SCIENCE FAIR SHOWCASES INNOVATION

Can sound extinguish a candle flame?

Derek Fenwick, an eighth-grade student at St. Vincent de Paul School in Cape Girardeau, believes that it can.

Fenwick is one of more than 200 students who have entries in the 37th annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair, which opened Tuesday at the Show Me Center.

Students from several area schools are participating in 22 categories of the three-day show, which ends Thursday with a special reception at 7 p.m. and awards presentation at 7:30 p.m. The top, two senior-division exhibits will qualify for the 44th International Science and Engineering Fair at Mississippi Beach, Miss.

Exhibits were judged Tuesday. The exhibits may be viewed by the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

Fenwick, in explaining his experiment in the junior physics category, predicted that sound can extinguish the flame of a candle because, "I think the sound will make the flame jump off the wick."

Fenwick predicted that it will take sounds of more than 90 decibels to extinguish the candle.

In 10 tests, using a tape player with a loud volume (90 decibels), he said that on nine occasions the flame flickered and that he felt a higher decibel would have extinguished the flame entirely.

"I had my speaker on maximum volume and could not generate any more decibels," said Fenwick.

Meanwhile, Jim Scherer, an eighth-grader at Dexter, decided to test disposable diapers.

In the junior-division environmental-science category, Scherer conducted his "The Diaper Decision" project to determine which of four major brands would absorb most water.

"My tests showed that Ultra Pampers held 20 percent more water than its nearest competition," said Scherer, who used photographs, samples of disposable diapers, and a daily journal to display his findings.

Jason Brown, a Dexter classmate, also used paper in his display, and determined which paper towel absorbed the most water. In Brown's experience, Job Squad emerged the winner.

Chris Cartee of Hayti is interested in aerodynamics. He revealed the results of a three-year study to determine the effects of wind, weight and size in the flying of paper planes.

"I used different size and weights of paper planes," said Cartee. "I also tested flights of these plans with and without the use of fans, giving a variety of wind factors."

Computers were utilized in some senior math categories. Jennifer Orr, a junior at Desloge, developed a computer program designed to be an "effective record-keeper for basketball coaches and basketball coordinators," and David Lewis of Leadwood High School created a program for baseball statisticians.

Montgomery Henley of Sikeston fried a lot of hamburger to determine "who has the fattest hamburger" in the junior division of chemistry.

Henley found that "higher priced meats were lower in fat and give more value for the money."

Amy Vandeven of Leopold displayed an experiment to determine the effects of various sweetening agents on saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), in the senior division of microbiology.

She used sucrose (natural sugar) and artificial sweeteners, saccharine and aspartane, in experiments, determining that the yeast growth was greater with the use of natural sugar.

Robert Felker of Cape Central had an experiment to determine whether it is possible to sterilize catheters in the home, and Holly White of Sikeston has conducted a two-year study concerning the temperatures of germicides and how it effects their disinfection ability.

The science fair is co-sponsored by Southeast Missouri State University and the Southeast Missourian newspaper, with the assistance of large numbers of businesses, industries and professional organizations.