Hundreds of school students were meddling with wires, batteries and a DC motor unit as they brainstormed and donned on their scientific hats while trying to create innovative car models on Sunday.
The event, organised by the Sunday Science School, was conducted for children aged between nine and 15 years. The theme of the contest was a pollution-free India and students gave their best to create an air-powered motorised car.
While some used trial and error methods , others developed their models on pre-planned methods with a scientific basis. At the end of the contest, students placed their cars to see how it would zoom on their tracks.
The event gave a glimpse of young budding scientists at work, as students shared their experiences and explained concepts such as atmospheric pressure. They further explained the procedural aspects of their models – the distance between wheels that can affect the distance travelled, speed of the car that went in for the making of the car. Some also used an additional balloon to support aerodynamics while some used toy cars as their base.
Sneha M., a class seven student, said that Newton’s third law of motion (every action has equal and opposite reaction) came alive through her model. She said her first attempt in making her car using a paper cup and paper plates went in vain. So, she finally made it using a plastic plate.
Sujata Virdhe of Sunday Science School said that competitions like these would help break away the learning of science using the rote method. “One particular topic or project gives an understanding of many scientific concepts which helps learning science in an interesting and innovative way,” she said. Sunday’s event was a preliminary round where 30 best participants were shortlisted for the final round on July 26.
The Sunday Science School conducts hands-on science classes for students throughout the year.
