Third Place - Natural Category

Title: My Kitchen Sink
Student: Sarah Cheung
School: Quince Orchard High School, Gaithersburg, MD
Teacher: Jeffrey Marker

This is a picture of a water molecule forming while it is dripping from my kitchen sink. If you put everything in slow motion, this is just about what you would get from letting water run in your sink. However, have you even wondered what this image demonstrates in the world of physics? After investigation and research, I can conclude that this is a picture that demonstrates the importance of gravity. According to the textbook, Focus on Physical Science, gravity is simply the mutual force of attraction that exists between all objects in the universe, the force Earth exerts on all objects on or near it. The water molecule forming to be dropped on the base of the sink is the work of gravity because the force of the Earth is pulling the water down, forcing it to form into a droplet of water. If gravity didn’t take place on Earth, the water molecule would not be forming to reach the bottom of the sink because the Earth holds the object on the surface of the Earth and would prevent it from floating around in the air. This is the reason why water molecules form if you let water run in the sink.