Young talent competition54th round of 'Jugend forscht' launched
Under the motto "Ask yourself!", the 'Jugend forscht' competition is starting a new round. As of now, young people can once again register their research projects in the fields of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (STEM).
Model airplanes with rubber propulsion are original flying machines: a twisted rubber band drives a propeller and allows a small plane to soar through the air for an astonishingly long time. The more elastic the rubber band is, the longer the flight can last. To find the optimum material for this rubber motor, Noah Dormann - the 2018 prize winner in the field of technology - developed a sophisticated testing machine. Motors are attached to a two-metre-long carriage that can pull apart and twist a rubber band at the same time. Sensors record the forces and torques acting in the process. After several series of tests, the young researcher came to an interesting conclusion: when the rubber is pulled apart too far, knots form that significantly affect the measured values.