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Student Activities

Annual Pumpkin-Launch Contest
This the culmination of the students' efforts to apply basic physics and engineering principles to design simple machines that throw pumpkins as far as possible using only mechanical means, such as counterweights and springs. Students are not allowed to use compressed gases, chemical reactions or electrical power in their designs.

Click here to view a Quicktime video taken during the 2004 pumpkin launch.

Rocket Launch
Students use the laws of physics to predict the potential altitude of rockets they build, and then test the accuracy of their predictions with an electronic altimeter on board the rockets.

Robot-Design Contest
Students apply their knowledge of electronics to design unique interfaces to a robot to enable it to tackle problems such as finding and extinguishing a fire, climbing a staircase, or even crossing a chasm.

Whitworth Student Science Club
The Whitworth Science Club is a group of students that have set out to help each other achieve their educational, spiritual, and social goals. Our goal is to build a sense of community in the science department in order to aid the learning process. We will provide a way for students to discuss their goals, and help them plan for the years spent at Whitworth. By working closely with the science faculty we hope to produce a more dynamic educational experience here at Whitworth.