Science Article Annotation & Practice:

First assignment! Partly for practice and partly to explore ideas, I'll be doing reports on science-related articles for my physics class. Today's report is on an experiment done by students of the University of West Georgia (for the article, go to this link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/1012-fighting_fire_with_sound.htm)

Purpose:
To test a possible method for extinguishing flames in zero or low gravity situations, hopefully one worthy of the ISS (International Space Station).

Hypothesis:
Sound waves can extinguish a flame by reducing pressure around it, forcing it to go out.

Procedure:
During free fall (via airplane), speakers were used on a candle flame.

Results:
Although the speaker-candle apparatus was successful in the lab, it did not work in free fall


Conclusion:
Although the apparatus will mot work in zero gravity, it could be used in computer labs where regular extinguishers would be destructive.


Sources:

Siencedaily.com. (2006). Fighting Fire with Sound: Acoustic Waves Could Help  Put Out Flames in Zero-Gravity Environments. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily. com/vide os/2006/1012fighting_fire_with_sound.htm