But in all likelihood she built a Drano bomb, probably after watching one of the millions of YouTube videos on the subject, and blew it up on school property. She's not a martyr for science, nor a role model for girls in STEM, and frankly it is a little offensive that's the line people are sticking with.
Victimless crimes are 86% of the federal prison population. There is a bigger problem of what types of crimes the state is spending it's time enforcing.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/8558/why-we-need-prison-re...
Children are expected to behave irresponsibly. Adults should be expected to behave responsibly. It is horribly irresponsible to attempt to ruin a child's life over a mistake that lots of kids have made and will make in the future. This is a stern talking to situation, not a "call the feds, it's time to put this kid in jail" situation, and every adult that signed off on the idea of taking this to a criminal level should be really ashamed of themselves.
With a few days' detention, tops.
Sure, this case will always be on the internet, unfortunately. But at least then someone googling will get some context. At the very least she doesn't have to (legally) lie on that question after this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expungement
(and let me emphasize: consult a lawyer. I am not one, and neither this nor my other comments constitute not legal advice)
I knew a guy in high school that got expelled in the middle of his senior year, because cops turned up an airsoft gun in the trunk of his car after they brought drug dogs through our school parking lot (this was done routinely, inside the school and also in the parking lot, probably still is). That to me is a much worse example of how far these "zero-tolerance" polices get taken.