140 projects offer scientific insights

Year 8 student Serena Henry, 13, found out what kind of milk keeps the longest outside the fridge. Her findings: Soy milk is the first to go off, almond milk the last. Photo / Peter de Graaf

How long will milk take to go off if you leave it out of the fridge? Which flax is strongest? What kind of light bulb is most efficient? What's the ultimate tee height when you're playing golf? And how can you make your own biofuel?

Those and many other pressing questions will be answered when close to 300 budding scientists contest the 2015 Top Energy Far North Regional Science and Technology Fair later this month.

The annual event, at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri, will bring together 140 science projects by Year 7-13 students.

Convenor Jackie Robertson, head of science at Kerikeri High School, said each school had already held its own science fair with the best projects selected for the Far North event.

The projects would be judged on August 26 followed by an open day from 9.30am-1.30pm on Thursday, August 27, and prizegiving from 5pm on August 28.

The top young scientists can win places on Realise the Dream, a prestigious, week-long science road trip calling in at research institutes around the North Island. The very best can win trips to science fairs overseas.

Ms Robertson said this year's entries included a project examining the effects of earthquakes and a comparison of biofuels made from grain, bananas, lemons and potatoes.

Several students addressed sporting conundrums, such as how high to set your tee to get the greatest distance in a game of golf, while a project entirely in te reo Maori compared the strength of different types of flax.

Many projects had an environmental or farming theme, tackling subjects such as pollution, fertilisers and grasses. Winners will be chosen in junior (Year 7-8), intermediate (Year 9-10) and senior (Year 11-13) categories.