Science Week Results

2002 EP Science Championships (15-22 August)

Heatherton Christian College students participated in the Education Perfect Science Championships with the following results: 

• 1st in Victoria in the 101-250 students’ category out of 60 schools.
• 1st in Australia in the 101-250 students’ category out of 219 schools.

Congratulations and thank you to all the students who entered and contributed points to the school.

The top ten scorers from HCC were: Addison Shaw, Luke Douglas, Teresa Anthony, Svetlana Riordan, Kyle Baillie, Nathan Faure, Hannah Thompson, Elliot Johnson, Luke Faure, Oliver Reith. 

Disappearing Glass 

For a Science Week activity, the Year 8s discovered that they could make glass ‘disappear’ by submerging a glass stirring rod in a measuring cylinder of cooking oil. Because the glass rod and the oil had the same refractive index, the submerged part of the rod was indistinguishable from the oil:

Thank you to Mrs Sarah Bergen, our laboratory assistant, for taking the photos.

Results from the Maltesers Taste Test

During Science Week, the Psychology students conducted a taste test using Maltesers.

Out of the 84 trials, 61% of the participants reported that the Maltesers from the glass container tasted better, compared to 39% who thought otherwise. 

To counterbalance the order effects, approximately half the participants were given the Maltesers from the plastic container first, while the other half were given the Maltesers from the glass container first. 

Results from the repeated measures design and single-blind procedure supported the hypothesis that food tastes better from a glass container, compared to plastic.

Thank you to all the students who volunteered to participate in the activity.

Carolyn McLean

Head of Science