Marathon is a small town east of Alpine, Texas with a just a handful of students in middle and high school.
Marathon welcome sign photo courtesy of Carol Townsend via marathontexas.com.
The Sul Ross State University Chemistry Club hosted a chemistry outreach event in the nearby town of Marathon, Texas on October 25, 2019. The club visited Marathon ISD and performed two experiments with a group of about twenty students from the middle and high schools. Students learned about redox chemistry by observing the oxidation of pennies in various solutions and recorded their observations. Students also constructed acid/base rockets with the help of club members and learned how vinegar and baking soda react to form carbon dioxide and propel the rockets into “space”. A competition ensued in which students fought to shoot the highest rocket, but when you’re having fun with chemistry: everyone’s a winner!