BVI National Science Fair
Team Bregado Flax Educational Centre Sec.
"invisible ink"
Grade 7-9
By: Neal Kotak
Abstract:
The objective for the experiment was to determine if lemon juice can be used to make invisible ink. First, the materials were gathered, which were half a lemon, a little bit of water, a spoon, a bowl, a cotton bud, a sheet of paper, and a candle. The juice from the lemon half was squeezed into a bowl, then two drops of water was added and the mixture was stirred with a spoon. The cotton bud was dipped into the lemon juice mixture and the message was written on the blank sheet of paper. While it was left to dry, I readied the candle. I then moved the paper over the candle flame and slowly the message started to become visible in a shade of brown. I accomplished my goal by proving that you can use lemon juice to make invisible ink, as lemons are very acidic fruits. This experiment being successful felt very cool, knowing that this was how secret messages were carried during ages of war.
"growing orb"
Grade 7-9
By: Chane-ann Chin
Abstract:
The purpose of this model is to make a glowing orb or magic ball that can be used as a night light. The base/outer area will be made from wood. A piece of fabric will be placed over the top of the wood to make it look attractive. With assistance from the Electronics teacher, the orb will be made from the halves of a clear plastic ball, fabric tulle and lights. The halves of the ball will be sanded to make them translucent and then they will be painted a nice colour. The tulle and light will then be placed in one half of the ball. The halves will then be closed, and attached to the wooden base and an easy do-it-yourself nightlight will be formed.
"Elephant toothpaste"
Grade 7-9
By: J'Da Gibson
Abstract:
The objective of this experiment is to see the foam produced which happens during the chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and a yeast mixture. When the hydrogen peroxide and dish soap were mixed in the water bottle nothing happened, but when the mixture of yeast and water was added in, foam started to ascend out of the bottle. This experiment gave proof that when hydrogen peroxide and a yeast mixture with some dish soap are mixed it produces a foaming substance that looks like toothpaste squirting out of a tube.
"fermentation of yeast & sugar"
Grade 7-9
By: Keshama Cuffie, Philorn Jackson, Gabriela Sergeant
Abstract:
The objective of this experiment is to show what happens when yeast and sugar are mixed. Yeast is a living thing, a fungus, it feeds on sugar and breaks it down, to be used as energy. When the yeast metabolizes the sugar, carbon dioxide and ethanol are produced as waste. The carbon dioxide gas floats out of the mixture into the bottle producing bubbles, eventually floating into the balloon placed over the mouth of the plastic bottle. As the yeast feeds on more sugar, more carbon dioxide is produced, and the pressure inside the bottle and balloon increases which expands the balloon on the tip of the bottle where the mixture of yeast and sugar was mixed.
"floating egg"
Grade 7-9
By: Makalia Fergus, Kinisscia Morton, Xiala Peters
Abstract:
The experiment will show that an egg can be made to float in salted water. Two identical plastic glasses were filled with the same amount of water. The first hard-boiled egg sank into the glass of water that it was placed in because it is denser than the water. A salt solution was made by dissolving three tablespoons of salt into the second glass of water. The second hard-boiled egg floated when it was gently placed in the salted water! The egg floated in the salt solution because the density of the water when the salt is added is now greater than that of the egg.
"Bouncy egg"
Grade 7-9
By: DeKayla Samuel, Samuel Sealey, Shamoy Smith
Abstract:
The objective of this experiment is to determine if a raw egg will become bouncy after leaving it to sit in the vinegar for about 48 hours. A raw egg was carefully placed in a glass and then vinegar was poured in covering the egg. The egg was left to sit in the vinegar for a day. After the first 24 hours, the vinegar was drained and replaced with fresh vinegar to continue the process of dissolving the shell. After the second 24 hours, all of the eggshells were removed and the egg’s membrane was exposed. The egg was taken out of the vinegar and rinsed. The egg had grown in size and was rubbery. The naked egg was then tested and it was bouncy!
"Hydraulic Robotic Arm"
Grade 7-9
By: Kaedon George
Abstract:
I love cars and big machines. I always heard some people talking about hydraulics. I wondered what it was. After a bit of research, I found out that it is just some tubes inside of bigger tubes that work with pressure being pumped underwater.
The main scientific idea for making hydraulic machines is Pascal’s law. This law says - when pressure is applied to an enclosed fluid, it will be transferred, without a change in the size or force of the pressure, to every point of the fluid and to the walls of the container. This means that the pressure at any point in the liquid is equal in all directions. My model uses this idea.
The purpose of my project is to show how we can use something that we can get for free, water, to do work by building and using a simple hydraulic arm to move things and to show that I can have fun while doing it.
I built one Hydrobot arm using a S.T.E.M engineering kit and used it to move two objects. The parts came 3D printed. They were cut and put together using the manual as a guide. For the hydraulic launcher, I used a YouTube video as a guide. The pieces of materials were gathered and put together like in the video.
We have a lot of water around us. Maybe we can make good use of rainwater and everyday materials to build strong hydraulic robots that can be used in search and rescue, on-the-spot moving of items or to simply having fun!
"Eggs & salt water"
Grade 7-9
By: Shaquan Archer, Carey-ann Mckie
Abstract:
In many and most overall cases, putting an egg in a glass full of tap water will result in it sinking. Why? Because the density of the egg is higher than the density of the tap water, it sinks. Density is the mass of a material per unit volume. For example, the density of fresh water under minimum conditions is roughly one gram per cubic centimetre. But, if you add enough salt to the water, the egg will actually float back up to the surface. Adding salt to the water increases the density of the solution because the salt increases the mass without changing the volume in any high amount of way. When enough salt is added to the water, the saltwater solution's density becomes higher than the egg's, so the egg will then float. The potentiality of an object, such as an egg, to float in water or some other liquid is known as buoyancy.
"inflating a balloon over a bottle"
Grade 7-9
By: Valcion Demming, Bree Henry
Abstract:
The purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate the classic chemical reaction between an acid and a base. When baking soda and white vinegar are mixed together in a plastic bottle, the mixture causes a balloon placed over its opening to inflate with carbon dioxide gas that is produced in this reaction.
"solar powered car"
Grade 7-9
By: Jahrisa Williams
Abstract:
The objective of this project was to design and build a solar-powered car. This design demonstrated the importance of energy efficiency and the need to maximize the use of sunlight. The project highlighted the energy used to power the car to drive. Also, this solar-powered car project showcased how the everyday materials used around the home can help people to understand science. The parts of the solar car were displayed. Some of the materials used were cardboard, drinking straw, eye hooks, wood, Styrofoam, milk cartons, rubber bands, cardboard tubes, bottle caps, metal hanger, metal rod and hot glue guns. The chassis was the frame of the car, the axle was used to support the wheels, and the bearing connected the axle to the chassis and caused the wheel to move. The conversion of the electrical energy caused the car to transmit motion. This solar-powered car project was enriching and exciting.
"Hydroponics"
Grade 7-9
By: Kyle Alexander, Akira Creque, Kirsha Nisbett
Abstract:
This project aims to show that plants can grow by just using water. We believed plants needed water and soil to grow but we were quickly proven wrong. We learned about hydroponics, which is used to grow plants without soil. There is a simple way to do hydroponics at home and we tried it out to see if it can work.
The seed used in this project is lettuce but any seed of choice can be used.
These are all the steps to making a simple hydroponic contraption. Bigger seeds such as pumpkins and watermelons can be used with this method but bigger bottles will be needed to pull this off. Have fun growing your plants without the mess of dirt.
"DIY lava lamp"
Grade 7-9
By: Kaliyah Dublin
Abstract:
The reason for this experiment is to show that a lava lamp can be easily made at home. I placed coloured water in a bottle, then added some vegetable oil followed by an alka-seltzer tablet which is the activator and lastly some vinegar. The reaction took place where bubbles were seen entering the oil from the lower level. This is how a simple do-it-yourself homemade lava lamp was created.
"craft ball"
Grade 7-9
By: Jamie Russell
Abstract:
We know that people like to feel good by playing games for fun. We also know that people live healthier and longer lives when they are happy. This is why I came up with a new game.
My hypothesis is that if people play this new game, they will have fun and will want to continue to play.
The game will start with a jump ball. There will be two teams of nine players each. Teacher player will have two sticks. One player from each team will hold a stick into the air, while two starters will pull on each end of the wired ball to release it. Each hitter will try to hit the ball to their teammates behind them. The closest teammate should try to catch the ball with their two sticks. After catching, they will kneel. This indicates that a point has been scored. Each game will have three segments of six minutes each. The team that scores the most points at the end of the final segment will be the winner.
I think this is a good way to help to develop skills with the hands and eyes; and is also a good way to stay fit. I hope that one day, this can be an official sport that will be played in the Olympics.
"Electrolytic cell"
Grade 10-12
By: Dominic Clarence, Rhiann Ramlall, Neeranjanie Singh
Abstract:
The purpose of this project was to find out if it was possible to extract electricity from fruits/vegetables. We hypothesised that one fruit or vegetable by itself would be able to produce enough electricity to power a light bulb. We made two incisions into the grapefruit and the copper (pennies) and zinc (nickels) were placed into the slits made. This is because a battery must have a positive and a negative end. Hence, the need for two different conductors. Alligator clips with wires were connected to the grapefruit and a voltmeter was attached to the conductors creating an enclosed circuit. Our hypothesis was proven wrong when the final figure was recorded as 0.394V, which was not enough to power our light bulb. Subsequently, we selected a range of products, which included tomatoes, potatoes, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. These specific products were selected because of their acidic content since acids are known to conduct electricity. The lemon was the one that produced the highest voltage of 0.539V for 10 seconds.
The grapefruit, lime, potato, and tomato followed the lemon in terms of the higher levels of voltage being produced. Based on our experiment, we understood that higher levels of acids will result in the fruit/vegetable producing a greater amount of voltage. We also understood that more vegetables/fruits would increase the voltage to power a light bulb.
"water dispenser"
Grade 10-12
By: Sherideen Mannings
Abstract:
A water dispenser is a device used to provide easy access to clean water. It plays a vital role in our environment. Water dispensers can be found in restaurants, businesses, or medical facilities. This particular dispenser is easy to clean, cost-effective and easy for children to use. It works by using pressure and gravity. When the bottle is closed it creates pressure in the bottle stopping the water from flowing, by unscrewing the cover the pressure is released and gravity allows the water to flow out and down into the glass. If the bottle is not fully sealed water will leak out and the water dispenser will not function effectively. This water dispenser was made using cardboard, straw, glue and scissors. A hole was made in the bottle to pass the straw and the construction was completed.
Among the advantages of this dispenser is that it is cheap and can easily be transported. However, one of its major disadvantages is that it cannot hold large amounts of water.
The career connection of this project is that this idea can be used to manufacture a bigger water dispenser that can be used in the industries if there is the availability of adequate funds.
This is based on the knowledge of pressure in a liquid.
"autonomous drone"
Grade 10-12
By: Darell Fergus
Abstract:
An autonomous aircraft is an aircraft that flies under the control of automatic systems and needs no intervention from a human pilot. Most autonomous aircrafts are unmanned aerial vehicles or drones. What technology is used for autonomous drones?
This project is aimed at demonstrating the functional principles of autonomous drones among others. Components were purchased and then used to build this drone to specification.
With lidar sensors, drones can autonomously detect the environments nearby, and unexpected obstacles can be avoided; even landing sites can be detected with more precision. Lidar improves terrain mapping to a new level. With lidar sensors, mapping becomes faster and more accurate (to a few centimeters). This project can be developed further if funded.
"non-stop fountain"
Grade 10-12
By: Sachin Silchand
Abstract:
This fountain is also known as a Heron fountain named after the Greek inventor Heron of Alexandria. This was made with water bottles and straws.
A hydraulic device called a Heron's Fountain produces a water spout by using the principles of fluid dynamics such as gravity and air pressure.
Three components make up this non-stop water fountain: a water basin, a water supply, and an air supply. The water basin is in bottle 3, the water supply is in bottle 2, and the air supply is in bottle 1. The water in bottle 2 at the centre of the fountain served as a water source when you flipped the fountain back over in Step 3 of Part 3. This made it possible for bottle 1 to supply the fountain with air. Then, gravity forced water to flow through straw number one and into bottle number one when water was added to the water basin at the top of bottle number three.
Some of the air supply was pumped into bottle 2 through straw 2 after the water in the bottle.
Career connection: This principle is used in almost every industry to accomplish a variety of functions, including compressing trash, driving roller coasters, and enabling brakes in automobiles and aircraft. This project could be developed to an advanced level if funded.
"water dispenser"
Grade 10-12
By: Jim Perez
Abstract:
Dispensers are commonly classified as household appliances and can often be found in kitchens and office pantries to allow for access to drinking water through a machine.
This project seeks to demonstrate how a dispenser functions. When the cap is removed gradually, the air enters creating pressure at the openings. This pressure forces water out of the plastic bottle through the straw. The amount of water that comes out of the water bottle can be adjusted by the cap of the bottle.
This pressure in the water depends on the depth and density of the liquid. Thus; the pressure of the water in the dispenser is given by the equation:
Pressure= Depth X Acceleration due to gravity X density.
This water dispenser was made using a plastic bottle, a straw, cardboard, glue and scissors. The cover was glued along a cardboard base and a small hole was made in a plastic bottle for the straw to be placed and the construction was perfected.
Among the advantages of this water dispenser are:
-It is cost-effective because it is very cheap to make.
-It is portable because it is very small and easy to move.
However, a major disadvantage of it is that it cannot hold large amounts of water compared to factory-made water dispensers.
The career connection is that this principle can be used to construct a bigger water dispenser that can be used in industries and schools. This project can be developed further if funded.
"bluetooth speaker"
Grade 10-12
By: Makelis Fergus
Abstract:
The aim for this project is to build a Bluetooth speaker to demonstrate how sound is emitted and controlled.
To materialize the aim, “How is sound emitted and controlled”, I built a Bluetooth speaker. To produce its sound, the centre of the speaker cone is attached to one end of a coil which moves back and forth, and as a result, the cone does the same. This cone is held at its edges by an airtight suspension. As the cone moves, it pushes and pulls the surrounding air and by doing so it creates pressure waves in the air, also called sound waves. The strength of the sound is dependent on the amount of current the speaker is receiving. The transistor controls this current. The size of the input signal is determined by the source. This means the larger the signal, the more current is allowed to flow by the transistor. Which in turn creates a greater amplification and vice versa.
"erupting volcano"
Grade 10-12
By: Alexis Ganigan, Nikyra St. Claire, Diandra Philipps
Abstract:
Our science fair project involves volcanoes. We are making a 3D model of an erupting volcano. The aim of our project is to show that everyone can make a volcano at home and to show how a real-life volcano would erupt.
To create the model, we used a box as a base. A hole was then cut for a plastic bottle to hold the formula and the bottle was taped to the base. The volcano foundation was made using cardboard strips and a plastic bag. Newspaper strips were pasted onto the plastic and then painted. The model was then decorated accordingly, with the main focus of the model being how volcanoes fertilise the soil.
"solar cooker"
Grade 10-12
By: Jaadon Quashie, Zoran George, Jaden Abrams
Abstract:
For this project, our team will use an alternative energy source in the form of solar energy to heat a small amount of water.
In today’s world where the use of fossil fuels continues to add to the devastating impact of climate change, we are forced to take a closer look at consuming energy differently. Therefore, this is the reason for us choosing to take on this project.
In regions like the Caribbean where we have access to solar power all year round, we can make good use of this method to reduce the burning of propane or the use of electrical stoves that ultimately depend on power grids that currently use harmful fossil fuels as the main energy source.
"pest trap"
Grade 7-9
By: Falco Charles
Abstract:
The region that we live in, the Caribbean region, is warm with adequate rainfall and lush forests - perfect for insects to thrive. Although insects are important for our overall environmental health, when their populations become too large, they tend to become a nuisance. They get into our homes and our food. For this reason, I have come up with an economic and eco-friendly solution.
I have created a simple insect pest trap that can be made from recycled materials to reduce pests around the home and keep you within your budget.
Enjoy your pest-free environment!