The Santa Ana Zoo was filled with more than just animals on Sunday, when students from Cerritos College and across the southland assisted children with science experiments as part of National Chemistry Week.

The event, sponsored by the American Chemical Society, offered visitors a hands-on experience with science.

Volunteers from Professor Linda Waldman’s organic chemistry class represented Cerritos College at the event by teaching visitors about electrolysis.

“It’s been fun trying to make (science) relatable for the kids to understand,” said biochemistry major Jennie Lee.

“(These experiments) give them an applicable way to use chemistry,” she said.

Keeping with this year’s theme, “chemistry – it’s elemental,” Professor Waldman chose electrolysis to show how elements interact with one another.

The experiments included testing to see if electrolytes are present in various liquids, as well as performing the process of electrolysis using pencils.

Waldman has been bringing students to National Chemistry Week for approximately 10 years now, and sees the experience as positive for not just the visitors, but her students as well.

“I want them to see how it is to present science to younger people. I hope some of them enjoy it and go into teaching,” she said.

As for the students themselves, they too saw the importance of events like National Chemistry Week.

“For kids at this age, it can spark an interest for them to be a chemist or biologist,” said biology major Shira Rauh. “We hope that they enjoy science, because this is our lives. This is what we do.”