Tracy students place high at regional science fair
Senior Isfar Munir works on his experiment.
March 27, 2014
Seniors Isfar Munir and Raul Lara placed first and second in their respective categories at the Sacramento Regional Science Fair on March 22. Munir took first in the physics category and won the grand prize for best project at the fair. Lara took second in the engineering division.
Munir’s project was “The Relationship Between Air Pressure and the Deflection Experienced by an Electric Arc-Yr.2”. It was a two-year science project concentrating on the arc deflection of a Tesla coil with air’s properties, humidity, pressure and temperature. The Tesla coil would produce an electric current and, depending on the air properties, would show how much it would arc.
“This is the second year I have entered this project,” Munir said. “I worked with professors from the University of California, Davis.”
Lara’s project was “Enhancing a Smoke Detector with a Visual”. He developed a smoke detector system that shows the user where the fire started and also the nearest and safest route of exit.
“I saw deficiencies in current smoke detector systems,” Lara said. “I wanted to improve on them and make them safer.
Munir and Lara received help from Tracy High physics teacher Dean Reese.
“Science fair is an independent process,” Reese said. “I let them know about deadlines and provided them with resources, like how to write a solid abstract.”
For winning their categories at the Sacramento Regional Science Fair, Munir and Lara both received plaques and qualified to go to the California State Science Fair in Los Angeles on April 28.
“I know the state science fair will be more competitive,” Lara said. “I’m just happy to be going.”
For winning the first grand prize for best project, Munir was selected as one of the representatives for the region for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles on May 11. The winner of this science fair will receive a $100,000 scholarship to the college of their choice.
“It feels really good to have won,” Munir said. “I put so much hard work into this project.”
Munir, Lara and junior Fanny Lopez-Flores also participated in the 56th Annual San Joaquin County Science Fair on March 6.
Lara took second for “Enhancing a Smoke Detector with a Visual,” followed by third place for Munir for “The Relationship Between Air Pressure and the Deflection Experienced by an Electric Arc-Yr.2” Lopez-Flores received honorable mention for “Pedaling Power”.
“It was exciting for them to do so well,” Reese said. “It shows that hard work pays off.”
