It was a variance of visual marvels for spectators who took in the Grade 5 and 6 science fair at the Sacred Heart/Sacré Coeur School’s gymnasium last week.
Though math may be the language of science, these students displayed their projects in both English and French, outlining their goals, hypothesis and ultimate conclusions after carrying out their experiments.
From fruit-powered clocks and solar ovens, to endo- and exothermic reactions and non-Newtonian fluids, the students filled the gym with numerous experiments. The young scientists were ready to perform their experiments step by step for passersby and onlookers alike.
One such project, the cornstarch monster, harnessed a non-Newtonian fluid made of cornstarch and water and then poured over thin plastic atop speakers. Students Kyler Dutka and Sarkis Davidian blasted different styles of music to see how the fluid-like substance would react.
“The cornstarch monster is a monster that you combine cornstarch and water to make a non-Newtonian fluid. When you make a non-Newtonian fluid, and it has pressure on it, it stays a solid, but the instant you take the pressure off, it becomes a liquid,” said Kyler Dutka.
“That’s why when you put it on the speaker and you turn up the volume it remains a solid, because there’s vibration on it and pressure from the sound. When you turn the speaker off, it turns to a liquid again,” Kyler said.
“We found it on the Internet, and it looked pretty cool by the pictures and videos,” added Sarkis.
“You can just play with it in your hand, and it will get crumbly like dust, but once you stop playing with it, it will start running through your fingers,” Kyler said.
When set over the speakers, the substance danced, making fluid forms, but when the music was turned off, the substance turned back into a solid. Kyler showed off the dusty material when the music was off, and it formed a crust over the speakers. The sound vibration, as Kyler put it, makes it “alive.”
“Our country music and our rock music have the biggest effect. We put on classic and there was no effect. So we put on country and rock (music) for the people, and it made it look like it was alive. It looked extremely cool,” he said.
Another project, courtesy of Gabrielle Stephany and Taylor Dickie, looked at the rising foam that occurs when hydrogen and oxygen molecules attach to one another.
“Rising foam is just hydrogen and oxygen molecules that are attached to each other. Once we add dish soap to our projects, it creates single oxygen molecules, and then once we add yeast to the project it releases heat and foam and creates an exothermic reaction,” said Gabrielle.
She said that particular project had been brought to the science fair in previous years, so she and Taylor wanted to try their hand at the experiments. Their tests required some trial and error, but they found a mixture to achieve the results they needed.
“We weren’t really sure (what would happen), because our first time doing it we used three per cent hydrogen peroxide, but this time we’re using 20 per cent. It works so much better with 20 per cent,” said Gabrielle.
She said the stronger the hydrogen peroxide, the more carbon dioxide and foam will be released, creating more heat. A three per cent hydrogen peroxide mixture can be found in the home, while a 20 per cent mix is more typically used by hair stylists who dye hair.
“It’s a little bit stronger, and a little bit more dangerous, but it works so much better.”
