Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 30, 1995 TAG: 9504010001
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They were lining up for the chance and being cheered on by the small group of other children and adults.
The eggs would hit the sheet, remain intact and slide into the held-up bottom so they would not fall to the floor.
But occasionally one would bounce to the floor and splatter, much to the spectators' delight.
This experiment to show the results of a cushioned background was one of the hands-on experiments at the first science and math fair family night, held recently at H.L. Horn Elementary School in Vinton.
``This egg project shows that when the background gives, the eggs don't break as they would if hitting a solid wall,'' said Patricia Kuelz, faculty coordinator for the fair and a science, math and health teacher.
The hands-on science and math projects were available for any child accompanied by an adult, and nearly 200 people turned out to try the projects and view science exhibits created by the children in all of the school's five grades.
One of the exhibits involved the copper content of pennies. Brian Britt started with the premise that newer pennies have a higher copper content than older ones. His experiment, ``Common Cents,'' won first place.
His project was an experiment in density, but his starting premise turned out to be wrong.
``It turned out the new ones have less copper than the old ones,'' he said.
He checked three groups of pennies minted from 1962 to 1995.
Britt said one of the reasons that he discovered for the lower copper content in new pennies is an economic one brought on by prosperity. It got to the point that a penny was worth more than one cent because of the price of copper.
``They had to add more zinc so the penny would not be worth more than a penny,'' he explained.
Another of the hands-on experiments was the program's big finale, billed as ``blowing up the principal.''
It involved a table turned upside down atop another table with balloons between them.
The school's principal, Mitchell Bowman, got onto the upside-down table, then 14 children assembled around the table.
With much huffing and puffing - and cheering by the audience of parents and children - the students blew and blew and blew. Slowly the balloons inflated, lifting table and principal up about 5 inches, illustrating the power of air pressure.
Kuelz, one of the faculty and parents who staged the event, said the format of a family night was a first for the school, but a science fair has been held for about four years. This also was the first time that the science and math fairs have been held together, she said.
The science fair grew out of V-Quest, a state-sponsored program designed to improve science and technology programs in public schools.
by CNB