physicist, similar to the designation of P. Eng. which stands for Professional Engineer. This designation was unveiled at the CAP congress in 1999 and already more than 200 people carry this distinction.Physics Contests
The Canadian Association of Physics hosts several CAP physics contests across Canada each year, aimed at different levels of physics students. The CAP High School Prize exam is offered across Canada once a year, usually in early April, and aims to challenge physics students on their physics knowledge. It is a national exam and the top participants are invited to try out for the Canadian Physics Olympiad international team trained by volunteers from the University of British Columbia. The CAP Lloyd G. Elliott Prize exam,also known as the "University Prize Exam", is offered once a year, usually early February, to Canadian university undergraduate physics students. The CAP Best Student Presentation competition is held during the CAP's annual congress. The CAP awards prizes to the physics students, normally at the graduate level, who make the three best oral presentations and the three physics students who make the three best poster presentations. Students who wish to participate in any of the CAP's contets must register to do so according to the CAP's established procedures available on the website, www.cap.ca.
CAP Congress
The CAP holds an annual congress each year to discuss internal matters, hold elections, hold oral and poster sessions, give formation workshops to high school physics teachers, and hold the HerzbergGerhard Herzberg
Gerhard Heinrich Friedrich Otto Julius Herzberg, was a pioneering physicist and physical chemist, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1971, "for his contributions to the knowledge of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals". Herzberg's main work concerned...
Public Memorial lecture. This year, the congress is in its 66th iteration, and was held from June 12 to June 17, at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
, in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. Next year, the congress will be held at the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
, in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.