From tronoh with Chemistry

CONGRATE BROS2 SEKALIAN

Big win for mini car

By ALYCIA LIM
educate@thestar.com.my

It was all smiles for team UTP i-Green from Universiti Teknologi Petronas, when they were announced champions at the Fifth Malaysian Chem-E-Car Competition held at SEGi University College, Kota Damansara recently.

Third-year Chemical Engineering student Muhammad Akmal Abdul Wahab, 21, said their win came as a surprise to the team.

“It was 40% luck and 60% hard work,” he said.

Their winning car was powered using a zinc and carbon reaction.

“Basically, we put an aluminium strip in hydrochloric acid to move the car, and when the entire strip dissolves, the car would stop.”

All about chemistry: Mohd Akmal (left) holding up the winning car with his teammates Mohd Zarul Ikmal Zulkifli, Wan Mohd Aizat Wan Abdullah, and Mohd Yamin Mohd Yaacob.

Akmal said his team took about three months before coming up with their final product.

The competition, which was open to undergraduate Engineering students from all public, private and international universities required tertiary students to construct a car that was powered with a chemical energy source that would carry a certain load to a given distance and stop.

Hosted for the first time by a private education institution, SEGi vice-chancellor Prof Dr Muhamad Awang said, “I believe that the exchange of technical expertise and ideas with students of other countries will have a positive effect on the exposure and knowledge gained by all participants.”

He added that he hoped to see more entries from international universities next year.

Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) vice president Yim Hon Wa said that the competition was a good platform for students to share theire experience and knowledge in the field.

“As we know, energy will soon be a world crisis as fuel is running out, and we have to find another way for sustainability. Through this competition, we can share our knowledge locally and internationally, and learn from each other.”

He added that this competition also gave more exposure to tertiary students, to prepare them for the corporate world.

“When students leave their tertiary institutions, we want them to leave well-equipped for the real world. I think a competition like this not only stimulates their minds, also helps build their confidence and soft-skills.”

Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Fadillah Yusof said, “We now live in an era of competition, and we need to expose young engineers to this competitive world as early as possible to prepare them for what they are about to face in the future.”

PIOR PUNYA SUMBER : THE STAR