STORY CREDITS
Writer: Saumya Mishra
Photo: Mayur Bhatiya
What happens when we place sodium metal in water? Or when liquid nitrogen is bottled up and placed with several ping pong balls in a bucket at room temperature?
Around 1000 curious students found out the answers to these questions and much more at the National Science Day celebrations at IIT Gandhinagar (IITGN) on February 28, 2024. The Institute organised an ‘Science Day’ and celebrated the occasion by showcasing a series of scientific demonstrations and exciting exhibits explaining several scientific concepts in a fun and engaging manner.
Approximately 1000 students from various schools and colleges in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar visited the IITGN campus and participated in the event.
The event was organised with an aim to foster curiosity and inspire school students to continue pursuing their interest in science and STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. The participating students delved into the wonders of science, engaged in a plethora of interactive activities and learnt about the latest advancements in science and technology.
These activities encompassed a Kinect virtual-reality (VR) game meant for rehabilitation exercises for stroke patients, a controlled explosion using liquid nitrogen, an exothermic reaction showing sodium metal in water which releases hydrogen, ice cream making using liquid nitrogen, a 3D model of the human brain, various colour-changing experiments, and a circuit-based wire loop game, exploring synthesis of nylon and more.
Highlighting the significance of such events in inspiring the students towards their scientific pursuits, Prof Sriram Kanvah, Associate Professor, Head Department of Chemistry, and event coordinator, said, “National Science Day awareness in schools fosters a dynamic learning environment where students can cultivate critical thinking, curiosity, and a deeper understanding of the natural world, empowering them to become informed citizens and innovative thinkers.”
Prof Sivapriya Kirubakaran, Dean of Student Affairs, who also coordinated the event, echoed Prof Sriram’s views and mentioned, “celebrating science day with hundreds of school kids is always a great feel and I am glad all kids enjoyed our student’s efforts to bring the experiments from lab to a small table.”
Talking about the exhibits, Shravya Soni, a class 8 student of Ahmedabad International School said, “We enjoyed a lot and saw many different experiments and the projects were so beautifully prepared by the students. It was also great to know about the various eco-friendly initiatives undertaken by the institute.”
Another class 8 student from Ahmedabad International School, Hamza Memon said, “The concepts were explained to us in such a nice manner that we could understand them. We had a great time.”
Sejal Choudhary, a Chemistry teacher from Rangoli International School said, “The scientific concepts were explained in such a manner that they were easy to understand for the students as well as the teachers. This shows that science can be understood by any age group. It was a fun and interactive event.”
The students also had the opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art sports complex at IITGN and the Institute Library.