Scioly.org

808rain wrote:A few questions....
* Can someone please clarify "attached using available rings, which may be removed during the event" Can it be in a binder and then we remove it during the event? Is this right?

* Any resources you recommend having in the binder?

* Will the team be at a disadvantage if it's just one person? Will we get half points?

1) Yes, it must start in the binder and can be removed from the rings during the event (though I wouldn't recommend doing so).

3) The disadvantage is what you make of it. You won't incur any additional penalty, only whatever naturally occurs from not having a second person - depending on the length of the test and how well you know the event, you may be able to still do very well. I've competed in events solo four times in the past, and medaled each time.

808rain wrote:A few questions....
* Can someone please clarify "attached using available rings, which may be removed during the event" Can it be in a binder and then we remove it during the event? Is this right?

* Any resources you recommend having in the binder?

* Will the team be at a disadvantage if it's just one person? Will we get half points?

1. As the rules say, if it's attached to the binder with rings when you enter the test room, it's fair game.
2. Definitely a concise and clearly organized table of minerals and their properties. I have two, actually, one alphabetized and the other arranged by hardness.
3. Not necessarily, but having a partner to flip through things for you while you write is definitely really useful. Partial credit depends on the test grader's policy.

808rain wrote:A few questions....
* Can someone please clarify "attached using available rings, which may be removed during the event" Can it be in a binder and then we remove it during the event? Is this right?

I've never done Rocks before, but this is how I've done other binder events, even sometimes including duplicate copies of the most important information which my partner and I then take out and separate to use one each, so I imagine this is allowed with a Rocks binder too.

knottingpurple wrote:

808rain wrote:A few questions....
* Can someone please clarify "attached using available rings, which may be removed during the event" Can it be in a binder and then we remove it during the event? Is this right?

I've never done Rocks before, but this is how I've done other binder events, even sometimes including duplicate copies of the most important information which my partner and I then take out and separate to use one each, so I imagine this is allowed with a Rocks binder too.

I personally do not recommend having two separate sets of info but of course this is a matter of opinion, but yes it would be legal.

808rain wrote:A few questions....
* Can someone please clarify "attached using available rings, which may be removed during the event" Can it be in a binder and then we remove it during the event? Is this right?

* Any resources you recommend having in the binder?

* Will the team be at a disadvantage if it's just one person? Will we get half points?

1. Yes, any resource that doesn't violate the spirit of the problem (so no electronics) that can be attached is valid. That includes...

2. ...Audobon field guides. Last year at nationals they said that you could tear out pages of field guides to put in rings for the competition. Also, have your extensive specimen information.
3. Your team will be at a disadvantage, but you could still win. This is not like WIDI, where you need a partner.

dxu46 wrote:

808rain wrote:A few questions....
* Can someone please clarify "attached using available rings, which may be removed during the event" Can it be in a binder and then we remove it during the event? Is this right?

* Any resources you recommend having in the binder?

* Will the team be at a disadvantage if it's just one person? Will we get half points?

1. Yes, any resource that doesn't violate the spirit of the problem (so no electronics) that can be attached is valid. That includes...

2. ...Audobon field guides. Last year at nationals they said that you could tear out pages of field guides to put in rings for the competition. Also, have your extensive specimen information.
3. Your team will be at a disadvantage, but you could still win. This is not like WIDI, where you need a partner.

Winning without a partner is more than possible. I took 2nd at Solon invite by myself by 1 points because I messed up polyatomic ions from not checking my work when I finished .

This is my first year in this event, would you guys recommend bringing a magnifying glass, how helpful would it be?

Bring it, but it's not all that useful.

Eureka314 wrote:This is my first year in this event, would you guys recommend bringing a magnifying glass, how helpful would it be?

Honestly I just bring it just in case, I have won my state and gone to nationals and I haven't ever truly needed it to ID. I could only ever see needing it if there is a large bed of different minerals on a rock and they asked you to ID specific ones on it, never seen a question like this though.

Thanks! And also, on the list when it says crystal, is it just referring to a rock crystal?