Possible Research Problems for Science Fair Projects
(These are just ideas or questions to get YOU thinking about a possible idea. Think of a question/problem that YOU want an answer to. Is there an invention/idea that you could come up with to help solve the problem? Your hypothesis has to have one independent variable and dependent variable. All others need to be controlled for. )
Astronomy:
How can the exact position of the sun in the sky be determined?
How strong is the gravitational pull of the moon?
Can you tell time by the sun and the shadows it casts?
How do sailors use the stars for navigation?
How do astronomers measure distances between stars?
Why is it possible to still see the sun’s image before sunrise & after sunset?
Why does the moon sometimes appear larger than at other times?
Why is the earth’s sky blue?
Where is the balancing point (the barycenter) in the earth-moon system?
What causes a solar or lunar eclipse?
Why are some areas of the earth darker during a solar eclipse?
Why do both mars & earth have cold poles?
Why is it so hard to make observations of the surface of the planet mercury?
When is mercury most visible from earth?
How does the moon shine?
How did the moon get its craters?
What causes the phases of the moon?
How does distance from the sun affect a planets period of revolution?
How does distance from the sun affect a planets speed?
Why do planets continue to move?
Why does mars sometimes appear to move backwards?
How does a planets color affect its surface temperature?
What forces keep a satellite in orbit?
What causes Saturn’s rings?
How can Saturn be seen through its rings?
What happens to the heat & moisture inside an astronaut’s space suit?
How does an astronaut’s space suit affect his/her blood?
What affects a star’s brightness?
Why do stars twinkle?
Does the sun’s position affect how a rainbow is made?
Why is Venus’s atmosphere so hard to see through?
How does the thickness of a planet’s atmosphere affect how light travels through it?
Why is Venus so hot?
Biology:
How are plants classified?
How do muscles work?
Where do pill bugs like to live?
How does an areas change from a river to land?
How does removing part of a peanut affect it’s germination?
Does the acidity of soil affect plant growth?
How is yogurt made?
What determines the appearance of a person’s face?
Why can’t a person hold their breath until they die?
What & where does the tongue taste?
How do fluids move within a cell?
How does a red leaf produce food?
How does photosynthesis work?
How do the cones of various fir & pine trees differ?
What effect does smoke have on plants?
Can plants grow my moonlight?
What factors affect the decomposition of leaves?
Can different types of plants be grafted together?
How do various types of roots differ in the way they get water from the soil?
What is the life cycle of a frog?
Does the moon affect the activities of nocturnal animals?
How is blood type determined?
What is human hair made of?
Why can some animals see better at night than others?
What causes fruit to ferment? How is this different from decomposition?
Do humans have parasites? Are all of them harmful?
Do plants grow better with constant light or do they need to rest?
How do the heart rates of different sized animals compare?
Is there more chlorophyll in coniferous or deciduous trees?
Do birds repair their feathers?
What is the purpose of the layer of fat some animals have under the skin?
How does color protect some animals from predators?
How did dinosaurs chew their food without grinding teeth?
How do earthworms respond to light?
How does the optic nerve affect vision?
Is blinking a voluntary or involuntary action?
How does the eye work?
How can you determine the age of a fish?
Why do dead fish float belly-side up?
How does temperature affect how a fish breathes?
How does sound travel?
How can we tell the direction a sound comes from?
Why do insects make a buzzing sound when they fly?
What conditions promote the growth of mold?
Is there a difference in sensitivity between various parts of the body?
Is a cell wall permeable?
Is starch produced in leaves?
Can a plant live in a microclimate independently?
Do plants move to seek more light?
How do seeds know when to sprout?
How do polluting detergents affect birds?
What are the parts & functions of a bean?
Does how a seed is planted affect the direction of root growth?
Do plants know which way is up?
Does temperature affect seed growth?
Are fingerprint patterns hereditary?
How does light affect skin color?
What is the function of sniffing?
Does smell affect taste?
Do all spider webs have the same geometric design?
What makes a person snore?
Does gravity affect a person’s height?
How does water move through a leaf?
Do leaves lose water?
How is water transported through plant stems?
Why do plants wilt?
How do some flowers open quickly?
How does the brain interpret the sense of vision?
What causes optical illusions?
Are the senses affected by gender?
Does vision operated differently at night?
How do fingernails grow?
How can you predict possible gene combinations?
What are the chromosome combinations that determine gender?
Why does the heartbeat of mammals make a sound?
Chemistry:
What is the relationship between temperature & volume in a gas?
Can atmospheric pressures do work?
What is the relationship between chemical bond type & conductivity?
Is it possible to chemically clean tarnished metal?
Why is marble damaged by pollution?
Are the colors we see all that there is?
What is the difference between chemical change & physical change?
How does a catalyst work?
What happens when something burns?
What happens when something freezes or evaporates?
What things affect the freezing point of water?
What factors influence surface tension?
What things affect the pH factor of water?
What chemicals are present in your tap water? How clean is it?
How does the pH of tap water and rainwater compare?
What factors influence the freezing & boiling point of water?
How does the pH level of soil affect plants living in it?
What makes some plastics biodegradable?
What makes disposable diapers more absorbent than cloth diapers?
How does baking soda adsorb odors?
Why will small bits of paper stick to a balloon?
Why can water climb up a vertical paper towel?
Why does milk curdle?
Do all crystals form the same shape?
How do stalagmites & stalactites form?
Are water molecules ever at rest?
How do enzymes in detergents remove stains?
Why does a cut apple turn brown?
What are the effects of expanding gas?
How does dish washing liquid clean oil away?
Does air have weight?
How does heat effect the movement of molecules?
Does temperature affect the way things dissolve in water?
How does sunlight affect color?
How does frost form?
How does evaporation affect heat?
Why does water form beads on certain surfaces?
Why can water rise above the edge of a container without spilling?
Earth Science:
How do clouds form?
How polluted is our local water?
What causes water currents?
Why do the stars in the sky seem to move?
How do icicles form?
Does depth affect water pressure?
How does a seismograph record the magnitude of an earthquake?
How is the energy of an earthquake transmitted through the earth?
How does the cooling of magma beneath the earth’s surface (intrusive volcanism) affect the shape of the crust?
Does the viscosity of lava affect its flow rate?
How do atoms and molecules arrange themselves in minerals?
How strong is atmospheric pressure?
What makes a siphon work?
Does temperature affect the movement of water?
Does temperature affect the movement of air?
How does the earth’s crust move?
Why does the earth bulge at the equator?
How does the earth’s rotation effect the movement of wind & water?
Can we prove that the earth is spinning?
How do faults produce earthquakes?
What factors effect soil erosion?
Why do streams & rivers wander instead of going straight?
How does dew form?
Why do different rocks & minerals break differently?
How does the ocean get its salt?
How do raindrops form?
What is the effect of the earth’s tilt on the seasons?
What factors affect the tides?
Is it possible to predict the eruption of a volcano?
Can ice split rocks?
Do pebbles, sand, and soil mixed and shaken in a jar of water settle in the same order in fresh water and in seawater?
Do a soil profile of the soil in your area. Label and explain it
What factors affect the rate of evaporation of water?
How much cooler is it in the shade than in the sun? What factors affect this difference?
Do clouds have weight?
How are clouds different from fog?
What effect does carbon dioxide have on heat energy from the sun?
What causes wind?
How do clouds form? What factors influence this?
Can seawater be changes into fresh water?
What factors create ocean waves?
Why do some ocean water look blue, some green, and others light brown in color?
Physics:
What is the difference between parallel & series circuits?
How can I predict a moving objects trajectory?
What is friction & how can it be reduced?
How can I measure the momentum of a thrown baseball?
Can I prove that momentum is conserved?
What factors influence the movement of a pendulum?
How can I measure the speed of sound?
How do fiber optic cables work?
Can a magnet lose its attracting ability?
How does a siphon work?
What part of a magnet has the strongest attracting ability?
What materials can a magnetic field act through?
Is there a relationship between electricity & magnetism?
Can electricity produce movement in a current carrying wire?
Why does electricity travel more easily through some materials than others?
How does an airplane fly?
What design produces the most effective paper airplane?
How does air speed affect air pressure?
How do heavy ships float?
What effect does center of gravity have on motion?
How do I locate an objects center of gravity?
How does friction affect inertia?
How do different surfaces affect friction?
What effect does height have on the energy of a moving object?
Does gravity affect the shape of soap bubbles?
Do heavier things fall faster than light things?
Does gravity pull on all things equally?
How does a gyroscope work?
How does gyroscopic motion effect the movement of planets?
What are the effects of inertia?
Does light travel in straight lines or can it curves?
How does a lens work?
How do simple machines make work easier?
How do things move?
What factors determine the pitch produced by a vibrating object?
How do fluorescent lights work?
What are the effects of static electricity?
What makes a boat float?
What causes colors in soap bubbles?
Why are bubbles spherical?
Why do mirages appear on paved roads and in deserts?
What factors influence how far a baseball travels when hit?
Do objects float better in fresh water or salt water?
What makes a substance a good conductor for electricity?
Why do windows steam up on the inside?
Is the surface tension of rainwater, tap water, and rainwater different? Why?
How so solar panels work?
What factors influence how much heat an object absorbs from the sun?
What do gears do? What are the different kinds of gears?
Why do some pulleys have a large wheel and a small wheel instead of wheels of the same size? How does this affect its performance?
What is the shape of a magnetic?