Science Fair Project Ideas

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT IDEAS

CONSUMER SCIENCE

Products/Brands

How is the cost of a plastic garbage bag related to its strength?
How is the strength of a plastic garbage bag affected by exposure to sunlight?
How is the strength of a plastic garbage bag affected by freezing?
How does moisture affect the strength of facial tissue?
Which toothpaste is most abrasive?
Do effervescent tablets dissolve at different rates in different substances? In which substance does an effervescent tablet dissolve the fastest?
How does temperature affect the rate at which an effervescent tablet dissolves? Do different brands of antacid dissolve at different rate? Which brand of antacid dissolves fastest?

Fabrics

How does the drying rate vary with different fabrics?
Which kinds of fabrics are easiest to dye?
Which fabrics are the best insulators?
Which fabrics absorb moisture fastest?
Which fabrics absorb the most moisture?
What fabrics are most fire-resistant?

Paper/Wood

How does wetting paper affect its strength?
Which paper plate will carry the most weight without buckling?
How do different types of paper change color when exposed to sunlight?
How do different types of paper change color when exposed to heat?
What is the strength of different woods? Why?

Synthetics

How does exposure to sunlight cause nylon to deteriorate?
How do changes in temperature and/or humidity affect the strength of nylon?
How does exposure to sunlight cause rayon to deteriorate?
How do changes in temperature and/or humidity affect the strength of rayon?

Food

How does the brand of popcorn affect the ratio of popped to unpopped kernels?
How does the storage temperature of popcorn affect the ratio of popped to unpopped kernels?
How does popping time affect the ratio of popped to unpopped kernels?

EARTH/SPACE SCIENCE

Evaporation/Precipitation

How does temperature affect the rate of evaporation?
How do additives affect the rate at which water evaporates?
How does air movement affect the rate at which water evaporates?
How does the viscosity (thickness) of a liquid affect its evaporation rate?
Which type of water evaporates the quickest: salt, tap, or distilled?
Does precipitation contain solid particles? If yes, what types of solid particles does it contain?
How does the acidity of precipitation vary with the amount that falls?
How does the acidity of precipitation vary with the seasons?

Weather

How do wind speed and the direction from which it blows affect the weather systems in your city?
How accurate are long-range weather forecasts?
Does the temperature of the air affect the air pressure?
At what temperature does condensation start?
What is the relationship of relative humidity and barometric readings to changes in the weather?
Can human hair be used to indicate changes in humidity?
Does the drying time of paint vary with humidity?

Outer Banks/Barrier Islands

How do different plants grow in different areas of a barrier island?
What factors affect the type of plants that can grow in different areas of a barrier island?
How do the size and shape of sand grains vary across a barrier island?
How does the salt content of shallow wells vary across a barrier island?
How does the character of sand grains vary from one barrier island to another?

Rocks/Soils

How is the distance a rock rolls in a stream related to the rounding of its edges?
How does the surface area of a rock change as it is broken?
How does the composition of a rock affect its resistance to abrasion?
Is rainwater absorbed at the same rate in different kinds of soil?
What is the composition of soils in our area?
How does the type of soil affect the growth of grasses?
How much water do different soils hold?
Do all crystals grow at the same rate?
Do all crystals have the same shape?
How are crystals formed?
What conditions are best for crystal growth?

Pollution

Are there solid particles in the air we breathe and what are they?
How does particulate air pollution vary from one area to another?
Does particulate air pollution vary depending on the way people use an area? Which areas have the highest levels of particulate air pollution?
How does the amount of precipitation affect the amount of particulate air pollution?

Moon/Sun

Does the moon rise every night at the same time and in the same location in the sky?
At what time of day does the sun give the most energy?

LIFE SCIENCE

Forensic Science

How does an individual’s foot length relate to his/her height?
How can the life cycles of insects be used to establish timelines?
How can insects and microscopic species be used to establish the location of a crime?
How do fingerprints differ?
How does heredity influence fingerprint patterns?
How can handwriting be used to identify an individual?
If a subject writes with her or her opposite hand, will the handwriting be effectively disguised?
How can bones be used to determine the age, gender, and ethnic background of crime victim?
What is the best surface for lifting fingerprints?
Does hair dye affect microscopic characteristics of human hair?
How do lie detectors work? Why are results from lie detector tests not used in legal proceedings?
How can specific tools be identified from scratch marks left on a surface?

Human Physiology

How does human weight change with time of day?
How does exercise affect blood pressure?
How does exercise affect body temperature?
How does exercise affect respiration?
Are certain dominant traits exhibited in the same family?
How fast do muscles get tired?
Does the time of day affect body temperature?
What factors affects a person’s ability to memorize?
How do we see colors?
How does the human digestive system work?

Seeds/Plants

How does the position in which a seed is planted affect the way its seedling sprouts?
What effect does the depth of a planted seed have on the plant’s growth?
How does the sprouting time for a seed vary with its size?
How does sprouting time vary with soil temperature?
Can a plant’s response to gravity be changed?
How will vitamins affect the growth of a plant?
How do the moon phases affect seed germination?
How does the amount of water given to plants affect their growth?
How does the amount of light affect plant growth?
How does the color of light affect plant growth?
In what kinds of materials (sand, clay, etc.) do seeds grow best?
What is the effect of chlorinated water on plant growth?
How do the number of seeds produced by different plants compare?
Will frozen seeds sprout?
What can be done to increase the decomposition rate of plants?
How much salt are plants able to tolerate and still grow?
Which fruits have a large quantity of acid?
What effect does the amount of sunlight have on the color of a leaf?
How does temperature affect the rate at which a banana ripens?
How does the size of a fruit affect the number of seeds it contains?
What factors affect seed germination?
Will bean stems grow downward if the only light source comes from below?
What factors affect leaf decay?
What are the effects of different types of fertilizer (artificial and natural) on plant growth?
How does photosynthesis take place in plants?
How does acid rain affect seed germination?
What are the reactions of seeds to different chemicals?
How does exposure to ultraviolet light affect germinate rates of seeds?
What is phototropism and its effects in different plants?
What are the effects of light direction on plant growth?

Animals

What kind of life can be found in one square meter of backyard soil?
How do mealworms respond to light?
How does an earthworm react to light and darkness?
What are some behaviors of earthworms?
What color of flowers attracts hummingbirds best?
What kinds of foods do certain types of birds prefer?
What colors attract moths and other insects at night?
Does temperature affect the flash rate of fireflies?
What is the effect of temperature on the activity of (mealworms, crickets, etc.)?

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Acceleration/Speed

How does the speed of a cart rolling down a ramp change with the angle of the ramp?
How does the speed of a cart rolling down a ramp change with the mass of the car?
How does the speed of a cart rolling down a ramp change with the size of the wheels?
How does the speed of a cart rolling down a ramp change with the placement of mass in the cart?
How does the speed of a ball rolling down a ramp change with the kind of material from which the ball is made?
How does the speed of a ball rolling down a ramp change with different ramp surfaces?
What kind (shape) of sail will make a boat go the fastest?
How does increasing the number of batteries affect the speed of a motor?
On what type of surface will a ball roll the fastest?

Bouncing Balls

How does the drop height of a ball affect the height of its bounce?
How does the drop height of a ball affect the number of times it will bounce?
How is the bounce of a ball affected by the surface on which it bounces?
How is the bounce of a ball affected by the material from which it is made?
Does temperature affect the height at which different balls bounce?

Heat and Light

How does the color of a surface affect the rate at which it absorbs or releases heat?
How does the texture of a colored surface affect the rate at which it absorbs or releases heat?
How does the color of light affect the rate at which it is absorbed by a surface?
Can infrared energy be detected in a spectrum? If yes, how?
How does boiling an egg change its mass?
How does the amount of light on a given area of a surface change with the angle between the light beam and the surface?
Which surfaces reflect light best?
Which metals conduct heat the best?
How do you measure the calories in a peanut?
Which material makes the best heat insulator?
Which color of liquid absorbs the most heat?
Which color container cools off the quickest?
Do black bottom pools keep the water warmer?
What is the effect of light on dyed material?
What is the conductivity of various liquids?
How does heating water affect the rate at which materials dissolve?
Where is the best place to position solar heating units?
Is a solar collector a feasible way to heat water?
How do you build a solar heater and use it to cook food?
How do you build a turbine and use it to produce energy?
What are the expansion rates of different metals?
How is photographic film developed?
How does the distance from a light change the size of an object’s shadow?
How is a shadow affected by the brightness of the light source?
How is the size of a shadow affected by the size of the object casting the shadow?

Ice/Water

What factors affect the rate at which ice melts (size, shape, additives)?
How do additives affect the time required for water to freeze?
What materials are the best insulators for ice?
Can freezing desalt salt water?
What are some ways that you can desalinate salt water?
Can you measure chlorine levels in our drinking water? Is it consistent?
Why is salt put on icy sidewalks?
In which liquids will an ice cube float? Why?

Magnets/Electricity

How does adding coils of wire to an electromagnet increase its strength?
How does the material from which an electromagnet core is made affect its strength?
How does the voltage applied to an electromagnet affect its strength?
How does changing the current flowing through an electromagnet change its strength?
How does the force between a piece of metal and a magnet vary with distance?
What is the effect of the type of circuit used on the brightness of light bulbs?
Can the wind be used to make electricity in the area where we live?
How does copper plating take place?

Sound and Music

How does the pitch of a bottle change when the volume of water in the bottle is changed?
How do different kinds of string material affect the pitch of a guitar?
Does the size of the vibration affect the loudness of the sound?
Through what surfaces does sound travel best?
What materials absorb sound the most?
In string phones, what materials work the best in conducting sound?
Does sound travel well through solids, liquids, and/or gases?
How does the length of a vibrating body affect sound?
How is sound transmitted?

Temperature

How does the viscosity of oil vary with temperature?
How does temperature vary with height above the ground?
How does the kind of vegetation in an area affect the temperature near the ground?
Is the temperature variation different on different sides of a building?
How does the kind of surface (concrete, asphalt, grass, dirt, water, etc.) affect the way temperature varies near ground level?
How does the drying time of paint vary with temperature?
How does the thickness of a liquid affect how fast it boils?
What are the effects of temperature on the strength of dry cells?
How does temperature affect the amount of electricity given off by a solar cell?
What is the effect of temperature on the volume of air?
What are the freezing points of different liquid substances?

Rubber Bands

How does the strength of a rubber band vary with temperature?
How does exposing a rubber band to sunlight change its strength?
How does exposing a rubber band to chemicals change its strength?
How does exposing a rubber band to heat change its strength?

Chemistry

Do metals rust at different rates?
What metals and/or materials will rust?
How does the use of paint prevent the formation of rust?
Can you evaluate inks with paper chromatograph?
What is the acidity of various household products?
What effect does size of particles have on how fast a solute dissolves?
How do you test acids and bases to determine their pH?
How is red cabbage juice used to determine whether materials are acids or bases?

Aerodynamics

What is the best shape for a kite?
How does the design of a paper airplane affect its flight?

Forces and Motion

How does a pulley help you do work?
Do all objects fall at the same speed?
How does the weight of a pendulum affect the swing?