CREMONA — Grade 7 Cremona School student Claire Friesen won a gold medal and her project was named Best of Fair among students in grades 7 to 12 during the Central Alberta Science Fair, held April 1 in Red Deer.
As a result, Friesen qualified for the Canada-wide Science Fair, which takes place May 14-19 in Edmonton.
Friesen’s exhibit was titled The Way it flows – Laminar vs Turbulent.
During an interview with the Albertan, Friesen was asked how it feels to have her project named Best in Fair in her category and to thus qualify for the Canada-wide Science Fair.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I’m quite shocked that I managed to pull it off, but I’m certainly looking forward to wherever else I manage to go.”
She was asked if she’s worried that the competition will be tougher at the nationwide level.
“I am, yes,” she said. “Obviously everyone else has gone just as far as me, so they’re going to be quite skilled. I’m looking forward to meeting some new people.”
Friesen's project examined how air moves over different air foils.
"I tested that using a homemade wind tunnel that I built with my dad,” she said.
“I tested three different air flows of different shapes and I was just trying to figure out which one created the least amount of turbulent flow.”
Friesen got the idea for the project after she and her father came across a similar project on YouTube.
She said laminar versus turbulent flow is a “fascinating” topic.
Her research indicated that a double-wedged airfoil worked best.
“It’s like two triangles stuck together with the points sticking out.”
Friesen was asked if she wants to make science her career in the future.
“I may pursue post-secondary education in a science. But I don’t know; I might end up just becoming a pilot, like my dad,” she said.
Following are results for other area students who attended the Central Alberta Rotary Science Fair:
GRADES 7-12
Silver Medals
Khloe Blain, Grade 7, Cremona School, Electricity from Composting.
Melody Fuller, Grade 10, Olds High School, SAD Diets.
Bronze Medals
Hayleigh Kellough and Kyla Kellough, Grade 8, Westglen School, Shining the Light on MS.
GRADES 5 AND 6
Best of Fair and Gold Medal – Kyla Ball, Grade 5, Hugh Sutherland School, Which surface in my house holds the most bacteria?
Silver Medals
Brooklyn Butts and Emily Luzi, Grade 6, Sundre School, Fire Ice.
Bronze Medals
Cade Roy and Nick de Groot, Grade 5, Hugh Sutherland School, The Power of Electromagnets.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Kerry Wood Nature Centre (River Rafting)
Hayleigh Kellough and Kyla Kellough, Grade 8, Westglen School, Shining Light on MS.
Psychologists’ Association of Alberta
Melody Fuller, Grade 10, Olds High School, SAD Diets.
