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Japan Super Science Fair Profile: Angus and John
Shawnigan has a long-standing relationship with the Japan Super Science Fair, hosted by Ritsumeikan Junior and Senior High School in Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto. The School has participated in the highly regarded student science fair for the last 11 years, a streak that no other Canadian school can match. Six students and one staff member will be travelling to Japan this year for the fair that runs from October 31 to November 6, joining their peers from 55 schools in 20 countries.
Angus W. and John P.’s project, “Spectrophotometric analysis of the effects of a TiO2 photocatalyst on various organic compounds,” tested to see if a titanium oxide photocatalyst can eliminate organic pollutants from water.
A photocatalyst such as titanium oxide is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction when exposed to light, usually without being consumed or changed itself in the process. Angus and John admitted they didn’t know much about photocatalysts before they started this project.
“We picked it because we wanted to do something with an environmental tone to it, and it’s obviously a real-life problem,” Angus admitted.
Because of the way TiO2 reacts to ultraviolet light – in this case, sunlight – the students had to collect all their data in one day for the sake of consistency. The day before conducting their experiment, they prepared three samples of water with organic compounds – methyl orange dye, vitamin B12, and anthocyanin (the pigment that gives red cabbage its colour) – without the photocatalyst. On experiment day, they mixed each sample with the photocatalyst and exposed them to sunlight throughout the day, taking photos every two hours. Back at the lab afterwards, they filtered out the TiO2, then compared the results to their original pollutant solutions.
When all was said and done, they determined that, “Photocatalysts do work, but only effectively against certain substances. As such, they are best suited for industrial use where the environment can be controlled, rather than for cleaning polluted water in everyday situations.”
The process was stressful, Angus and John explained, but mostly because they “messed up a lot in the beginning.” They started the project last May, but weren’t able to conduct the actual experiment until school resumed in September.
“We really couldn’t have done it without Mr. Wilke and the rest of the science staff,” Angus said. “We are beyond thankful to them.”
Angus attended the Japan Super Science Fair last year, but didn’t present, and is eager to participate this year. John is looking forward to his first trip.
“I’m excited to see the projects from other countries,” he said. “Also, the food in Japan.”
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Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
