By Julie Johansen
On Monday, 68 students from Mr. Moss’ USU Eastern concurrent enrollment Physics 1010/1015 were privileged to be involved in a field trip to the San Rafael Energy Research Center.
It is difficult to find a stage for academics to perform on. Athletes have their games, and the arts have a stage for their plays and concerts. But aside from the ACT test, it is difficult for academics to find an arena to showcase their talents. So, when the Emery County Commissioners contacted Emery High School about working cooperatively at the research center, they were very willing to participate.
Although the facility can be seen from the Coal Haul Road, very few people know what is happening inside the center. Emery High staff members were even more excited to learn that a former Emery High student, Kody Powell, is an advisor at the research center. Dr. Powell, a chemical engineer professor at University of Utah, is using part of his sabbatical as an advisor at the San Rafael Energy Research Center.
This cooperative project began when Dr. Powell visited the classroom of Mr. Moss at Emery High, giving a brief review of Newton’s three Laws of Motion. He showed the students how to write a simple computer program that could project the trajectory of a launched projectile (Nerf ball).
On the second day, the students went to the new armory to shoot their projectiles, gather data and adjust the variables. Then, on Monday, they traveled to the research center where Dr. Powell and his staff had set up a target area at disclosed distances. The students had the opportunity to try their programs and shoot to the target. They used Nerf guns with protractors attached to determine the angle and distance of the projectile.
Prizes and awards were given to the top finishers in the computer and projectile marksmanship. Hannah Neff, Emilee Richards, Creek Sharp, Turner Stoker, Taj Whitesel, Logan Riley, Camden Larsen and Parker Mann topped the computer program. In the projectile category, the winners were Carly Young, Bowen Sitterud, Audrey Yost, Kelsey Norton, Amanda Mesler and Rhett Winter.
Following this exercise, the students had the opportunity to tour the facility with the Emery County Commissioners, Dr. Fry and Dr. Pearson as tour guides. The students were able to visit the research labs, and Dr. Fry gave a demonstration in the molten salt lab about the velocity of gas and fire, along with the results. He also discussed the theory of greenhouse gases.
In the conference room, Dr. Pearson, center director, used a slideshow presentation to explain the purpose of the research center and the importance of energy in the lives of the students. The students expressed how impressed they were with the capabilities, resources, labs, chemical engineers and expanse of the research center.
