Striking with Physics! by Nihal

Striking with Physics! by Nihal - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

Knocking all ten pins down has to be the best feeling ever. The first time I bowled a strike at 7, I felt on top of the world. But once you are on top of the world, your world comes crumbling down quickly. Ten consecutive gutterballs later, I sat down and had a temper tantrum. I was envious of all the other snobby kids sticking their tongues in my face, so I made it my mission to prove them wrong.

I naturally found an interest in physics, being a bowler. Eventually, I developed a physics-first mindset, and everything I saw became physics problems. My new mindset changed certain aspects of how I started to bowl. When my bowling ball started hooking too early on the lane, I thought about ways to get the ball to go farther down the lane. In physics, more velocity and a lower launch angle are directly proportional to an increased distance, so I would adjust hand positions and loft it less to change the ball’s course. This new tool improved my performance at tournaments and completely changed how I bowled at my first national tournament.

With zero expectations, I traveled to Dallas for my first Junior Gold Bowling Championships in 2018. Using my new mindset, I figured out new ways to strike challenging lane conditions that my competitors could not find. Out of 300 bowlers, I qualified to be in the top 8, and after 21 games of play, we advanced to a matchplay bracket. I bowled well the first 12 games until everything went downhill. After one of my shots, the lower part of my thumb's skin broke open, and blood poured out. I couldn't throw a shot without blood getting onto the ball. So, I used super glue to put the skin back together. From physics, I knew that the smoother the surface, the lower the frictional constant and frictional force, so the glue would help me. With determination and physics, I fought through dozens more matches. Eventually, I finished second.

While my passion for physics has inspired me to adopt a determined mindset to succeed in extracurricular activities, it has also driven me to explore physics-related research. While learning about circuits in my AP Physics 1 course, I learned about Faraday’s laws and their applications in today's world. I was fascinated with how his laws affected Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) trains. And so, to make MagLev trains more affordable and efficient, I created a science fair project. I made a replica MagLev train using magnets and batteries for this project. This train was intended to travel through magnetized copper coils to replicate how real MagLev trains travel. Through the experiment, I examined the impact of copper coils on the magnetic trains and whether coil density or magnet strength was more cost-effective to increase the speed of a train. This project won 3rd place in the Silicon Valley science fair and strengthened my love for physics. Rather than proving existing laws, I felt the urge to discover my own.

Quantum physics, one of my favorite physics subjects, challenges the laws taught in all prior physics classes, essentially making you forget everything you learned to relearn. Right now, I am just like that annoyed kid at the bowling birthday party, eager to get a strike but not knowing all the factors that go into it. Through this degree, I plan to build my confidence, adapt to challenging conditions, and deliver under tremendous pressure. So, pursuing a physics degree is like trying to understand the physics of bowling - it's all about learning the right angles, spin, and force to finally deliver a strike!