MILROY - Students weren't the only ones who had the opportunity to learn something new at the science fair Friday at Milroy Schools. The visitors and judges also took part in the educational experience.
Seventh-grader Devin Larsen used Coca Cola to clean a toilet in his science project.
"I convinced a lot of people to use it, even the judges," Larsen said. "For $1, you can get a 2-liter bottle of Coke and get 12-15 cleanings out of it. You have to let it sit for two seconds and then take a scrub brush and clean for 20 to 30 seconds. Then flush. I give it a nine out of 10."
Article Photos
Photo by Jenny Kirk
Stewart Chisham, right, discusses his “Pizza Box Solar Oven” project with Helen and Lloyd Welu on Friday afternoon during the science fair at Milroy Area School. Milroy students in grades 5-8 took part in the event.
Milroy science teacher Adam Peterson organized the event, adding the fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade students this year.
"Everybody did great," Peterson said. "I'm very proud. I wanted to do this because it's good in life to learn how to sell yourself, be confident and take responsibility. They had to do all of this at home."
Some students were surprised by their results, including Maia Brooks, who experimented to see whether Mountain Dew, root beer, Dr. Pepper or Diet Coke had the most fizz.
"Diet Coke does," Brooks said. "I thought it was going to be root beer, though. The biggest challenge was putting on the balloons because they kept popping. But I had a lot of fun doing the experiment."
Some students correctly predicted the outcomes of their experiments, including Bobbi Jo Evers, who tested three items - milk, bread and water - to see which one cooled her mouth best after eating a jalapeno pepper.
"I guessed correctly," Evers said. "It was the milk."
Steward Chisham's "Pizza Box Solar Oven" got plenty of attention.
"I tried to find an efficient way to cook things without taking up energy," Chisham said. "Now kids have been asking me to make one of these for them."
Chisham tried nachos, followed by smores.
"The smores took three hours, tops," he said. "I found that the solar oven was more like a microwave than an oven. It can heat something up, but not cook it."
Brandon Glaser experimented with hot ice, which he said was basically dry ice, or nitrous sulfate.
"Hot ice can cure a sore throat faster and more efficient than cough syrup," Glaser said. "There's no aftertaste either, but you have to mix it with lard or it won't taste like water and it will burn the side of your mouth."
Glaser also found out how to tell if someone is allergic to the hot ice.
"You put it under your nose and if you start breaking out in pimples every five minutes, you're allergic," he said.
Morgan Jenniges experimented to see whether water or milk evaporated more.
"Milk does," Jenniges said.
Rachel Anderson's project was on "spoiled milk."
"The hardest part was getting it out of the glass without making it tip too much," she said. "It was fun and I learned a lot of stuff. I learned about the number of servings of milk you're supposed to have. For someone my age, it's four."
Lloyd and Helen Welu came to see all the science projects, but especially, their grandson Adam Welu's project.
"It's interesting," Helen Welu said.
"It would be hard to judge," Lloyd Welu said.
Milroy principal Jeff Hansen applauded Peterson and the students.
"I've heard so many positive comments from every one of the judges," Hansen said. "They said the kids were very good speakers. It's good they have this experience."