News
Pinewood
students attend Science Day at GE
Dec. 15, 2008
A group of Pinewood students attended the 20th Annual Science Day on Nov. 6, at the GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna.
Science Day targets fourth-grade students as a means of encouraging student interest in science and mathematics. Students are given the opportunity to interact with scientists and see the kinds of equipment they use through specially designed hands-on experiments and exhibits.
The program started with a Chemistry Magic Show hosted by a “Chemistry Magician” and “Doc the Scientist.”
A group of Pinewood students attended the 20th Annual Science Day on Nov. 6, at the GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna.
Opening
with a dramatic wall of fire traveling across the demonstration
table, students observed liquids which glowed, changed colors, and
even changed back and forth between colors when mixed.
One-by-one, Doc applied a flaming stick to a row of colorful balloons suspended above the demonstration table. The loud explosions from those filled with hydrogen startled students when the balloons exploded, while others filled with helium popped quietly, comparing the properties of two seemingly identical lighter-than-air gases.
The magician showed how he could make “spaghetti” in a matter of seconds by mixing some chemicals together. Doc explained these were really long strands of a polymer chain that looked like spaghetti.
Following the magic show, smaller groups of students visited demonstrations, where they worked one-on-one with scientists.
At
a popular activity, students’ hair stood up straight due to a static
electricity experiment.
Additionally, students learned about solar, wind, and hydrogen cell technologies as renewable alternatives to fossil fuels.
The day concluded with a question and answer session in which students had an opportunity to ask about what they saw.
