Science Fair Project Ideas
The following is a list of experimental problems that can be used for science fair projects for third through eighth grade students. The projects with an * are a little easier for students that need less complex topics to investigate.
Students can choose a project from this list or can think of their own project ideas. There are many library books available that will list additional project ideas. Please make sure that the topic and concepts are grade appropriate.
All of the projects in this list should be done as experiments using the scientific method. Remember that the scientific method requires that you do repeated trials and/or use a large number of test items.
Projects Using Plants:
-How does planting depth affect germination? (plant one group of seeds on top of the soil, one group at a depth of 2 cm, one group at 4 cm, one group at 6 cm, etc.)
*Do seeds that are soaked germinate faster?
*Which types of seeds germinate the fastest? (try 3-4 types. Ex: corn, bean, carrot, marigold)
-How does salt affect bean plants? (or bean seed germination)
-How does crowding affect plant growth? (example: Tray A- 20 seeds all together in one spot; tray B- 20 seeds planted 5 cm apart)
-How does soil pH affect plant growth?
*Which plant food works the best? (Use 2 –3 different brands plus one group of plants without plant food; compare growth)
-Can electricity affect the growth of plants?
-Do magnets affect the growth of plants?
-How does temperature affect germination? (try 40° F, 70° F, 80° F, etc. not just refrigerated & room temp)
-Do plants grow better with regular white light or with different colored light?
-How does sunscreen affect photosynthesis? (put sunscreen SPF 8 on the leaves of one group of plants, SPF 30 on another group and no sunscreen on the third group. Compare growth & health of plants)
-How do oil spills affect aquatic plants? (use two small aquariums with Anacharis or other water plants; put dark oil in one aquarium)
-Does vitamin C cause an increase in the growth of bean plants? (or try vitamin B or E, or use another type of plant)
-How do different liquids affect the growth of bean plants? (use plain water for the control group and choose three or more of the following for the test groups: orange juice, milk, coffee, tea, regular cola, diet cola; and compare growth)
Projects Using Invertebrate Animals:
*How long does it take an earthworm (or a mealworm) to travel 100 cm?
*How long does it take an earthworm to burrow under different types of soil? (try potting soil, sandy soil, soil with clay)
-Do different surfaces affect how fast mealworms (or snails, etc.) move?
-Which foods do mealworms prefer? (try potato, oatmeal, apples, bran flakes, etc.)
-Which food do land snails prefer? (try lettuce, other vegetables, pieces of fruit, various types of leaves)
*Do mealworms (or earthworms) prefer a well-lit or a dark environment?
-How does increased feeding affect a population of mealworms? (compare the size and growth and lifecycle changes of two groups of mealworms)
-Do mealworms grow and mature faster when eating vitamin-fortified bran cereal instead of oatmeal?
*Are crickets plant eaters, meat eaters or both?
-How does temperature affect the lifecycle of mealworms? (put groups of mealworms in different temps; observe and graph changes into pupae and adults over 3-4 weeks)
*Can larger crickets jump farther than smaller crickets?
-Do larger snails move faster than smaller snails?
*What temperature do earthworms (or mealworms, snails, pillbugs, etc.) prefer?
*Do snails move faster on vertical or horizontal surfaces?
*Can earthworms detect light without having eyes?
-Can an ant (or a cricket, mealworm, or snail) learn a maze to obtain food?
Physical Science Projects:
-How do different surfaces affect how high a ball will bounce?
-Do tennis balls lose their bounce after the can is opened?
-How does the amount of air pressure affect how high a basketball will bounce?
*How do different surfaces affect how far a ball (or a toy car) will roll after leaving a ramp?
*Do lighter or heavier cars (or balls) go farther when rolled down the same ramp?
-How does the number of coils of wire affect the strength of an electromagnet?
-How is the rate of melting affected by color?
-Do different colors make a surface heat up faster?
-Which insulating materials are best at keeping an ice cube from melting?
-Which winter fabrics retain heat the best?
-What affects the frequency of a pendulum? (try length of string, weight of bob)
-Does salt affect the formation of rust on nails?
-Does acid rain affect the formation of rust? (use vinegar mixed with water to simulate acid rain)
-Comparing and testing the density of different liquids.
-How much gas is contained in different brands of soda pop?
*Can you dissolve more sugar in warm or cold water?
-How does the amount of the water affect how fast the water heats up and cools down? (try 250 ml, 500 ml, 750 ml, 1 liter)
-How does the shape of the container affect the rate of evaporation?
*How does temperature affect the volume of a gas? (use balloons blown to the same measured size; place in different temperatures, observe and measure changes in size)
Projects about environmental science:
-Do earthworms in the soil help plants grow better?
-What is the acidity level in rainwater from different areas?
-What kinds of things are biodegradable? Or - What biodegrades faster? (bury strips of newspaper, plastic bags, food scraps, aluminum cans, etc.)
-The effects of acid rain on plant growth. (simulate acid rain using a vinegar and water solution)
-Which warms up faster and which cools down faster, land or water?
Chemistry projects:
-Comparing the acidities of common beverages- Which are the most acid? (Use Ph paper to test different sodas, milk, water, orange juice, coffee, tea, lemonade, etc.)
-Testing for acids and bases in various household products
Projects about food:
*Which foods contain oils and fats? (brown paper bag test)
-Which has a greater edible portion, oranges or bananas?
-Which brands of chewing gum have the most sugar? (student masses different brands of gum before and after chewing; the saliva dissolves the sugar. Calculate loss = to amount of sugar; calculate %)
-Is there more water in apples, oranges, or carrots? (mass before and after dehydration)
-Does temperature affect onions producing tears?
-Which brand of chicken soup has the most chicken? (measure the mass of the chicken pieces)
Projects about consumer science:
-Which paper towel is the most absorbent?
-Which popcorn pops the best? (use 100 kernels of each brand, count number popped and number that didn’t pop and measure the volume of popped kernels)
-Which brand of diapers is the most absorbent?
-Which dish soap makes the most bubbles?
*Which brand of battery really lasts the longest?
Projects using mold or yeast (carefully follow safety procedures)
-How does light affect the growth of mold?
-How does temperature affect the growth of mold?
-How does the amount of moisture affect the growth of bread mold?
-What affects the growth of yeast? (try sugar, salt, etc.)
Projects about probability
Which number is the "luckiest"? (probability using 2 dice)
Projects Using Vertebrate Animals (Humans are vertebrates too!):
*** For many of these projects you may need to get a vertebrate endorsement form filled out and approved. Check with your teacher or science coordinator.
- Do all healthy people have the same body temperature?
- The opposable thumb - how necessary is it in performing tasks? (time tasks using thumb and then immobilize thumb with tape and time task again)
- How does music affect math performance?
- How does noise affect your pulse rate?
- Does playing video games affect your pulse rate?
- Do males or females have better short-term memory? Or – How does age affect short-term memory?
- How does age affect the speed of your reflexes?
-How does temperature affect the "breathing rate" of goldfish?
-How is the length of a human’s femur bone related to height? Is this ratio the same for males and females?
-How is the circumference of the human head related to height? Does this ratio change with age?