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The Managing Director,

Primetime Limited

PROTEST

We, the coordinators of the Prempeh College NSMQ Team and Old Boys, acting for and on behalf
ofPrempeh College, write to register our displeasure at the events leading to the conclusion ofthe
2nd Semifinal contest of this year's NSMQ competition held at the Saarah Mensah Auditorium of
KNUST Kumasi today, 19th day of October 2023 between 1330hrs and 1700hrs GMT, among
Prempeh College, Pope Johns Snr High and Opoku Ware School.

Before going into the gravamen of the matter, we wish to highlight a few things. Prempeh College
has since the inception of this competition been a worthy competitor and has been a mainstay of
this contest which is evidenced by the number oftrophies won by the school since the competition's
inception and has the distinction ofbeing the first school to win the coveted trophy in 1993. Over
the years we have watched the brand grow and expand to attract keen interest from diverse strata
ofsociety. We have always attached seriousness to this endeavour and have been graoious in both
victory and defeat. We have however noticed that over time the competition is taking on a
computation that does not auger well for the future ofthe contest. Over the years we have had to
endure a few missteps and miscalculations on the part of the organizers which have been inimical
to our interest. We are however constrained at this time to protest and draw your attention to the
glaring injustice meted to us and to seek your urgent intervention to right an obvious injustice and
repair a wrong.
At the said contest during the last round (Round 5), a particular riddle was posed to the teams with
the following clues:

l. I am a physical principle
2. Even though there is no theoretical basis for me, I am an experimentally confirmed
principle
 3. I operate across many domains of physics including mechanics, electromagnetism, and
even quantum mechanics
4. According to me, the whole is equal to the sum ofthe parts
5. 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?

The Prempeh College contestant gave the answer as the principle of superposition, but the
consultant argued that the answer was the principle of linear superposition.
He claims there exists other types ofsuperposition like exponential superposition hence the answer
the student gave is incorrect.

Customarily, competing schools are allowed to protest if decisions taken do not go their way.
During such protests, protesting schools are allowed to air their grievances for the consultants to
assess and make a judgment on them.

Opoku Ware School, during this same competition, went down this same tangent and got
themselves three (3) extra points after the first round.

However, upon protesting, the consulting Physics Professor present, disallowed the answer given
by the contestant from Prempeh College arguing that there could also be the existence of the
Principle of Exponential Superposition.

We argue that the student was correct based on the following points:
1, There are several sources that show that the principle ofsuperposition 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. See the image of Freedman Physics
attached below.
2. There is no clue in the riddle that restricts the answer to the principle of linear
superposition.
3. 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.
4. What's the principle of superposition as defined in physics?
How different is its definition as given in literature from the principle of linear superposition?
Which clue in the riddle defies it?

Here are attachments showing that the two names can be used interchangeably to refer to the same
principle.
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23.2 THE PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION

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 3"2 SI,JPERPIOSIIION OF WAVFII
I! Sectid! 2.3 re s$dicd th6 basic poromet{rl of 0 rivlve. One or nore of these plrtnet€r!
(qxccpt lhc t!q.&n.y rnd cohcrcnca rifie $hich rlc lha 9hdlcErfulics of ltro €nilcion fro(4ss)
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will undcrf,o r chdrge wh€! rf|r€ cocoutrtlr! Gither nlttcr-lerditlg to phcnotrrcm cuch !!
sc!trr.ing q lbrdption--'d . ficld-lcading to clfccts such ar electroopric cfiect or soo*ooptic
cfiscl- Of itricrEtt to us hcrr is tyhd hlppsrs to o (litht) rvsvc r{hcn it cncoqr{cls 0nod|o (llgho
wrvc. Whd is &c rcsuh of $pcrF.ilioo of two $avcs?
The lnsrver k implicit id thc.l!@msnt thlt Eq. 2.4 is lhc loluti.n of Eq. 2.1, lhrt ir, if u
dtd c, lre solutioos of Eq.2.l,rhcnI= I + i5 dl3o ! solutirn. Thr |upcfpGition priociplc I
'r
thus stlter |[d the,s.rrrlranr listurbance rc the olgebratc wn otthe disnrbznc* of the separcte
.ohtaldlent eqtes. It should bc noted herc fi|l lhs suDcrD€iiion principlc is . oonscqucnr! of I
lhe linclriry df thc rvevc cqurrion (!cc Ex. 3,lI In crse of high mplihd€ w0ycs, fierE is I
dcfsturc ft.o linoqrity and lhc $pcrlositiorr Frincipb is no( sppliclblc. Exlrtrplc 3.2 illusErlcs
ho[ hc erpc$odltio F.inriplc cm bc 6pplicd in trvo spgcirl crses,

11 Engneerlng Phy\tcs

Suppode the lvarc equstiolr (sca Eq- 2l) is chongcd lo alu/Lr'z : ll/f){ou/U),. Will thc
rupcrpo6i6d Drinsiple still hold?

From the foregoing, it is apparent that not only was the consultant wrong it was clear that he
exercised his discretion without recourse to the cardinal principles of the exercise ofdiscretion. Be

that as it may, this is a science contest and not social science, and thus responses to inquiries do
not lend themselves to arguments since it is a mafter of proof and not opinion.

We are therefore in this vein requesting with immediate effect the rectification l-f $e enor for
Prempeh College to be duly awarded what they've earned and for your esteemed organization to
publish without equivocation the rectification and the restitution so done.
This will not only safeguard the integrity ofthe contest but will remove all perceptions ofbias and
perceived agenda to disadvantage certain schools in favour ofothers.

We do not take this lightly and wish to point out that we are ready and willing to pursue'this matter
to its logical conclusion including but not limited to recourse to judicial processes.

Yours faithfully,

gg -5.'."'.'"'-+r
Mr. Paul Damoah Snr. Dr.
#1
(Quiz Coordinator) (Old Boys' Representative) I

Cc: Ghana Education Service

Ministry of Education
Programs Manager, Primetime
All Media houses