Case Study: Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science achieves award-winning science fair results with Minitab

Taking Top Honors at the Science Fair with Minitab

The Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) supported seventh grader Jonathan Riska’s statewide science fair project, where he needed a simple way to analyze fuel-energy data and compare vegetable oils with petroleum diesel. Using Minitab Statistical Software, he was able to organize measurements and create clear visuals to better understand whether vegetable oils could serve as reasonable fuel replacements.

Minitab helped Riska calibrate his homemade calorimeter, generate histograms and bar charts, and present his findings clearly. With Minitab, he determined that most vegetable oils had about 15% less energy than petroleum diesel but burned much cleaner, and his well-presented analysis helped earn a 1st place award at the science fair.

Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science

Jonathan Riska

Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science