On September 7th, the I Am a Scientist program visited Aliiolani Elementary School for their Family Science Night. Students were transformed into scientists as they put on their very own lab coat. With help from Chaminade University’s Science undergraduate students, instructors, research staff & alumni, students and parents got to use real research equipment (microscopes, balances, vortex mixers, test tubes, pipets, graduated cylinders, hydrometers, and beakers) to have fun learning about sugar and nutrition.

By reading the nutrition facts label and weighing out the amount of sugar, students and parents discovered how much sugar they consume when drinking sweetened drinks.

They discovered its not easy to see dissolved sugar. Using a hydrometer they were able to tell plain water apart from sweetened liquid.

Students made a super saturated solution of sugar to understand how sugar dissolves in water. No mater how long they mixed the solution, it would not dissolve.

Students used microscopes to look at different forms of sugar.

To learn about density, they made a sugar gradient by layering different sugar solutions on top of the other. The liquid with less sugar is less dense than the others and will float on top.

We have photos from the event. Click her and enter your event’s password at the prompt.