The Steinmühle sent six projects to the regional “Jugend Forscht” competition over the weekend—and returned with six first-place finishes! All of the Steinmühle’s participating projects won the regional title in their respective fields! As a result, the Marburg high school will travel to Kassel from March 20 to 21 with a total of 11 students and five projects to compete in the state competition of “Jugend Forscht Junior.” One group will compete in the state competition for older students in Darmstadt.
Ideas… they don’t really exist. Marietheres Schwabe, Aurelia Wild, and Fatma Sepetcigil from 5th grade had one. In their research, they focused on making baby diapers more eco-friendly—using plant power instead of superabsorbents.
Under the guidance of teachers Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf and Dr. Patrick Szabo, the group’s project in the “Working World” course sought an ecological alternative to the non-biodegradable superabsorbent used in baby diapers. In extensive tests of absorption capacity, absorption speed, and pressure stability, the students found that a mixture of apple pectin and konjac powder works very well. This combination of materials even passed the practical test in a “modified diaper” with Aurelia’s little brother.
A Closer Look at Elephant Toothpaste
Marlene Jerrentrup and Ida Watzlawek from 6th grade, under the guidance of Dr. Patrick Szabo and Antje Seel, conducted a “Living Foam” experiment in their chemistry class: Elephant Toothpaste
The group investigated how temperature, the amount of yeast, the amount of dish soap, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide affect the amount of foam produced. Among other things, the young researchers found that you should use a lot of yeast, but not too much dish soap.
Unraveling the Formula for Flight
Isabella Kuhl and Lotte Wagner, seventh-graders, tested the formula for flight under the supervision of Malte Klimczak and Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf in the physics department.
The two researchers re-examined a recently discovered formula that can be used to calculate the wingbeat frequency of insects and birds based on the animals’ masses and wing areas. To do this, they measured and analyzed free-flying insects and butterflies they had raised themselves using video analysis. They also investigated how changes in the mass of an ornithopter (a wind-up model bird) affect its flight behavior.
A special project by young car enthusiasts
Akaash Bhagwat (8th grade) and Emil Zuckermann (6th grade) focused their project on the potential interaction between smart fluids and smart cars. Under the guidance of Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf and Dr. Sven-A. Freibert in their physics class, they investigated the fascinating properties of magnetorheological fluids and subsequently conducted experiments they designed themselves, which demonstrated how viscosity and damping behavior can be specifically controlled by magnetic fields. Finally, the students filled the shock absorbers of a model car with the magnetorheological fluid and demonstrated adaptive damping using a ramp test.
Paper made from horse manure has been further developed
Lara Khatib and Giorgia Kuhn from 8th grade worked on further developing their project, which involves producing eco-friendly paper from horse manure. Under the guidance of Dr. Sven Freibert and Dr. Eva Neumann, the two students were able to significantly improve the production of their eco-friendly paper from horse manure in this follow-up project as part of the “Working World” course. Among other things, adding starch reduced the paper’s brittleness. The result is a second-generation (Gen2) paper that is sturdy, thin, uniform, and easy to write on.
The AIceBear is a seasoned competitor
The AIceBear has already traveled with siblings Sophie and Felix Sacher to many competitions, including one in Singapore (as we reported). Now, the project—an AI-driven assistance system for chronically ill children—has been presented at Jugend Forscht in the “Working World” category and has qualified directly for the state competition. To present it to the jury, they’ll be heading to Darmstadt at the end of March, while the younger students will have to explain their experiments to the experts in Kassel.
The students are feeling confident about the next round.
