Rat proven to love rock music - or hate it

Brianna Bazhaw, 10, theorized a rat would prefer rock 'n' roll music. To prove it, she borrowed a friend's rat, Tiny, and created a maze.

True to Brianna's hypothesis, Tiny completed the maze fastest when listening to rock 'n' roll as opposed to other types of music.

What that means, however, she's not sure.

"Either he likes it, so it makes him want to go faster," Brianna said, "or he goes faster because he wants it to stop. I think he likes it. Who knows."

The Fritsch Elementary School fourth-grader joined other students in setting up her experiment in the school's gym Thursday for viewing and judging.

Students used the scientific method to first ask a question then make a hypothesis as to what the answer could be.

Some set out to prove for themselves theories that already have been established.

For instance, Emma Breedin, 9, wanted to determine why certain objects float.

"I suspected that the item you're trying to float has to be less dense than the water," she said.

After dropping a rock and a block of wood into a bowl of water " weighing the objects and bowl of water before and after submerging the objects " she came to the conclusion that her hypothesis was correct.

But some students proved their original theories wrong.

One student thought Wrigley's 5 gum would outlast Stride, Extra and Trident. However, after chewing all four brands while holding a stopwatch, the student determined Stride lasted 90 minutes to Wrigley's 38 minutes and Trident's 33 and Extra's 24.

Science fairs began last week at Mark Twain Elementary School and continue this week at Fremont, Fritsch and Seeliger schools. Empire, Bordewich-Bray and Carson Middle schools will hold their fairs next week.

First-place and grand-prize winners will be invited to display their projects at Science Recognition Night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 18 at Western Nevada College.

Retired physics professor Dr. Robert Collier will talk to kids about science and do entertaining physics demonstrations.

Those winners will go on to the regional competition at Lawlor Events Center on March 26-28.

- Contact reporter Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1272.

WHAT: Science Recognition Night

WHEN: 6-7:30 p.m. March 18

WHERE: Sarah Winnemucca Hall in Western Nevada College's Aspen Building