On Wednesday, February 18, members of both the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society and Alpha Chi Sigma, the professional chemistry fraternity, visited Blairsville Elementary School for its second annual science fair.
The IUP ACS and AXΣ demonstration table complemented the projects of the Blairsville students, showing students and parents alike the properties of liquid nitrogen and oobleck (a curious mixture of corn starch and water).
Members of the local community were wowed by a demonstration of a banana hammer, in which a liquid nitrogen-frozen banana was used to pound a nail into a board. Children particularly enjoyed the non-Newtonian properties of the oobleck, which acts as a viscous liquid or a solid depending upon the force applied on it. This event was a great success in community outreach, and the groups look forward to participating next year!
