Students awarded for impressive projects at state science fair

Congratulations to the following students who were recognized at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair held at the Bremerton High School & Performing Arts Center in April. Check out information below about their impressive projects:

Chaitra Hasini Appani, 6th grade, Mountain View Middle School

Awards: 1st Place in the 6th Grade Category, Best of Category Award for 6th Grade, Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovator Challenge (JIC) Nomination

Project Name: Hydraulic Powered Lift Machine

“My project was inspired by the numerous hydraulic inventions in this world that were powered by hydraulics. Such as hydraulic nut splitters, hydraulic lifting equipment, hydraulic torque wrenches, hydraulic tensioning systems, hydraulic elevators, etc. This led me to wonder, how do the engineers know what liquids to use in hydraulic inventions? How would different liquids viscosity affect the smooth movement of an invention, or in my case, the Hydraulic Powered Lift Machine? In my research, I found that the measure of the thickness of liquids is called viscosity, in which I used the measurement of centipoise or cP from the CGS unit system. The average viscosity of the water was 1 cP, the average viscosity of vinegar was 12-15 cP (rounded to 13.5 cP), as for coconut oil, it was 55 cP, and for honey it was 10,000 cP. I conducted the test with the Hydraulic Powered Lift Machine model and recorded my data into data tables and line graphs. Afterwards, I found out a principle that explained the results. According to Pascal's Law, ‘...change in pressure applied to any part of an enclosed liquid will be transmitted equally in all directions through the liquid." This means that when pressure is applied on one point of an enclosed liquid, then the pressure will affect the entire liquid.’

Rowan Stephens-Smith, 3rd grade, Emerald Hills Elementary 

Awards: 1st Place in the 3rd Grade Category, Central Valley Garden Club Plant Sciences & Environmental Award

Project Name: Pollution Effects on Daphnia Magna

“(My project) was inspired by the learning I did in Life Lab last year when we were learning about water pollution and Lake Tapps (TappsWise). I was curious how water pollution can affect wildlife because they are drinking polluted water that is not healthy for them. I tested the question ‘How does pollution from human run off affect Daphnia heart rate and death rate?’  I tested samples with car wash soap, pesticide, and road runoff because those are common pollutants that get into the water. Using a microscope, I found out that heart rate and death rate were affected by the pollutants. This showed that the water life (daphnia) was negatively affected by pollution. This is important because it means pollution caused by people is not good for the environment. Therefore, people should learn more about how to stop water pollution that happens from daily activities in order to protect the world around us.”

Aishwarya Polali, Donald Eismann, 2nd grade

Awards: Navy League of the United States Bremerton/Olympic Peninsula Council Stem Award

Project Name: Sound Waves

“My science project explores the fascinating world of sound waves. Have you ever noticed the whooshing sound when riding in a fast car with the windows down? This is caused by the car displacing air, which then vibrates to create sound. Curious about this, I conducted several experiments to understand What is sound? How does it propagate through solids, liquids, and gasses? What causes the speed of sound? Why do we see different pitches? And, can sound travel in a vacuum? Experiments Performed: Tuning Fork Experiment, Domino Tiles Experiment, Straw Pan Flute Experiment, Sound Through Vacuum Experiment. In Conclusion, sound is an energy type that moves in waveforms through various mediums, traveling at different speeds and producing diverse pitches.”