These teens turned canteen oil into cleaning soap – and received a silver

From squander to clean, pupils from Pasir Ris Secondary applied science to change cooking oil into hand soap! Read on to study what they took away from the knowledge, moreover cleaner hands.

By Lee Qing Ping

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A stroll all over faculty can do wonders. For three pupils from Pasir Ris Secondary Faculty, it was the start off of an award-winning science task.

 

Then in Secondary 3, learners Lim Sing Yee, Marcus Lim and Osbert Tham were being owing to choose section in a science level of competition for learners from throughout ASEAN, China, Japan, and Korea, known as the ASEAN In addition Three Junior Science Odyssey (APT JSO). Stumped for job thoughts, they went for a walk to get the scientific juices flowing.

“We had been imagining of a bunch of sophisticated tips,” reported Sing Yee, “But our teacher explained to us that in some cases the simplest tips make the greatest impact.”

And it was in simple fact a simple, mundane act that caught their notice – canteen stall aunties throwing employed cooking oil into drains and sinks. “That was when we thought: Could we repurpose the oil, so it wouldn’t be thrown into sinks, and clog pipes?” recounts Sing Yee.

Immediately after some study, they learnt about saponification, the course of action of converting oil into soap. “With the proper methods and chemistry, this straightforward system could switch what was at the time squander, into something handy,” Marcus reported. The cleaning soap could then be applied to wipe down surfaces in university, or offer the hand soap utilised in toilets, or the washing bay in the canteen.

Osbert and Sing Yee mixing the oil with potassium hydroxide.

 

Science can be yucky enterprise. Here are two beakers of oil on their way to turning out to be cleaning soap.

The group recording their observations.

Testing out the liquid soap.

Evidence that their cleaning soap performs!

They had been awarded Silver at the APT JSO.

Sing Yee, Marcus and Osbert are component of the Science Experiential, Enrichment and Growth (SEED) Programme in Pasir Ris Secondary, developed in tiers for students who exhibit expertise in STEM study innovation and business.

Ms Chua Wei Tian and the college students get a staff photograph in their college!

“Success requires lots of kinds,” reported Osbert. “I sense that good results from this event is additional than just acquiring our medals. We are delighted to have gleaned insights on other sustainability practices, create new suggestions with college students from other countries, and study from authorities in the field.” The team’s future actions? To function on advocacy and roll-out the use of their liquid hand soap in faculty.

 

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Footnote: APT JSO provides collectively students in the location experienced in science and technology. With a focus on environmental sustainability, college students carry out analysis projects on sustainability methods, participate in science issues and workshops, and interact with sustainability scientists. Appear out for budding scientists at the once-a-year levels of competition!