MMS Student to Compete in Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge

Michelle Barchak, a seventh grade student at Memorial Middle School, has been named to compete for the title of “America's Top Young Scientist of the Year.” This announcement came from Discovery Communications of Silver Spring, MD. Michelle joins 399 other middle school students from around the country, who were selected as semifinalists in the 2006 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC). The DCYSC is the nation's premier science contest for students in grades 4-8.

The countdown to choosing America's Top Young Scientist continues on September 14th, when the field of 400 semifinalists is narrowed by the DCYSC judges to the “Final Forty.” These "Final Forty" young scientists will use their scientific know-how to find solutions to this year's five-part challenge in Washington, DC in late October. They will compete for more than $100,000 worth of scholarships and special prizes, as well as the title of “America's Top Young Scientist of the Year.”

Michelle became part of the DCYSC because of her first place finish at the Missouri Southern Regional Science Fair held at MSSU earlier this year. She was one of three first place finishers from Memorial Middle School and Joplin Schools' Gifted Program.

Michelle’s project – “Lost Any Marbles?” – tested whether a marble’s mass affects its traveling time down a sloped track. Michelle tested three types of marbles – plastic, glass, and steel – on a skyrail suspension marble track. To test the marbles, Michelle created a timer system from electrical components, including optical motion sensors and a binary counter. The binary results were represented by LED lights, which lit up to indicate ones and zeros. After running each marble down the track eight times, Michelle used Microsoft Excel to convert the binary numbers into seconds.

(posted 09/06/06)