Rand Park High School recently hosted its 2017 Science Expo in the school hall.
The youngsters in grades 9, 10 and 11 exhibited 42 projects. The projects were selected following an assessment of all the science projects presented by the schoolchildren in their respective grades, during the second term. The young scientists were required to present their projects to the adjudicators and visitors and to explain the details of their experiments and findings.
The winners of this year’s Science Expo were:
Senior category:
Channing du Plessis (Grade 10) – An investigation into plant photomorphogenesis and the indoor environments best suited to the germination, growth and development of plants.
Junior category:
First place:
Tyler Glasson and Bryan Robinson (Grade 9) – Investigation into a low-cost liquid body armour solution using non-Newtonian slurries.
Second place:
Dylan de Klerk and Dylan Coertzen (Grade 9) – The effects of various media and music genres on mental and physical performance.
These youngsters, plus several others who presented noteworthy and innovative science projects, have been selected to represent Rand Park High at the Regional Science Expo to be held at Wits University on 29 July.
Noteworthy mentions:
Tanna Bailes, Tanner McMahon, Wesley Chetty, Khanyisile Ngobeni, Dylan Coertzen, Catherine Namponya, Dylan de Klerk, Bryan Robinson, Channing du Plessis, Jasun van Rooyen, Jordan Frankish, Rick Weimar, Tyler Glasson and Iman Khan.
Following the adjudication process, the parents and children enjoyed a presentation on the Bloodhound Supersonic Car Science project. The project is a unique engineering adventure that has focused on designing and building a supersonic car which has the capability to achieve a speed of approximately 1 600km/h and will cover a mile in 3.6 seconds. If this speed is achieved, it will break the world land-speed record.
The record attempt will take place next year at the Hakskeenpan in the Kalahari Desert. According to information published by the Bloodhound Project, the overall aim of the project is to inspire the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.
