W-L Annual Science Fair

On Saturday, January 24th Washington-Liberty High School hosted its annual science fair.

The fair featured 73 student independent research projects shared with 60 volunteer judges from the community. The top 35 scoring projects will advance to the Northern Virginia Regional Science Fair on February 28th (indicated below with *). Congratulations to all participants; the results are as follows: Animal Sciences

• 2nd place*, Julia Lee, Seasonality and Salinity Shape Parasite Prevalence in an Estuarine Crab Host

Behavioral and Social Sciences

• 2nd place*, Yuki Kaplan, The Effect of State Spending for Anti-Tobacco Campaigns on the Percentage of High School Students Vaping

Biochemistry

• 1st place*, Orgil Soronzonbold, Engineering a More Thermostable Hemagglutinin H Measles Protein: A Computational Protein Engineering Approach.
• 2nd place, Margaret Erwin, The effect of the concentration of fiber in a starch solution on the rate of starch digestion
• 3rd place, Maliya Desai, The Effect of Different Sunscreen Types on How Well They Block UV Rays
• 3rd place, Elizabeth Erwin, The Effect of Different Water Purification Techniques on Water Quality From a Stream.
• 3rd place, Rossybell Cordova & Annabela Nunez, The Effect of Sucrose Concentration on the Amount of Glucose Produced by Enzymes

Chemistry

• 1st place*, Isabella Silverbrand, Activated Charcoal’s Ability to Filter Water Better than Filters without Activated Charcoal
• 1st place*, Quinn Roske, The Effect of Preservatives on Orange Juice PH Over Time
• 1st place*, Margaret Saperstein, The Effect of Different Rapidly-Composed, Biodegradable Hydrogel Formulations on Adhesion, Fire Retardation, and Viscosity.
• 1st place*, Abigail Viser, Type of Beverage and the Effect on Teeth-Like Material
• 2nd place, Mabel Brosnan, What is the environmental impact of different types of concrete versus their ability to withstand a stress test. 
• 2nd place, Allison Majano, The Effect of pH on the Amount of Tooth Erosion that Occurs.
• 2nd place*, Annabelle Cordero, The Effect of Variations of Lemon Juice on the Preservation of Apples
• 2nd place, Rehana Bonsamo, The Effect of Simethicone Tablets on the Formation of Bubbles in Soapy Water
• 2nd place, Lucia Bonnardeaux, The Effect of Fruit Type on the Amount of Vitamin C it Contains
• 2nd place, Nirvaan Kamboh & Jett Bastow, The effect of different concentrations of yeast on hydrogen peroxide rate of decomposition
• 2nd place*, Sophie Meyer & Taylor McDonnell, The effect of the temperature a battery is kept in on its final voltage(V).
• 2nd place*, Liam Eberly, The Effect of Different Water Treatment Methods on the Amount of Dissolved Organic and Inorganic Substances in Stream Water.
• 2nd place, Eden Fleming & Carly Hatchl, The Effect of Different Antacids on the pH of White Vinegar as a Simulation for Stomach Acid.
• 2nd place*, Malia Luckett, Comparing the Effects of Cleaning Agent Combinations on Tomato Sauce-Stained Fabric
• 2nd place*, Diya Garg & Charlotte Amos, The Effect of Different Amounts of Lighting on the Fruit Ripening Process by Measuring Glucose Concentrations in Bananas
• 2nd place, Kalina Karapetkova, The effect of the pH of water used to activate yeast on the amount a bread roll rises.
• 3rd place, Mikey Maloney, The Effect of Sugar Levels in Energy Drinks on the Rate of Tooth Enamel Erosion Using Eggshells
• 3rd place, Adam Bonsamo, The Effect of Magnetic Field Strength on the Electrochemical Reactions in a copper-zinc cell
• 3rd place, Summer Dagistan & Clara Strasser, Amount of Electrolytes in Everyday and Commercial Drinks.
• 3rd place, Marta Ciccone & Alyssa Halton, The effect of different types of Crest mouthwash on tooth enamel and decay
• Honorable Mention, Jackson Jones & Caleb Janis, How does the method of adding oxygen to a zinc-air battery affect the voltage and the current?

Earth and Environmental Sciences

• 1st place*, Faraday Pfautz, The Effect of Methods of Degradation on PET and Sugarcane Bagasse
• 1st place*, Hanan Alamri & Diana Galindo, The Effect of Different Carrier Fluids on Microplastic Removal
• 1st place*, Maya MacCleery & Mishel Hoxha, The Effects of Acidification on Seashells
• 2nd place, Lucy Davis, The Effect of Green Spaces on Air Quality
• 2nd place*, Alina Rehman, The Effect of Organic Fibrous Sorbents on the Efficiency of Oil Removal from Water
• 2nd place, Beatrice Findlay, Sandbag Material and Water Absorption
• 2nd place, Heyab Asegidew, Effect of Different Filtration Systems on the pH Cleanliness of Creek Water
• 2nd place*, Sugar-Ochir Surleg, The Effect of Cornstarch-Based Biodegradable Plastic Compared to Petroleum-Based Plastic on the Rate of Decomposition in Soil over 8 Weeks
• 2nd place, Sophie Moret & Mira Babichenko, The Effect of Different Types of Oils on the Amount of Biodiesel Produced
• 2nd place*, Sophie Cha Fong, The Effect of Different Water Sources on the Presence of Coliform Bacteria
• 3rd place, Caroline Kaplan, The Relationship Between Different Bases of Bioplastics on the Effectiveness of Their Insulation.
• 3rd place, Eddie Smith, The Effect of Water Temperature on the Amount of Oxygen Produced by Aquatic Plants

Engineering

• 1st place*, Lucy McNally, The Effect of Natural Wave Defense Structures vs. Natural Wave Defense Structures on Milliliters of Wave Overtopping
• 1st place*, Gavin Malatesta, The Effect of Water’s Starting Height on the Electrical Voltage Output of a Hydroelectric Generator.
• 3rd place, Nicolette Nelson & Elisabeth Batterton, What is the Effect of the Type of Insulator on the Temperature of the Box.
• 3rd place, Corsen Atewologun & Greyson Bowlin, The affect of a wind, heat, and solar powered generators on the time it takes to charge a phone.
• Honorable Mention, Arjun Rao, The Effect of Different Wheel Treatments on a Pinewood Derby Car

Mathematics & Computer Science

• 2nd place, Jasmin Hazari, The Effect of Varying Real-Time Data on the Accuracy of Wildfire Prediction and Risk Assessment 

Medical & Health Science

• 1st place*, Lysette Awotwi, The effect of material and composition on the absorbency of tampons.
• 1st place*, Zeynep Seyran, The effect of gRNA sequences synthesized to the c.311_312delinsAGGTTTGCA position of the BRCA1 gene on the predicted success rates of mutation correction with a CRISPR simulation
• 1st place*, Madison Caramanica, What is the Effect of Different Treatment Temperatures on the Swelling of a Simulated Injury?
• 2nd place*, Anya Patel, Wavelength and Dose-Dependent Effects of Photobiomodulation on Planarian Survival
• 3rd place, Sami Hammoudi & Nadarim Manira, The effect of different types of coffee roasts on the degree of staining eggshells as a substitute for tooth enamel.
• 3rd place, Harper Fern, Makayla Denton, The Effect of Different Types of Light On The Survival Rate of Yeast Cells

Microbiology

• 1st place*, Nina Baba, The Effect of pH on the Growth of Escherichia coli
• 1st place*, Elianna McCabe & Norah Dong, The Effect of Different Concentrations of Manuka Honey on E. coli (K-12)
• 2nd place*, Flora Capiaux & Veronica D’Ambrosio, What is the Effect of Antimicrobial Agents in Anti-Acne Solutions on Staphylococcus Epidermis?
• 2nd place, Lia Shipley, The effect of different water purification methods on the E. coli and turbidity levels of Potomac River water.
• 3rd place, Siya Patel, Effect of Traditional Teas on Escherichia coli
• 3rd place, Beatrix Grignon, Effect of Environmentally Friendly Household Cleaners on Inhibiting the Growth of Escherichia
• Honorable Mention, Avery Coco, The effect of sugar on yeast fermentation

Physics and Astronomy

• 1st place*, Radhika Bhatnagar, The Effect of Salt Concentration on the Refraction of a Laser Beam
• 1st place*, Catherine Johnson, The Effect of Environmental Variables on Wireless WiFi Frequencies
• 2nd place*, Evie Maloney, How Does The Material of a Drinking Cup Affect The Rate of Heat Loss in Warm Water Over Time?
• 2nd place*, Anabelle Ayers Caballero, Effect of different insulation materials on decibel level of sound
• 2nd place, Ryan Shaw, The Effect of Adiabatic Cooling on the Rain Shadow Effect
• 3rd place, Gavin Ramboz, The Effect of Household Materials on the Absorption of Background Noise
• 3rd place, Ezra Lee & Augustine Lee, The Effect of the Core Rod Material on the Strength of an Electromagnet
• 3rd place, Elena Diaz & Avery Wilkinson, The Effect of Different Surfaces on The Distance An Object Travels Off of A Ramp

Plant Sciences

• 1st place*, Aoife Plafcan, The effect of different microplastic polymer types on radish plant growth
• 1st place*, Harry Larsen, The Effect of Gibberellic Acid (GA) Concentration on the Growth of Bean Plants
• 1st place*, Zoe Admassu, Effect of Chemical and Natural Fertilizer on Plant Growth
• 2nd place*, Reed Hass, The effect of different levels of water intake on grass growth and health
• 2nd place, Rose Burns, The Effects of Different CO2 Levels on Oceanic plants
• Honorable Mention, Gegeen Amgalan, How Different Colored Lights Affect Glucose Level of Cherry Tomatoes.

*Advancing to the Northern Virginia Regional Science Fair