Using nails, soda and water a fifth grader at North Grove Elementary School won first overall at the school science fair.
Gracelyn Owens describes her project and where she got the idea.
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What is your project?
To find the oxidation rate of nails in liquids.
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How did you do that?
I got a bunch of different liquids and put nails in them to see which ones rusted the fastest. I used Coke, Pepsi, Fanta, Sprite, Sierra Mist, water, vinegar and Mountain Dew Kickstarter.
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How did you get the idea?
My grandma had the idea. It sounded interesting, and I wanted to see how it would turn out.
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How long was the experiment?
A week. I lined up cups on my dresser and observed them every morning when I got up.
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What did you find?
When I took the nail out of the Sierra Mist, it was black. Water rusted the nail the most and there were orange flakes in the cup.
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What surprised you about the results?
It was kind of interesting to me that water rusted it the most. I thought it would be an acid, not something we drink every day.
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How did you decide on the liquids?
I wanted to do a bunch of different ones that were from both Pepsi and Coke.
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What was the hardest part of the project?
Typing it all up and putting the board together.
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What do you think set your project apart?
I had packets and I typed up all the ingredients of every drink.
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Did you consider another project?
I thought about doing something on the solar system, but I wanted a lot of items to display.
Compiled by Magen Kritsch, [email protected]