The annual Payson High School Chemistry Day

Rim Country Middle School students watched in awe as Devin Boone and Curtis Potvin lit a dollar bill on fire.

It didn’t burn.

Why?

“It’s the rubbing alcohol and water,” said Boone.

The two had doused a dollar bill in a mixture of water and rubbing alcohol. They explained how the water in the mixture keeps the temperature of the fire below the ignition temperature of paper (about 233 degrees Celsius or 451 degrees Fahrenheit), which allows the dollar bill to remain unscathed after lighting it on fire.

The chemistry students had set up their exhibit outside the Wilson Dome. Inside, the space normally reserved for sports teemed with students showing off chemistry experiments to students from Rim Country Middle School.

Teacher Meena Rustagi had helped the students find experiments online to show off to middle school students.

“They come between classes,” said Rustagi between booms from the popping balloons at the Blow up Mattress, Foundation of Balloons. (Kids stood on a huge piece of plywood floating on top of a layer of balloons.)

Mostly, the day provided hands-on experience for future high school students to see chemistry doesn’t have to be scary.

It can actually be fun.

Students & their projects:

1. Kayla Pacheco and Xing Brouwer – Flower Power

2. Quaid Tanner and Brian Wintrich – Noodle Engine

3. Lindsey Wala and Dakotta Stockton – Secret Message That Glows in the Dark

4. Katrina Kendall and Ibeth Perez – Turning Juice into a Solid

5. Devin Boone and Curtis Potvin – Non-burning Dollar Bill

6. Meredith Kiekentveld – Uncruling Power

7. Hailey Roberson and Tara Ramirez – Rainbow of Possibilities

Read full article at: http://www.paysonroundup.com/education/the-annual-payson-high-school-chemistry-day/article_1b7f667a-b69b-51f2-949e-50a225343077.html

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