Experiment I: A group of Class X students try to set a piece of cloth on fire but it does not burn.
Reason: The cloth was dipped in ethyl alcohol and water. “Ethyl alcohol has a low ignition temperature and so, its vapour caught fire. However water acts as a cooling agent, so it did not allow the cloth to burn,” explained Class X student Astha Jhunjhunwala.
Experiment II: Class VII students place a burning matchstick inside a bottle. A boiled egg is placed on top of the bottle (without the lid). After a few seconds, the egg falls into the bottle.
Reason: “The matchstick heated the air inside the bottle, reducing the air pressure. The outside pressure is more and so it pushes the egg inside,” explained Class VII student Ronita Bose.
There were several such interesting experiments on display at a science exhibition organised by the students of Loreto House on campus on September 29 and 30. Four hundred students from classes VI to X displayed exhibits for various visiting schools.
“Science has to be understood through experiments, not through rote. Even students who don’t enjoy science enthusiastically participated in the exhibition. Such events generate an overall interest in the subject,” said Gouri Basu, the senior coordinator of the school.
The event saw two inaugurations. On Day I, Loreto House principal Sister Molly did the honours while on Day II, it was Provincial Sister Tressia. The visiting schools included Modern High School for Girls and other Loreto schools. The second day also saw parents trooping in.
Some of the other exhibits included the reasons for volcanic eruptions and the functioning of the human heart.
To add colour to the event, students dressed up as science greats like Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison and spoke about their inventions. If we learn through experiments we can retain better,” said Anisha Augustin of Class VII, as she and her friends got busy explaining facts about animal and plant cells.
There were games, too, for visitors.
