Drexel University Hosts 5th Annual Philly Materials Science And Engineering Day

By Hadas Kuznits

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — College students made science fun this weekend with hands-on experiments at Drexel University.

Kids learned from college students at the 5th annual Philly Materials Science and Engineering Day.

“Seeing our students, both undergraduate and graduate students be able to explain a concept, both at the level of say, a 7-year-old and at the level of an adult,” says Drexel associate professor Dr. Christopher Weyant. “What we’re doing here is providing over 30 hands-on demonstrations for kids and adults to come learn a bit about what materials science and engineering is.”

He says students set up a variety of experiments to teach kids about the properties of everyday materials.

“We have demos that are grouped into five different themes: sports, health, energy, communication and Earth,” Weyant says. “Everything around us is made from something and somebody had to decide what material to use.”

What did 7-year-old Nasree learn?

“When the water hits the butterfly wing, it glides off.”

Kuznits: “And what did you learn from that?”

“That the butterfly doesn’t get wet!”

13-year-old Rose learned about all kinds of materials, including oobleck.

“Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water,” she said, “and it’s like a non-Newtonian substance.”

Kuznits: “I see somebody’s been paying attention.”

“Yeah! So if you hit it hard it’s solid,” Rose added, “but then if you hit it soft it’s a liquid.”