Science Fair - Project Ideas
Below is a list of great ideas for potential science fair projects. Pick something you’re interested in and try it out for size. The projects are categorized by their difficulty.
If you’re not sure about which project to pick, why not take our Quiz to see which project you might be interested in.
Also, feel free to take a look at our projects categorized by Subjects.
Our easiest set of original projects. These can be completed by anyone with an elementary school education, and they generally take less time and effort than our more advanced projects. However, we think they’re still pretty cool, and we’ve included a few ideas to extend the scale of each project to make it more engaging for you.
- Bag Strength
- In this project, you can find out how much a bag can hold, so you can impress people next time you go to the grocery store.
Related fields: Physics (Statics) - Battery Testing
- Which brand of batteries will let your CD player run the longest?
Related fields: Physics (Electronics) - Bending Light
- How can we manipulate the light?
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Physics (Optics) - Bouncing High
- Predict how high a ball will bounce.
Related fields: Mathematics (Analysis) - Cube Folding
- Which arrangements of six squares can be folded into a cube?
Related fields: Mathematics (Geometry) - Food and your Heart
- What food makes your heart race?
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Biochemistry - Interrogation
- Check out this statistical experiment to test how phrasing questions might affect the answers.
Related fields: Behavioral Sciences - M&M Packing
- Ever wonder how much candy you can fit in a Halloween bag, or a lunch box? Find out with this experiment.
Related fields: Mathematics (Geometry) - Observing Fish
- How can we understand them better?
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Zoology - Paper Airplane Experiment
- See which paper airplane designs are the best.
Related fields: Mathematics (Geometry), Physics (Dynamics) - Polygon Analysis
- Analyze polygons and determine some interesting properties
Related fields: Mathematics (Analysis) - Rate of Filtration
- How does thickness of a medium affect the rate of filtration?
Related fields: Math/Chemistry - Shapes and Patterns
- See if you can find mathematical relationships between shapes and patterns
Related fields: Mathematics (Geometry)
Slightly more difficult (and hopefully, more impressive!) than the “Easy” projects, either conceptually or based on the amount of work required. None of these projects should be out of reach of any high-school students, although some independent research may be necessary.
- Balloons and Charles’ Law
- This poorly-named project investigates the reason that balloons expand and contract in different temperatures.
Related fields: Physics (Thermodynamics) - Balloon C-Strength
- Can a balloon be punctured 10 times and not pop?.
Related fields: Physics/Chemistry - Chemistry and Laundry
- Explore how different kinds of chemicals take out stains on clothing and their effect on the clothing.
Related fields: Chemistry - Crystallization
- How are sugar crystals made?
Related fields: Chemistry - Fingerprint Detection
- How to detect fingerprints using iodine vapor?
Related fields: Chemistry - Flipping Coins
- Use this experiment to see what the probability is of landing a coin on its edge.
Related fields: Mathematics (Statistics) - The Invisible Ink
- Write in invisible ink then visualize it.
Related fields: Chemistry - JPEG – GIF Conversion
- Today there are many methods for compressing digital images; in this project you’ll get to examine two of the most popular formats.
Related fields: Computer Science (Graphics) - Light Pollution
- What else is polluting our night sky?
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Environmental Science - Liquid Cooling
- How fast do some liquids cool compared to others? Find out inside.
Related fields: Physics (Thermodynamics) - Physics and the Tower of Pisa
- How is it that the Leaning Tower of Pisa has not yet fallen over? This experiment may help you find out.
Related fields: Physics (Statics) - Pineapples and Enzymes
- What effect do the enyzmes in pineapples have on Jell-O?
Related fields: Biology (Microbiology) - Plant and Animal Cell Tonicity
- Investigate the effects of osmosis and tonicity in plant and animal cells
Related fields: Biology (Microbiology) - Plant Growth
- What effect do light and amount of water have on the rate of growth for a plant?
Related fields: Biology (Botany) - Playing with Forces
- There are so many forces around us! So why don’t we get to know them and play with them.
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Physics - Properties of Pendulums
- Explore the properties of pendulums and what factors influence its motion.
Related fields: Physics - Riemann Integrals
- So you’ve seen plenty of curves in your algebra class. Ever curious if there was more to the curve than just a bent line?
Related fields: Mathematics (Analysis) - Taste and Smell
- Learn about the link between taste and smell
Related fields: Biology (Physiology) - The Fire-Proof Cup
- Fill a paper cup with water or other liquids to make it non-flammable.
Related fields: Chemistry - The Science of Earthquakes
- What causes this devastating natural disaster?
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Earth Science
These projects require significant amount of research and time. Don’t worry, all are possible at the high school level. Please don’t let the difficulty rating scare you – we think that these projects are more likely to “wow” the judges.
- Coin Game
- Find out whether a simple game is rigged or not! Try to cheat your friends!
Related fields: Mathematics (Game Theory) - Conductors, Semiconductors, Insulators, and Superconductors
- Let’s investigate more about the materials that enabled us to have computers and other wonderful electronics.
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Materials Science - Galileo’s Gravity Experiment
- Repeat the experiment that Galileo used to measure the acceleration of gravity.
Related fields: Physics (Kinematics) - Lights and Sounds of Logic
- How to implement logic operations using simple circuitry that produces light and sound.
Related fields: Mathematics (Logic)/Physics (Electronics) - Measuring Characteristics of Planets
- You don’t need to take a ruler to space to know how far and big planets are!
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Physics (AstroPhysics) - Platonic Solids
- Investigate the five platonic solids.
Related fields: Mathematics (Geometry) - Randomization
- Is it really possible to make something really random?
This is not a full project guide, but provides multiple ideas.
Related fields: Mathematics - Tic Tac Toe Analysis
- Study the game of tic-tac-toe and try to develop an optimal strategy.
Related fields: Mathematics (Game Theory) - Winning Strategy
- Play a simple counting game and develop a winning strategy.
Related fields: Mathematics (Game Theory)
Science Fair Project Ideas
Browse the Project Ideas Index
Listed below are all of the different areas of science where we offer Project Ideas. Click on any area to see a full list of related Project Ideas.
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Science Buddies has over 1,000 Project Ideas in over 30 areas of science. Search
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Jonah"s science fair project
Winning this award granted him a trip to the District Science Fair today where his project was rated as excellent. He also won the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots
Environmental Recognition Award!
His project was all about finding out which brand of toilet paper was the most biodegradable.
(Charmin Ultra won as most biodegradable!)
He has been invited to display his project at the Westminster College Roots and Shoots Youth Environmental Fair on April 16th! We are very proud of him!
Biology Topics for a Science Fair Project
Science fair projects provide students with critical opportunities to learn science in a hands-on manner and connect it to real life. In addition, they provide most students’ first introduction to experimentation and the scientific method. Help your students further develop their understanding of biology by guiding them towards projects in line with their interests and abilities.
Fish Science Fair Ideas
High School Biology Science Fair Project Ideas
Cotyledons and Embryonic Development
Have your students determine how much of the cotyledon, the portion of a seed that develops into the embryo’s first leaf, is necessary for germination to occur. Teach students, using a seed anatomy guide, how to identify the cotyledon. Students can then soak four groups of four beans overnight, in distilled water. The following day, they should remove portions of the cotyledon from three of the groups. They should remove 1/4 of the cotyledon from the first group, 1/2 of the cotyledon from the second group, and 3/4 of the cotyledon from the third group. They should leave the cotyledon of the fourth group intact. Have students cover the beans in a damp paper towel, wrap the towel with foil, and check on the beans periodically over the course of 48 hours. Ask them to report on the effect, if any, that cotyledon removal has on germination.
The Effect of Disinfectant on Bacteria
Grow laboratory strains of E. coli in several petri dishes, in an incubator. Leave one dish of E. coli untreated, so that it can serve as a control. Treat the other dishes of E.coli with common household disinfectants, by adding a small quantity of disinfectant to the media of each dish. Observe any differences in the growth of E.coli cells, on a daily basis over three days. On the fourth day, treat dishes with methylene blue, which stains the membranes of dead cells blue. In this way, determine which cell plate incurred the most cell death.
Distractions and Productivity
Biology encompasses not only physical processes in nature and humans, but also mental processes. Study the effect of distractions on the quality of students’ work. Students can devise a short, ten-question test based on logic and compare the test performance of three groups of subjects. The first group should be distracted (by blaring music or a TV) throughout the test. The second group should incur a short, two-minute distraction in the middle of the test. The third group should take the test in a quiet environment. All groups should be given the same amount of time to take the test. Have students report on trends in test performance, and account for any experimental outliers.
Nanoparticles in Cells
An extremely hot area in biotechnology concerns single-cell magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the process whereby researchers get cells to phagocytose (literally, eat) nano- and micron-sized magnetic particles. When solutions containing these cells are visualized using magnetic resonance imaging, we can view the individual cells. A current challenge in this area lies in determining which cells will take up these particles. Order nano- or micron-sized particles from a science supply company for your students’ experiment. Have students take a swab of their own cheek cells, grow them in two petri dishes, and add the magnetic particles to one of the dishes. They can view cells under a microscope to determine if cells indeed took up the particles. Furthermore, after a week, they should compare the vitality (percentage of live cells) between the two dishes, to determine whether particles have adverse effects on cheek cells’ ability to thrive.
Tags: group cotyledon from, magnetic resonance imaging, Science Fair Project
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Science Fair Projects | National Energy Education Development Project
Science Fairs are great events that allow opportunities to enhance scientific thinking and even incorporate more energy activities. NEED has compiled some great activity ideas for teachers and students. Use our Energy Fair guide to help you prepare. Don’t forget, there are great project ideas in our Science of Energy curriculum guides and also in our wind, solar, nuclear, oil and gas, hydropower, and climate change guides, too! Good luck!
For a fun, animated short about science fairs, check out these videos:
Science Museums Science Fair Project Ideas Science Education
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Cam"s Science Fair Project
Yes Cam is quite the ham and always keeps us laughing!
Science Fair Project Ideas
Welcome to the exciting exploration of the world around us… the world of science! Researching a project for entry into a science fair gives us a glimpse into the marvels of this world.
Participating in a science fair is not only enjoyable, but it encourages logical thinking, involves doing interesting research, develops objective observations, and gives experience in problem solving.
Before you do any project, discuss it in detail with a parent or science instructor. Be sure they understand and are familiar with your project.
Science fair projects must follow a procedure called the scientific method. This procedure is also used by actual scientists. First, a problem or purpose is defined. A hypothesis or prediction of the outcome is then stated. Next, a procedure is developed for determining whether or not the hypothesis was correct. Do not think that your science project is a failure if the hypothesis is proven to be wrong. The idea of the science fair project is to either prove or disprove the hypothesis. Learning takes place even when the results are not what you expected. Thomas Edison tried over a thousand different materials before he found one that would work best in his light bulb. He said he failed his way to success!
Generally, school science fairs have 12 standard categories under which students can enter their projects: behavioral and social; biochemistry; botany; chemistry; Earth and space; engineering; environmental; physics; zoology; math and computers; microbiology; medicine and health.
Some projects may involve more than one science discipline. A project that involves using different colors of light to grow plants could fall under the category of either botany or physics. This crossing over of sciences may allow you to choose between two categories in which to enter your project. It can give you an edge at winning a science fair by entering your project in a category where there are fewer competitors or avoiding a category where other entries are of particularly outstanding quality.
Select a topic that you find interesting, one that you would like to research. It will make your science fair experience a very enjoyable one.
Know the rules of your school’s science fair before you decide on a project topic. Projects must follow ethical rules. A project cannot be inhumane to animals. Never interfere with ecological systems. Use common sense.
SAFETY
When planning your science fair project, safety must be the first consideration. Even seemingly harmless objects can become a hazard under certain circumstances. Know what potential hazards you are faced with before starting a project. Take no undue risks. Have an adult or science instructor present during all phases of your project. Be prepared to handle a problem even though none is expected (for example, keep heat gloves or oven mitts handy when working around a hot stove). Wear safety glasses when appropriate.
Be especially aware of these hazards:
• Sharp objects: Construction tools (hammer, saw, knife, scissors, drill). Be careful how you pick up sharp tools and glass objects which can fragment and become sharp objects.
• Fire: Cooking fat can catch on fire; alcohol has a low flash point. To boil alcohol, use a “double boiler” by first bringing a pot of water to a boil, turning off the stove burner, then lowering a test tube filled with alcohol into the water.
• Chemicals: Keep everything out of the reach of children that specifies “keep out of the reach of children” on the label (alcohol, iodine, etc.. Know what materials you are working with that have extreme pH levels (acids, bases).
• Allergens: When growing mold in sealable plastic bags, keep bags closed during and after the project. When the project is over, discard the plastic bags without ever opening them, so that mold is contained and does not become airborne.
• Carcinogens, mutagens: Stand away from microwave ovens when in use.
• Water and electricity “don’t mix“. Use caution whenever both water and electricity are present (as with a fish tank heater than must be plugged into a wall outlet). Use only “UL” approved electrical devices.
• Heat: Use heat gloves or oven mitts when dealing with hot objects. When using a heat lamp, keep away from curtains and other flammable objects. Be aware that glass may be hot but not give the appearance of being hot.
• Secure loose clothing, sleeves, and hair.
• Wash your hands when you return home after touching surfaces at public places to avoid bringing bacteria into your home.
• Rivers, lakes, oceans: Do not work near or around large bodies of water without an adult present, even if you know how to swim.
• Never test by taste, unless the item you are tasting is food.
• Be aware of others nearby; a chemical reaction, for example, could cause a glass container to shatter or caustic material to be ejected from a container. Keep others in the room at a same distance or have them wear proper safety protection.
• Thermometers made of glass have to potential of being broken and causing glass to shatter.
• Be aware of gas products that may be created when certain chemicals react. Such projects must be carried out in a well ventilated area.
• Never look directly at the Sun. Do not use direct sunlight as a source of light for microscopes.
• Loud sounds can be harmful to your hearing.
Being aware of these possible hazards and working with adult supervision should ensure a safe and enjoyable project experience.
We hope some of the ideas presented here on this web site will help you get started or spark other ideas for you to spin off a similar project. Good luck with your project! (Projects are Copyright (C) 2006 Dan Keen)
Progress on the Sycamore Class Science Fair Project
Well, we are officially moving on to Phase II of our science fair experiment this week! The kids have been really excited about growing alum crystals, and asking some excellent questions along the way, like:
“Will the crystals disappear again?”
“How can we make them disappear?”
“What will happen if we use food coloring while growing our crystals?”
To cultivate inquiry in the process, we decided to follow up on some of those questions by having them do some extra experimentation, rather than answer the questions directly. That is, after all, what makes a true scientist! Curiosity is key.
So, this week we will begin Phase II by exploring how, why, or even IF the crystals will grow in a more acidic solution than water (such as vinegar). And of course we’ll probably throw in a bit of food coloring to boot!
Meanwhile, here are some photos we captured from Phase I of the experiment. The kids were so proud of their results!
Student Reflection: Yessy on Her Science Fair Project
This is our first video reflection by a student in my classroom this year. Yessy does an outstanding job of modeling for the rest of the students.
You will need to turn your volume way up to hear.
4th Grade Science Fair Projects - Preventing Soil Erosion 4th Grade Science Fair Project
by Magriet du Plessis
This is one of our 4th grade science fair projects where we are going to find out what can be done to prevent soil erosion. Soil erosion is a big problem world wide and it is important to learn about preventing it from a very early age. This is why we have this 4th grade science fair project on soil erosion. We all need to take responsibility today.
Here are some of the Scary Facts making these 4th grade science fair projects essential!
- Did you know that the world’s deserts grows by about 16,000 square miles a year?
- In the US alone about 7 billion tonnes of very valuable topsoil is eroded by streams and rivers, as they carry the topsoil away.
- Did you know that about 75% of the rocks on earth are made up of small grains and particles that are pressed together under the weight of tons of water over very long periods? These rocks are called “sedimentary rocks.”
This is a really worrying situation, don’t you agree?
Well this is one of the reasons for our 4th grade science fair projects. Here we are going to be looking at one of the methods we can use to prevent this. We are going to do an elementary science fair project to find out whether planting grass or other plants in areas with a lot of erosion can help.
What you will need for this science experiment:
- Some easy growing grass seeds
- Two rectangular cake pans
- 2 Tick books of the same size
- Enough soil to fill the pans
- A jug to pour the water with
- Water
What you have to do
- First of all you have to fill one of your cake tins with the soil.
- Plant your grass seeds in this cake tin.
- Water this tin thoroughly with water.
- Place this tin in a sunny spot where the grass can grow well.
- Now you have to gently water your seeds and make sure that the soil in the pan is moist at all times without over watering.
- Wait for your grass to grow about 3 inches high.
- Fill up the other cake tin with soil.
- Water it just enough to be as moist as the tin with your grass in it.
- Now you have to place the one end of both your tins on your books to make them lie at an angle.
- Fill your jug with water and pour the water down the cake tin without the grass.
- Note what happens.
- Now you pour the water down the cake tin with the grass growing in it.
- Make a note of what happens.
- What is the difference?
- What is the reason for the difference?.
- write down your explanation.
What happens here is that in the pan without grass some of the dirt is carried away with the water. This is what happens in nature in places where there is nothing to stem the flow of water. In the pan with the grass growing in it, the grass stems the flow of the water and less soil is carried away with the water. So, by planting indigenous grass and other indigenous plants in areas where soil erosion is a problem, the soil erosion can be slowed down.
This is one of our 4th grade science fair projects that stresses the importance of caring for nature. Damage done today will take a very long time to repair and it is all of our responsibility to preserve nature as best we can.
Warning! Science fair projects needs to be done according to proper scientific method. Have a look at: Science Fair Projects Made Easy e-Book
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Totally 80"s and the Science Fair Project
The Little Petal attended an 8o’s birthday party this weekend…..it was so fun to see all the little girls….
…at their Cindy Lauper-est!
Good thing my little girl had fun on Saturday…cuz’ Sunday….
…it was ‘all hands on deck” to complete her science fair project.
I’m gonna rant here for a second….something I do not care to do in general…. and ESPECIALLY on my blog.
This was our 1st EVER science fair project.
When Ruby was in 3rd grade it was not required and in 4th she attended a TAG school that ask you to spend a Saturday at a local half-day science fair event for hands on experiments.
Though my 8 year old absolutely contributed to her project…including taking care of her plants over several weeks, keeping “data’ on their growth, taking pictures(fab ones by the by)for the final poster,synthesizing her thoughts about the results after a discussion with dad….it felt like a project that was more a grade for her dad and I than for Noli. I now see why Ruby’s TAG school did not do an individual assignment. An all day fair with several hands-on activities was more about the children learning and LESS about parents doing work for their kids.
At home projects have always been both a joy and a pain. I understand it is about providing a balance of parental leading and your child’s input.I have to also fess up to “taking over” in the name of aesthetics.
Do any of you out there have thoughts on take home projects that are often too much for the young child to do on their own. How do you handle things?
My science fair project Blog
promt: Pretend that “the whole world is just some poor alien’s high school science fair project,”* and you’re that alien. Explain your project to the science fair judges.
I didn’t want to make another hackneyed, corny, and predictable spaceship model like everyone else. My goal was to make a project that others have only ever talked or dreamt about, a project using my imagination to it’s full potential. To create a new world. A world filled with many different species, and plants, REAL plants, and clean, fresh water! A new beginning for our kind, but I had to be sure we could live in peace with this new kind of species. So, I created planet Earth. A medium sized planet, small enough to stay perched on my bedside table. Earth, a new addition to my collection, but this planet was not like my other planets, this one had creatures on it. If one day we were forced to change planets once again, we could move to Earth! My series of experiments started off with with a simple one, putting an abundance of different animals together and letting natural selection take place. However, my experiment almost failed because my younger brother threw rocks at my new planet, Earth was devastated, many of my new creatures became extinct. In the next couple of minutes, alien time, I had noticed that a particular species was gaining heaps of new knowledge, slowly advancing but once on the go, they became extraordinarily intelligent. These creatures, I soon named Humans, gathered information faster than I have ever seen before, mind you, they have had a few setbacks along the way but they only slowed them down a tiny bit. Humans created technology faster than I could give them hints, faster than the speed of light. Humans were beginning to become hostile, they believed they were the only intelligent creatures out there, and were frightened of the unknown. Even though Humans were quite intelligent, sometimes their brightsides didn’t always shine, they constantly have setbacks, for example: too many humans accumulating and not enough space or food or water to go around, and the worst part is: they have no idea how to overcome these mountains. When life on Earth would take the wrong turn, I had tried to fix these problems with wars, or plagues that would wipe out 1/3 or more of all Humans. My data has not come to favor my side, the signs show that Humans are indeed not ready for this type of exposure to more/ completely different creatures of the unknown, therefore I shall keep this experiment ongoing until my results clearly state weather or not we can all live in peace among-st one another.
“I figured that if humans can survive many of my attacks and work every kink out, then maybe, just maybe, we would be able to live in harmony with these new creatures. If all else fails, there will always be more room for new planets for new experiments. Hopefully, one day, we will have a successful experiment. Thank you for listening.”
200+ Science Fair Project Ideas
Here are some of the ideas my son and I ran across when researching possible topics for his science fair project. FYI, he eventually chose: ”Which food produces the most gas?” I can’t imagine a topic more inclined to appeal to adolesent males – with the possible exception of any experiment involving a catapult.
Biology
- Do plants grow faster in water or sugar water?
- Do electromagnetic fields effect plant growth?
- How does light color effect plant growth?
- Do electromagnetic fields affect microorganisms?
- How does the quality of water in local streams change over weeks/seasons/years?
- If you systematically remove the smallest fish from a tank of fish, how many generations does it take for the average size of baby fish to start to increase?
- Is there a relationship between eating breakfast and school performance?
- On which foods does fungus grow best?
- Do bananas ripen faster when they are stored next to other fruit? Why?
- What kinds of soil treatments can be used to improve water retention? Which work best?
- Does human hair affect the growth of plants? Why?
- Do plants prefer water delivered in mist form or rain form?
- How does a period of drought affect plant growth? Does the length of the drought matter?
- How does temperature affect the water uptake in plants?
- Is soil necessary for plant growth?
- Does music affect plant growth?
- Does motion affect plant growth?
- Do video games effect heart rate?
- Is there a mathematical relationship between root and stem growth?
- Does the presence of worms in soil affect plant growth?
- How clean or polluted are local bodies of water?
- How do organisms respond to magnets?
- Will plants grown in magnetic soil become magnetic?
- What physical characteristics determine a person’s center of balance
- Do children have better reaction times than adults?
- At what level of darkness does it become impossible to discern colors? Why?
- Does listening to different types of music affect blood pressure?
- What is the effect of adding specific vitamins to plants when you water them?
- Does using lotion really reduce dry skin?
- What environmental factors most contribute to decomposition?
- Do girls and boys have different resting pulse rates?
- Does a large caffeinated soda (or an energy bar; or an energy drink) raise a person’s blood pressure?
- Does jet-lag affect the performance of professional athletes?
- Is everyone’s sense of smell the same?
- Is heart rate affected by music?
- Does foot, eye and ear dominance correlate to hand dominance?
- Does hand dominance correlate to gender?
- Which food do mice like best – cheese or peanut butter?
- What causes plants to grow up?
- Do beans really produce more gas than other vegetables & foods when they are digested?
- Which grows faster – hair or fur?
- Which types of “natural” fertilizer (i.e., compost, hair, mulch, worms) lead to the greatest increase in plant growth?
- Do plants grow better in acidic soil, alkaline soil, or neutral soil?
- What causes iron to rust?
- Does alcohol affect a spider’s ability to spin its web?
- Which popcorn kernels will pop best – kernels that have been frozen, kernels that have been chilled, kernels that have been warmed, or kernels that have been allowed to remain at room temperature?
- Does food prepared in the microwave cool more quickly than food prepared on the stovetop?
- Compare the pH levels in mouths of various animals and humans at different times of day
- Does soil composition and porosity affect root pattern & growth rate?
- Are dogs (or other animals) colorblind?
- Do fish in an aquarium communicate with each other?
- Which fruits and vegetables rot faster at room temperature? Which rot faster in the refrigerator? Why?
- How biodegradable are ‘biodegradable’ products?
- Do different types of warm-ups before physical exercise result in different outcomes?
- Does covering the mouth really help prevent the spread of germs?
- Which citrus fruit has the most Vitamin C?
- What structures do the brains of different insects have in common?
- What are the components of “pond scum”?
- How does the metabolism of an insect compare to the metabolism of a dog (or hamster, or human)?
Physical Sciences (Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics)
- Do size, shape or mass have the greatest impact on a magnet’s strength?
- What evidence can we find about the rotation of the earth from star trails?
- Does the presence of designated hitters increase the average number of runs in baseball games?
- How does sunspot activity affect radio reception?
- How does particle size affect settling rates?
- How does temperature (or air pressure; or evaporation rate; or substrate; or surface area) affect crystal growth?
- What forces act on soap bubbles to determine their shape?
- What differences can be observed in the way salt & sugar crystals grow?
- What will happen to a rubber ball (or a ping pong ball; or a marble) exposed to dry ice? Why?
- Can the hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules be split?
- How do different thermal cups perform in keeping liquids hot for long periods of time?
- What do magnetic field lines look like? Why?
- What materials block radio raves most effectively?
- Does the shape and mass of an object affect its velocity when sinking through water?
- What is required to build the best paper airplane in the world?
- Do different objects accelerate at different rates?
- What is the most efficient angle for windmill blades?
- What is the relative elasticity of various types of string (i.e., twine, kite string, fishing string, sewing thread)?
- Which material is a better insulator – straw, sand, paper or cloth?
- Do different colors absorb heat differently?
- Do different gases expand differently when heated
- Are “fireproof” fabrics really fireproof (NOTE: Adult supervision required!!)
- Can astronomical observation & math be used to estimate the distance of the sun and the moon from earth?
- What makes stars appear to twinkle? Demonstrate
- How does the viscosity of liquids affect the shape of droplets?
- Can light be bent?
- What color can be seen most clearly through a fog?
- Which type of sunglasses do the best job of absorbing light & protecting the eyes?
- Can solar energy be used to cook food (we mean directly – not indirectly such as creating electricity to run a regular stove!)
- Does regular carbonated soda cause bone to decompose?
- Which brands of carbonated soda are the most corrosive?
- Does temperature change the magnetic field patterns of a standard horseshoe magnet?
- What is the difference between music & noise?
- Which fuels are most efficient in producing energy?
- How does gear size affect gear efficiency?
- Compare different metals (ex: density, buoyancy) & explain similarities/differences
- Compare different woods (ex: density, strength, burn rate) & explain similarities/differences
- What is the best method, other than heat, to melt ice?
- Does the viscosity of a fluid affect its boiling point?
- Compare and explain the resonance of different objects (ex: metals, glass). Explain.
- How does the shape & construction of (insert musical instrument here) affect the sound quality of the instrument?
- What kind of sound carries best through water? Through fog?
- Do metals expand at the same rate when heated?
- Does aluminum foil make a difference in cooking times?
- What is the best nose cone shape for a model rocket?
- What is the best wing design for an aircraft?
- What factors determine solubility of a substance?
- Does temperature affect the pH of acids or alkalines?
- Does the pH level of fruits & vegetables effect their taste?
- Which freezes first, hot or cold water?
- Are there differences in different brands of bottled water?
- How “clean” is rain water in your area?
- What biological or chemical agents do the best job of cleaning up oil spills?
- Does the shape of ice affect melting time? Why?
Electrical & Structural Engineering/IT
- Do potatoes conduct electricity? Why?
- Does salt water light up a light bulb better than regular water? Why?
- How can you use magnets & wire to create electrical current?
- Does the size of a wheel affect the speed of a vehicle?
- How does the shape of a pinewood car affect its speed?
- How does the size of wire (or number of coils, or type of wire) affect the strength of an electromagnet?
- What materials make the best magnetic shields?
- What factors (for example, temperature, color of light, angle of light) affect the current, voltage and power generated by a solar cell?
- How can structures be made more impervious to collapse during an earthquake?
- How can structures be made more impervious to flooding?
- Do quarters and feathers fall at the same speed?
- How does the composition of various balls (i.e., rubber, marble, ping pong) determine how they bounce?
- What is the impact of lever length on the strength of levers? (Or, How does the length of a catapult affect its range?)
- How does shape affect buoyancy?
- What materials make the best shock absorbers (hint: test by dropping eggs from various heights!)
- Which materials work best as sound barriers?
- Does the particle size of sand used to make bricks (or concrete) matter?
- Can light from a Light Emitting Diode (LED) be modulated using sound?
- What materials work best in a sandbag for preventing a flood?
- Does a ceiling fan really reduce room temperature?
- Can eggs withstand a greater force from one direction than from others?
- How can a computer be used to break codes?
- Can encoded information (floppy discs, metro cards, credits cards, etc.) be affected by magnetism (NOTE: Adult supervision required for this one!)
- How is an electrical current affected by temperature (or magnetism, or type of conductor)?
- Is electrical current affected by the diameter of a wire?
- What affects the strength of an electromagnet?
- How many blades should a fan have?
- How does the shape of a kite affect its flight?
- What controls the descent rate of parchutes?
Earth Science
- Where is the current of a stream the fastest?
- Does the amount of water affect the size of a wave?
- What is the greater cause of water erosion in a stream – gradual erosion over time, or major events like storms and floods?
- How does topography affect weather conditions
- How do changes in air pressure affect weather
- How does the growth of vegetation affect soil erosion?
- What are the most effective ways to control soil erosion?
- How do stalactites and stalagmites form?
- How does the size of particles in rivers affect how fast they settle?
- What factors contribute to makes soils more or less porous?
- Can antacids help soil polluted by acid rain
- How do soils in different parts of our area differ?
- What affects evaporation the most … air temperature, water temperature or wind speed?
- What is the relationship between the depth of water and its temperature (or salinity, or pressure)?
- How does the construction of levies along rivers effect erosion & deposition patterns?
- Why do hurricanes gain more power over warm water than cold water? Demonstrate.
- Why is there no wind in the eye of hurricanes? Demonstrate.
- Why are winds highest in the eyewall of hurricanes? Demonstrate.
- How can earthquakes cause tsunamis? Demonstrate.
- How are average temperatures (or average rainfall) changing in your local area (or state? Or country? Or the world?)
- How can you measure wind speed?
- How can you measure atmospheric pressure?
- What is the difference between direct sun & shade? Is it constant or variable?
- Particle fallout: Does the amount of particle pollution in soil vary with distance from a road (or height, or location)?
- What happens to road salts applied to roads after the snow melts? What effect does this have on the environment?
- What would happen to weather if the Earth was a cube?
- How do obstacles affect water (or wave) motion?
- What factors influence the size, shape & other characteristics of cracks in dried mud?
- What does the shape of local streams & water features tell about the geology of the local area
- How much silt is there in a river at different times? How do specific events (rain, droughts, floods) affect silt levels?
- What factors influence dune shape, form and movement?
- What factors influence beach erosion?
- How can rock formations be dated by examining the fossils within them? (use a local formation as an example, if possible)
- How does naturally-occurring asbestos form? Is it as dangerous as the asbestos that contractors once used as insulation for buildings?
Social Science
- If you ask the same question in a negative and positive way, will you get different answers?
- Does the color of a questionnaire affect how people answer the questions?
- Do flashcards with pictures enhance memorization better than flashcards without pictures?
- Are poems with a lot of rhythm, rhyme & different sound devices easier to learn than those written in free verse?
- Do men and woman have the same “favorite colors”?
- Is text written in colored ink easier to remember than text written in black and white ink?
- Are horoscopes accurate? Can their accuracy be measured?
- At what age to people develop the ability to accurately estimate the number of marbles in a jar?
- How do various types of music affect concentration?
- Can subliminal messages really be used to affect how people make decisions?
- Is there such a thing as ESP?
- Can people really tell if they are being stared at?
- Can a computer program help people make decisions?
- Can computer games be used to encourage students to do homework?
- How good are we at hearing one voice in a crowd?
- In communities with voluntary recycling programs paid for by the community or state, what is the average level of compliance?
- Does a bath take less water than a shower?
- What is the average ratio of recyclable waste to unrecyclable waste in your house?
- Does the ability to memorize information vary during the course of a day? Does everyone demonstrate the same daily pattern?
Evan"s Science Fair Project
It’s that time of year again! Science Fair projects. Yippee.
Evan’s favorite toy is a bouncy ball. So, he decided to turn that in to a project.
His goal was to test how high the ball bounces on different surfaces to see which one was the highest.
He predicted that granite would be the highest since it was the hardest.
He tested cement, grass, fake grass, asphalt, granite, tile, carpet, wood, glass, and dirt.
Evan found out that he was wrong. Asphalt ended up being the winner.
We stayed up way too late because, of course, we procrastinated until the last minute. Some comments were quite funny because we were a bit loopy. In the acknowledgments section, he thanked the Easter Bunny for giving him the awesome bouncy ball. Ha ha ha. Another time, we were discussing things that were hard and how he would change them if he had to do the experiment again. He said, “I found that it was hard keeping my hands up for a long time holding the measuring tape. I just sucked it up and fought through the pain like a man.” Ha ha ha.
I thought he did a great job, considering.
Examples Of Science Fair Projects - Alternative Bread Mold Project
In this example science fair project you are going to find out what are the ideal conditions for the growth of molds on bread and what can be done to prevent the growth of mold. Molds are fungi and with bacteria they grow on organic materials and causes (or helps with) decay.
This is one of our examples of science fair projects where adult supervision is needed as heat is going to be used and because of the potential danger of the mold growing.
What you need for your science project:
- 4 Slices of bread
- 3 Sealable plastic bags, big enough for your slices of bread to fit in it
- A Pair of rubber gloves
- Tags to mark your bags with
- Pen
- A knife
- Antiseptic cream
- A piece of kitchen towel
- A small plate
- A note book
- Camera
How to do your project:
1. We are going to use three different conditions: completely dry bread, normal bread as it is and bread spread with antiseptic cream. Our problem is to find out the conditions that speeds up decay, in this case the mould growing on the bread.
3. For your control place a piece of kitchen towel on a plate, place a slice of bread on the plate and place it in a cool dry place. (Why on a piece of paper towel?)
4. Take one of your slices of bread and completely dry it out in the oven at a very low heat.
5. Let it cool down completely. (Later on you should be able to give reason why it has to cool down completely)
6. Place the cold piece of “toast” in one of the plastic bags and mark it with a tag.
7. Place another slice of bread in one of the bags just as it is and mark the bag.
8. Spread your last slice of bread with antiseptic cream on both sides and place it in the last plastic bag and mark it.
9. Now you have to leave them in a warm (not hot) place.
10. Each day you have to make your observations, write it down and take a photo of your experiment. Do not forget your control.
11. Keep this up for a week.
12. You are now ready to write your conclusion, remember to give the reasons for what has happened to your slices of bread. Include your control in your conclusion. Your control shows what happens when you do not do anything, this id how you can draw the correct conclusion about what has happened to your other slices of bread.
* Do you know why the toast had to cool down completely before you placed it in the plastic bag?
* Is there only one reason for what happened to the toast or are there more than one?
* Why did you have to place your control on a piece of kitchen towel?
To get all the answer for doing a top science fair projects I recommend that you Download 24 Hour Science Projects for more help with your science fair projects and more examples of science fair projects.
Color Changing Milk Project
Question:
What material makes the food coloring move when you put a swab with liquid soap?
Hypotesis 1:
If we put some milk in a dinner plate, pour some food coloring and put a swab with
liquid soap, then the food coloring in the milk would expand and start moving to all directions because the soap makes a big chemical reaction with the milk which makes the particles of the milk go crazy.
Hypotesis 2:
Book-Inspired Science Fair Project
Another Greywater Science Fair Project Winner
The Rainbow Water Coalition has previously profiled some great student projects here, here, here, and here. But this new winner described in this article in the Arlington Sun Gazette does a repeat. I don’t know how the RWC missed this one, but back in March, 2012 “Valentina Lohr, a student at Williamsburg Middle School, earned a “Best in Fair” award at the middle-school level for her entry, “Is Greywater ‘Green’? The Relationship Between Greywater Applications and Earthworm Food Supply.”
Way to go Valentina! But her research project wins yet another award as described in this article in the Arlington Sun Gazette for, …drum roll please…, ”…second place in the American Statistical Association’s 2012 national project competition. She was honored for her project, “Is Greywater Green? The Relationship Between Greywater Application and Earthworm Food Supply,” which also won the Curtis Jacobs Memorial Prize for Outstanding Statistics Project, sponsored by the Washington Statistical Society“.
Who says greywater is boring?
Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.
