Caltech Hosts SoCal State Science Olympiad Tournament

Emilia Ellegaard and Amy Wang, from Mesa Verde Middle School, prepare to launch their rubber-band-powered airplane; their goal was to have the airplane stay aloft as long as possible.

Credit: Bob Paz for Caltech

Students from Pacific Trails Middle School check their vehicle in the Battery Buggy event—which challenged teams to build a vehicle that uses electrical energy as its sole means of propulsion in order to quickly travel a specified distance and stop as close as possible to the finish point. At left, Timothy Liu, a Caltech undergrad volunteer, examines their entry.

Credit: Bob Paz for Caltech

Under the supervision of event supervisor Henry Zamora (right), Carin Dang and Michelle Lim, from Oak Ave Intermediate School, prepare to test their balsa wood tower. Their challenge was to build the lightest tower that can still hold up to 15 kg of sand.

Credit: Bob Paz for Caltech