University of Toronto – St. George Campus

An In-Person Event
University of Toronto – St. George Campus

Save the date: Science Rendezvous returns May 13th, 2023!

Science Rendezvous at the University of Toronto (St. George Campus) will feature numerous exhibits that integrate science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and human ingenuity. This event offers visitors of all ages and backgrounds the chance to interact with world-class researchers, witness awe-inspiring demonstrations, partake in hands-on experiments and, above all, have fun while discovering science in a whole new way!

 


2023 Event Highlights

Science Rendezvous at the University of Toronto (St. George Campus) will feature numerous exhibits that integrate science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and human ingenuity on May 13, 2023, from 11 am to 5 pm.

This event gives attendees of all ages and educational levels the chance to speak with top academics, see breath-taking displays, participate in practical experiments, and, most importantly, have fun while learning science in a brand-new way!

The recently opened Sci-Art Gallery will be back in 2023, along with other annual events like Science Chase, Science Fair, SR-Hacks, and the showcasing of research and interesting demonstrations from over 60 departments at the University of Toronto and other local Toronto organisations. These events will be inspired by everything from the vibrant shapes and colours of various living organisms to the graceful designs of aerodynamic vehicles to the stars and planets that paint our night sky.

Sci-Art Gallery – The Sci-Art gallery is an engaging and interactive exhibition. Not only will you be able to see the work of promising artists across Ontario but you will also engage with the authors themselves. Many artists also bring some of their goodies, so keep an eye on those! As a visitor, your opinion matters, and you will help us by voting for your favourite artist in our Sci-Art competition.

Science Fair – In this fair, students are given the opportunity to showcase their work alongside that of Canada’s leading researchers! Students with outstanding science posters will win funding for their classrooms! Funding that can help to enhance both the current and future scientific education of themselves and their peers. Students will get to think outside the box and creatively share their ideas through posters on what excites them as they research and present to our panel of judges consisting of prominent figures and University of Toronto researchers.

Science Chase – The Amazing Science Chase will create an opportunity for youth to dive into fields of S.T.E.A.M. through a series of science experiments that make up our obstacle course. Each workshop will challenge visitors as they navigate their way through to the end for a chance to win amazing prizes! Young scientists are encouraged to join us in this event as they must utilize their knowledge and know-how to accomplish this year’s mission.

SRHacks – SRHacks 2023 is a FREE introductory coding & engineering competition hosted by Science Rendezvous at The University of Toronto, running from April 8th to May 13th. We invite all Grade 6-8 engineering enthusiasts to develop innovative solutions to tackle real-world problems.

Science Chase

This Site's Science Chase Resources:

Shaking Off the (Pepper) Germs!

Science Chase University of Toronto – St. George Campus Experiment #1

Growing up, we’ve always been told how super important it is to wash our hands to make sure we get rid of germs! Now, more than ever, hand washing is an effective way to maintain clean hygiene and ensure that we aren’t spreading germs and viruses (that are so tiny many aren’t visible to our eyes!)

Why?

This simple experiment, which can be done using common household items found in your kitchen, will demonstrate the importance of washing our hands using the science of surface tension – a concept that emphasizes how hand washing can chase away these germs!

What You’ll Need:

  • A shallow plate/bowl
  • Ground Pepper
  • Dish Detergent/Hand Soap
  • Cooking Oil

Let the Science Begin:

Step 1: Prepare two very small bowls: fill one with hand soap or dish detergent and the other with oil

Step 2: Grab the shallow plate/bowl with fill it with enough water to cover the bottom by 1-2 inches

Step 3: Sprinkle in a few shakes of ground black pepper over the water – be careful not to put in too much!

SCIENCE ALERT: Why isn’t the pepper dissolving in water or sinking? Firstly, pepper is hydrophobic, which means it doesn’t attract water and so it doesn’t dissolver. Secondly, water molecules like to cling together and because of that, create surface tension which keeps the lightweight grains of pepper afloat on the surface!

Step 4: Stick your finger in the middle of the bowl. What happens? 

Step 5: Now, dip your finger in some cooking oil and repeat. What happens?

Step 6: Dip a clean finger (not the same one that had been dipped in oil) into some soap/detergent bowl and then into the bowl of water and pepper. What happens?

Once you have answered the Challenge Question, read more below to learn the science behind this experiment!

Not much should happen in Step 4 when you place your finger in the pepper water. Some of the pepper grains may even stick to your finger. You should see a similar result when your oil-dipped finger is placed in the bowl with the pepper! However, when the finger dipped in the soap/detergent is placed in the bowl, the pepper should disperse!

Why does this happen?

Liquid detergent/hand soap breaks down the surface tension of the water. However, the water molecules will try to continue sticking together and so they move away from the where the soap is, while carrying the pepper with them, effectively chasing the “germs” away!

This is why washing your hands with soap is so important to make sure that they are clean and germ-free!

 

Practice Question #1:

Which two of the ingredients in this experiment work best together to get rid of the germs (i.e. pepper)?

Memory Fold Satellites - Miura Origami and Tessellation

Science Chase University of Toronto – St. George Campus Experiment #2

Phenomenal Patterns!

Nature works in strange wonderful ways. Though everything looks to be unique, there are hidden patterns in the small details around us. Tessellations are periodic tilings with repeated patterns of geometric shapes and are one of those patterns we see in nature. Honeycomb structures and the checkered patterns on flower petals to cracks in materials are all examples of natural tessellations.

Miura Folds

What is the Miura fold, and how does it relate to tessellations? The Miura fold (named after the inventor, Japanese astrophysicist Miura Koryo) is a method of folding a flat surface, like paper, into a smaller, more compact shape. With a closer look, we see that the crease patterns resemble a tessellation of parallelograms. This pattern of creases allows the paper to unfold and re-fold back to its compact state; it is as if the paper remembers! Because of this, the Miura fold is considered as shape-memory origami, since it can easily return to its folded shape.

What’s its Significance?

The Miura fold can fold flat material into smaller areas, which saves lots of space and makes it easier to travel around with. As well, the crease pattern in one continuous fold – meaning that no cuts were needed, all the surfaces are flat, and all the folds move in a concerted motion. This allows the fold to be adapted to other flat materials (not just paper) like metal. For example, many solar panels for space satellites utilize the Miura fold. They are folded before launch and then spread out in space. This saves lots of material and reduces the number of motors to unfold the panel.

Make Your Own Miura Fold Satellite!

Now that you know how cool Miura folds are, let’s find out how they actually work. Get some paper ready, because we’re going to build one!

Practice Question #2:

Push and pull on the opposite corners of your satellite. What happens to the paper?

A Berry Observable Change!

Science Chase University of Toronto – St. George Campus Experiment #3

A very important part of keeping our earth safe and ‘green’ is to observe changes in our environment.

We know that pollution is a problem in our environment, especially in big cities like Toronto, where there are plenty of buildings and cars, and it rains a lot!

Why? Well, when it rains, pollutants can be washed into rivers, streams, and lakes. This can cause changes to the water, such as increasing or decreasing it’s acidity. Unfortunately, these changes can be harmul the fish and other living things in and around the water. Therefore, it’s important that scientists keep an eye on or ‘monitor’ these changes to protect our wildlife.

However, it’s not always easy to notice these changes with our naked eye! Luckily, scientists have created tools to detect these changes, and they use them to help keep our environment safe. But did you know that you can create a similar tool using materials in your own kitchen?

Let’s Make a Berry pH Test Strip!

This simple experiment, which can be done using common household items found in your kitchen (e.g., blackberries or blueberries, construction paper, water, and soap), will demonstrate the science of acid/base chemistry – and how a DIY pH strip or litmus test can be applied to detect changes within a system.

What you’ll need:

  • Blueberries or blackberries
  • Water
  • Hair dryer
  • Paper (construction or printer)
  • Scissors
  • Dish soap
  • Vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Ziploc bag
  • Bowl
  • Plate
  • 4 cups

Get ready… Get set… Let’s go!

  1. Add your berries to the ziploc bag and seal it.
  2. Using your hands, smush up the berries until they’re smooth like jam! Note: be careful not to puncture the bag.
  3. Pour the mashed berries into a bowl.
  4. Add a small amount of hot water to the berries, and use a spoon to mix it all together.
  5. Using scissors, cut your piece of paper into smaller strips (about 1 inch wide x 2 inches in length). Make at least 4 strips!
  6. Put your paper strips into the bowl with the berries, and spoon the berry mixture over the top to make sure the paper is fully submerged. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.
  7. Transfer your paper strips from the bowl and onto a plate with your fingers, trying to wipe any pieces of fruit off the paper. Your paper should look purple in colour!
  8. While leaving the strips on the plate, use a hairdryer to gently blow on the strips until they reach complete dryness. Note: if you don’t have a hairdryer, you can let them air dry! 
  9. Once dry, our berry indicator strips are ready for use! Let’s see what we can use them for…
  10. Now, take your 4 cups. To each of the 4 cups, add 1/4 cup of water.
  11. Set aside one cup (water cup ) containing just the water.
  12. To one of the cups (vinegar cup), add 1/4 cup vinegar to the water and mix using a spoon.
  13. To another cup (soap cup), add 2 tbsp dish soap to the water and mix using a spoon.
  14. To the last cup (baking soda cup), add 1/2 tsp baking soda to the water and mix using a spoon.

Dip half of a berry strip into the water cup and remove it. What colour is the wet part of the strip? This is our ‘reference’ strip.

Dip half of the berry strip into the vinegar cup and remove it. What colour does it turn? How does it differ from the ‘reference’ strip?

Dip half of the berry strip into the baking soda cup and remove it. What colour does it turn? How does it differ from the ‘reference’ strip?

Dip half of the berry strip into the soap cup and remove it. What colour does it turn? How does it differ from the ‘reference’ strip?

Cool, huh? What is the science behind these colour changes?

Answer the Challenge Question below, and then read on to learn the science behind this experiment!

Blackberries and blueberries contain special chemicals called anthocyanins. Anthomyacins are naturally occurring pH indicators! That means that they turn pink in the presence of acids (lower pH), and blue in the presence of bases (higher pH). 

With this knowledge, look at the colours of your berry paper…
Is vinegar an acid or a base?
Is baking soda an acid or a base?

When we add vinegar to the water, we are making the environment in the cup more acidic. You can probably guess that vinegar is acidic because it tastes so sour!

By adding vinegar to the water, we lower its pH. This is a change to the environment that can be detected using your berry pH strip, as indicated by the change in colour!

This same concept has been adapted to technology that is used by scientists all over the world to detect changes in the environment.

Practice Question #3:

What colour will your litmus paper turn if you dip it in lemon juice?

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