Submerged in education
Seventh grade science students at Delphi Community Middle School turned the school pool into a science lab recently with help from their teacher, Alan McConnell, and deputies Denny Randle and Jon Randle from the Carroll County Sheriff's Department. Students studied Archimedes' Principle that the weight of fluid displaced by an object is equal to the buoyant force, Boyle's Law that the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure, and what happened when the two laws were combined. They also studied Newton's Second Law, experimented with underwater sound waves, discovered how to weigh air and took an underwater class photo for fun. They used two-liter pop bottles, an air compressor, balloons, a spring scale and weights, SCUBA diving gear, a three-foot long snorkel tube and an underwater camera to experience scientific principles in action. This is the 10th year McConnell has led the exercise. He said students catch on to scientific concepts much easier when they can see principles applied to familiar objects, and instruction from law enforcement officers helps build positive relationships. Pictured, McConnell demonstrates how much pressure it takes to pop a balloon above water compared to underwater. Photo provided