Shannon likes reading, writing, and music. She plays the piano and exercises by playing soccer. Shannon is not only a science whiz, but loves to creatively express herself. She hopes to become an author or actor someday. She says that her science mentor, a relative who works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has "excited me over science."
Shannon's grandfather told her about using sand to help his old car gain traction. Shannon wondered if other materials might provide more traction.
Shannon built a testing device with two flywheels touching each other. She then poured various materials onto the spinning wheels and measured the resulting increase in friction. One hundred-grit garnet increased friction the most at 45%, outperforming sand by 7%. However, given the lower cost of sand, Shannon concluded that it was probably still the best material.
