Empower Minds

The Problems

Physics (to finalise 2)
Pot-in-pot refrigerator

The ‘pot-in-pot refrigerator’ is a device that keeps food cool using the principle of evaporative cooling. It consists of a pot placed inside a bigger pot with the space between them filled with a wet porous material, e.g. sand. How might one achieve the best cooling effect?

Thick Lens 
A bottle filled with a liquid can work as a lens. Arguably, such a bottle is dangerous if left on a table on a sunny day. Can one use such a ‘lens’ to scorch a surface?

Coffee Cup

Physicists like drinking coffee, however walking between laboratories with a cup of coffee can be problematic. Investigate how the shape of the cup, speed of walking and other parameters affect the likelihood of coffee being spilt while walking.

Levitation 
A light ball (e.g. a Ping-Pong ball) can be supported on an upward airstream. The airstream can be tilted yet still support the ball. Investigate the effect and optimise the system to produce the maximum angle of tilt that results in a stable ball position.

Chemistry (to finalise 2)
Zinc layers
If a copper coin and small granules of zinc are immersed into a solution of zinc sulphate and then heated, a layer of zinc appears on the coin. What is the thickness of the zinc layer? What other metals can be covered with zinc in such an experiment? Investigate and explain the effect.

Chocolate and speed of light
A visual method to measure the speed of light is to place a chocolate bar in a microwave oven until chocolate starts to melt and measure the distance between hotspots. Study this effect and investigate the accuracy of the method.

Colourful lines
If a line is drawn on a rough surface with a piece of iron sulfide, the line has a different color than the mineral piece. Investigate this phenomenon. What other minerals show similar properties?

Biology (to finalise 2) 

Binaural hearing
Binaural hearing is the ability to hear in both ears and detect sound direction and sound distance. Make experiments to determine how precisely members of your team estimate the distance of the source and what direction a sound is coming from.

Parosmia
Misperception of existing odors is a common post-COVID side effect that may persist for months. Collect data to study and characterize this dysfunction.
 

Resistant plants
Some plants are tolerant of freezes but others can hardly survive low temperatures. Perform experiments to investigate what plants can survive freezing temperatures.
 

Flowers and ammonia
If exposed to ammonia, viola flowers wilt and discolor. How does ammonia affect colored flowers of other plant species? Investigate the chemical and biological processes occurring in this experiment.