The West Potomac High School Science Fair took place again recently. 1st place winners have the opportunity of going to the regional event, the Regional Science Fair, on March 20th-22nd, at Robinson Secondary School, according to Garrett Hubbard, West Po’s science department chair. 

   Multiple teachers run this event and teach children ahead of time, before the event, how to present complete projects, according to Science teachers that run the science fair Students can choose their own topics, but require teacher’s approval. 

   “I think it’s a really nice learning opportunity and it helps children develop certain learner skills for this task and to learn how to be independent,” Mr. Kip Rogers, West Po science teacher, said.

   The science fair project revolves around a world problem that student scientists are trying to help and fix. For example, sophomores Ethan Brodie, Aaron Kopp and Michael Weinraub worked on a project, the ability of different plants removing carbon dioxide from the air, 1st place winner. They tested the ability of three different types of plants to remove carbon dioxide from the air.

   “Getting to create and experiment on things we wanted to find out and being able to test it out and get the results. It felt like being a scientist and that felt really cool,” Brodie said, “It matters to them.”

1st Place Awards in Chemistry

         Booran Dhaba, Jackson Mayo: Electrolyte Challenge

           Nicole Jones: Boom’n Algae: The Effect of Nutrient Rich Pollutants on Algae Growth

1st Place Awards in Physics and Astronomy

Evan Bednarek, Robert Lamb, Adam Bao: The Effect of External Airbags on Car Crash Force

1st Place Awards in Environmental Engineering

         Owen Barr, Mike Oelschlager: The Effect of Wind Turbine Blade Area on Power Output

Jack Taylor, Jake Cooper, Reilly Clautice: The Effect of Different Dispersants on the Concentration of Oil in Water

1st Place Awards in Earth and Environment Sciences

         Carson Marshall: The Effect of Water Source on the Chemical Components of Water

Andrei Zaitsev, Evelyn Mulhern: The Effect of Urban Areas on Nitrate Levels in Adjacent Waterways

Elizabeth Montoya-LaPorte, Callie Miller: The Effect of Cattails and the Forest on Water Quality

            Issac James: How usable are vertical wind turbines in taking a city off the grid?

            Brady Hoey, Alyssa Nolan, Ave Clyburn: The Effect of Water on Plant Growth

1st Place Award in Energy: Chemical

Mark Belle-Isle, Dylan Black, Charlie Ruppe: The Effect of electrical current on the pH

saltwater solutions

1st Place Award in Biochemistry

Sophia Cicero, Renee Temple, Macy Lindblom: The effect of varying pH levels on the denaturation rate of protein

1st Place Award in Engineering Mechanics

Grant Hamilton, Jr Dunn: The effect of Dielectric contamination on the capacitance of a basic capacitor

1st Place Award in Energy: Physical

Sam Watterson, Sam Bachmore, Carter Hamilton: The Effect of Magnets on Generator Output

1st Place Award in Biomedical and Health Sciences

Wes Hutcherson, Ethan Hanson, Chris Hewitt: The Effect of Liquid Solutions on Air Pressure

1st Place Award in Plant Sciences

Aaron Kopp, Ethan Brodie, Michael Weinraub: The Effect of Different Plants on the Amount of CO2 in the Air

2nd place winners:

Allan Cruz, Justin Lewis: The Effect of Phone Case Material on Bacteria Accumulation

Sean Finn: Amount of Vitamin C in Frozen vs. Fresh Peppers

Alisha Hassan, Adeline Sauer: The Effect of Three Different Filters on Contaminated Water

Aminata Johnson, Catherine Crombie, Matthew Morris: The Effect of Different pH levels on the Development of Curds in Milk.

Kenneth Krogh, William Wallingford: The Effect of WiFi signals on Plant Growth

Jordan Kubacki: How PH Directly Correlates to Pollution in Different Areas of the Potomac River to Show that Pollution is Directly Affecting the Water

Chloe Renaud: The Effect of Temperature on Decay Time

Ian Steury: Environmental Friendly Absorbents

Caleb Walsh, Henry Porter: What is the Effect of Temperature on the Germination Rate of Seeds

Olivia Bache, Bella Hoecker: How do Different Faucet Aerator Brands Save Water Compared to the Water Faucets at School?

Ashley Houck, Amanda Kendrick: The Effect of Plastic Bag Tax on the Amount of Plastic Waste in a Specific Area

Caleb Jay, Ryan Bowers: The Effect of Drainage Types on Amount of Oil Spilled

Jillian Ylagan, Tess Robinson: The Effect of the pH of Rain on the Temperature of the Planet

Caitlin Forti, Mary Calogero, Emily Fricka: The Effect of Different Types of Chemicals on the Temperature of Ice

Beckett Hale, Pablo Vega: How Does Aeration Affect Yeast Metabolism

Kendra Heiser, Isabella Newman, Juliette Fore: The Effect of Various Water pH on Plant Growth

Elijah Hope, Dominic Onyedeke, Zachary Johnson: The Effect of Different Chemicals on Mold Growth on Bread

Daniel Schlagel, Martin Ramos, Nicholas Shaul: The Effect of Different Types of Air Filters on the Quality of Air as it Pertains to Harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s), Particulate Matter and Carbon Dioxide.

Olivia Shoemaker, Rowan Beggs: The Effect of the Amount of Glass in Place on the Amount Broken by a Piston

Alissa Altwies: Lift Physics

ManTing Li, Chi Do: The Effect of Music on The Growth of Plant

Erin Collins: Sympathetic Vibration and Resonance in Musical Instruments

Aidan Barr, Nick Castrilli: The Effect of Location on Water Quality

Jocelyn Dulaney, Matthew Rusten, Molly Hamrin: The Effect of Location of a Swab Sample on the Amount of Bacterial Growth

John French, Mason Mounts: The Effect of Water Temperature on Freezing Time

Ronny Gattuso, Zaven Masih: The Effect of Different Kinds of Chemicals on the Freezing Point of Ice Cream.

Owen Harrison: The Effect of Type of Liquid on Amount of Withering of Tulip

Winston Hull, Colin MacRae: Comparing Effectiveness of Methods of Preservation on Bananas

Niya Kedir, Grace McGee, Mollie Shiflett: The Effect of Different Solutes on the Freezing Point of Water

Nora Kirby, Leah Byron: The Effect of the pH of Liquid on Growth of Mold on a Apple

Katie Lee, Gabrielle Theunissen: The Effects of Water Brand Price on Copper Levels

Carlye Olson, Camille Powilatis: The Effect of Household Solids on How Fast Ice Melts

Colin Rastovski, Sam Cucinotta: Determining the Specific Quantities of  Electrolytes in Sports Drinks

Sophia Rees-Hoofnagle, Erin Althouse: The Effect of Levels of Salt on Evaporation Level

Samantha Uhrin, Jessica Tierney, Caroline Richard: The Effect of Different Liquids on the Deterioration of an Egg Shell

Warda Ali, Andy Li: The Effect of Different Purification Methods on Cleaning Contaminated Water

Umar Aziz: The Effect of Ice with Dissolved Solutes on the Freezing Point of Chocolate Ice Cream

Parker Hartzell, Marguerite Fidd: The effect of different filters on the effectiveness of filtering the water

Ryan Kwak: The Effect of Algae Concentration on the pH of Water

Zachary Lydon, Nate Joy, Austin Ortel: The Effect of Seismic Waves on Varying Structural Materials

Jacob Norton: Physics in Regards to Caudal Fin Shape

Parag Barua, Connor McMaster, Chaplain Adusei: The Effect of Levels of pH on the Corrosion of Iron

Bogdan Bunea, Robby Shriver: The Effect of Different Nutrients on the Growth of Algae

Rowan Gilmartin, Krister Ferman, Natnael Tesfaye: The effect of recycled water on plant growth.

Elizabeth Hardin, Cameron Holmes, Merryn Grindstaff: The Effect of the Color of an Object on the Amount of Radiant Energy Absorbed

Mark Hardy, Ahmed Abdelrahman Babiker, Jackson Jones: How long do objects retain cold?

Logan Marshall, Zane Beckett: The Effect of Cut Grass Clipping Amounts on the Growth of Wheat Grass Seeds.

Emily Reeder: Drag Racing in the Pool

Pierceson Smith: What is the Difference Between Cleats and Hiking Boot 40 Yard Dash Times?

Weston Ward, Silas Wright, Ian Braselman: The Effect of Different Materials on the Insulation of Sound

Lizzie Otto, Callie Stinson: The Effect of iron dissolving on different PH levels.

Maxwell Anderer, Joshua Cook: The Effect of Colored Light on the RPM of Solar Powered Desk Fans

Amanda Hail, Lam To, Janna Helvey: The Effect of Different Catalysts on the Efficiency of Electrolysis

Joseph DeLorenz : The Effect of Longwave vs Shortwave UV Light on Fluorescent Minerals

Sophia Plaushin, Charlotte Meecham: Do Plants Need Rest?