Project Ideas

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General Biology Chemistry Mathematics Physics Meteorology Electricity Agriculture

Important Information


Project Guidelines


Project Ideas


Reference Links


Lifelines


Science Trivia


Listed below are oodles of project ideas – three whole pages worth! Simply click on Page 1, 2 or 3 to switch between pages (look in the upper right corner).

On PAGE 1 project ideas are sorted by scientific areas (chemistry, biology, etc.). PAGE 2 lists experiments by degree of difficulty. PAGE 3 lists all the experiments from last year’s 2005 Science Fair.

You can also check out the REFERENCE LINKS to access some Internet sites (don’t forget to get your parent’s permission first). Your own imagination, books in local libraries, other students, teachers, and parents are also wonderful resources.

Once you settle on a topic, the PROJECT GUIDELINES section will help you with how to get started, steps to follow, and presentation ideas.

  • What happens to a piece of bread forgotten in your locker?
  • Which lasts longer, Duracell or Energizer?
  • Why do people choke up on a bat?
  • Is Bounty really the "quicker picker upper"?
  • How can you tell if dice are "fair"?
  • Is there a difference between different plant fertilizers?
  • The effect of light, soil type, music, temperature, oxygen, or water on plant growth.
  • The effect of oxygen (or carbon dioxide) on plant growth (enclosed system)
  • Will cut flowers really last longer when the flower freshness packet is added to the water?
  • Will cut flowers turn color if dye is added to the water?
  • What is the effect of temperature on gas solubility (soda water)?
  • What is the effect of seed treatment prior to planting (temperature, moisture, etc.)?
  • What is the effect of temperature on the rate of a chemical reaction?
  • What is the effect of salt on the freezing point of water. On the boiling point of water.
  • How does the window in the car go up and down?
  • What happens when I put a shell in vinegar? What happens to a rock? How about a penney?
  • What is the effect of salt on the electrical conductivity of water.
  • What is the effect of temperature on the solubility of salt (or sugar).
  • What is the effect of temperature, light, moisture ... on the growth of bread (or cheese) mold.
  • What is the effect of breathing changes, physical activity, eating, music... on heart rate.
  • What is the effect of music on math scores.
  • What is the effect of friction on the speed of an object.
  • Does friction generate heat?
  • Which gum holds its flavor longer?
  • Do boys really like blue and girls really like pink?

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GENERAL

  • What happens to a piece of bread forgotten in my locker? Is it different if the bread is in a paper bag, or a plastic one? Does the amount of moisture affect the results?
  • Does "Dawn" clean more dishes than "Joy"?
  • Do pendulums with different height strings — swing the same number of times? — go at different rates?

 

ELECTRICITY

  • How is current affected by the type of conductor, temperature, or filament.
  • Will an electromagnet with more wires produce more field strength?
  • How do fluorescent lights compare with filament bulbs, in effectiveness and cost?
  • Which lasts longer, Duracell or Energizer?

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PHYSICS

  • What is the best design for a paper airplane?
  • Does the weight or length of a pendulum affect its speed?
  • What materials will sink or float in water? Why?
  • Can I lift objects easier by using levers, pulleys?
  • Sports:
    1. How does a ball bounce off of the wall? Can I measure the angle it hits and predict where it will go?
    2. How does a gymnast balance?
    3. Why do people choke up on a baseball bat?
  • How do metals compare in conducting heat?
  • How metals compare in density and buoyancy?
  • How does the amount of oxygen affect the rate of burning?
  • Does temperature affect solubility?
  • Are some substances more soluble than others?
  • What is the best wing shape for a paper airplane? Why?
  • Compare densities of different gases — do balloon experiments with different types and amounts of gasses.
  • How is light affected by passing through water — view objects under water, experiment with prisms, form of rainbows.

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CHEMISTRY

  • What are the effects of salts on the freezing point of water and other liquids ... why are roads salted in the winter?
  • Will water freeze at different rates if it is mixed with other things (sugar, salt, pepper, soapy water ...)?
  • Vinegar, oil, water ... what mixes, what doesn't? what floats, what doesn't?
  • Effect of gluten on cookies ... try out different flours (cake, pastry, etc. ) and predict what will happen to the cookies.

 

METEOROLOGY

  • Record the length of days and nights over a period of time; what effects do the changes have on things like household plants, pets, etc.
  • Is air in your house the same temperature at floor level and near the ceiling? How could you spread heat more evenly through the house?
  • Does dew form on clear or cloudy nights? What other frost factors increase the amount of dew? Can you measure how much dew is formed in a square meter.
  • How does the temperature change during the day? What time is usually the warmest? Can you construct your own thermometer to keep your own records.
  • Is evaporation real? Can you demonstrate it? Is it a function of temperature?

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BIOLOGY:
Please keep in mind that one of the
Ground Rules for the fair is no animals.

  • How fast does my heart beat - when I'm lying down, sitting up, jogging, running?
  • What happens to my pupils with different amounts of light?
  • How are germs spread? Do people catch colds more at certain times of the year? Check in with your school nurse to see if she has a record of absences. Graph the absences by week, month. Is this what you expected?
  • Make observations on the life cycle, feeding habitats, population, of various organisms; flies, bees, butterflies.

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MATHEMATICS

  • Roll a pair of dice 10 times. Sum and graph the results. Repeat this 20 time, then 50, then 100 times. Do you see a trend in your graph? Is this what you expected?
  • Flip a coin and record the results. Repeat 10 times. Repeat 50 times. Compare your results. Is this what you expected?

 

AGRICULTURE

  • What is the effect of light on plants?
  • What is the effect of pollutants in water — grow plants and use water that is pure and water that you contaminate with sugar of varying amounts, or with salt....
  • What is the effect of different types of fertilizers on different types of plants?
  • How does water travel through plants? Put celery sticks in water with different food coloring. See how it travels.
  • Do earthworms play a role in the health of soil? Dig in areas where a garden was very successful and compare what you find in the soil to an area where even grass has a hard time growing? Try to keep all other conditions the same. If they are not, what role did these other conditions play?

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Any Questions? E-mail the Science Fair Committee.