ELKHART — Students strove to answer some of life’s tough questions in their experiments at the Elkhart Community Schools Science Fair Saturday.
Which stain remover most effectively eliminates ketchup stains?
Will plants grow better if given salt water or sugar water?
Which fast-food chain do most people prefer?
Students walked into the gymnasium at Elkhart Memorial High School Saturday afternoon to find prize ribbons hanging on their project boards.
Pinewood Elementary third-grader Alexia Comer earned a blue first place ribbon for her project involving a small catapult and Ping-Pong balls.
“I wanted to see which angle would make the ball go farthest,” she said.
When she saw her ribbon, she ran across the gymnasium to check her cousin’s project.
“He got a red (ribbon)!” she announced triumphantly. “I got better!”
After posing for pictures in front of her project, Alexia said she was excited about the first place honor.
Monger Elementary fifth-grader Taves Naasz said he had wondered why rivers flow in only one direction. To find out, he went to the St. Joseph River and then visited the U.S. Geologic Survey website to find elevation maps.
“Rivers flow downhill because the gravity pulls it down,” he said. “They can be twisty-turny but they always flow downhill.”
Taves’ project earned a second place ribbon.
Bristol Elementary third-grader Zachary Miller tested acidic fruit juices to see which one could clean pennies most effectively.
Of the three juices in his study, grapefruit juice brought the best shine to his pennies.
Even better, he said, he was able to eat some fruit while he worked.
It was science with a snack.