Science Fair Project Ideas
The greatest hurdle facing most students when starting a science fair research project is the selection of a topic. Though many books have been written describing projects, few of the projects described—especially in the older books—are true "research projects." This list is designed as a quick resource when a student asks the familiar question, "What kind of project can I do?" Each project title can be designed with one experimental variable. All other factors affecting the outcome of the student's research can be controlled.
Remember to obtain approval before using animal or human subjects. Contact your state or local science fair office for official guidelines.
Consumer Science
Absorption
- How does the size of a sponge affect the amount of water absorbed?
- How does the size of the holes in a sponge change the amount of water it can absorb?
- How does the material from which a sponge is made affect the amount of water absorbed?
- Is the amount absorbed by a sponge affected by the type of fluid being absorbed?
Bag Strength
- How is the cost of a plastic garbage bag related to its strength?
- How is the strength of a plastic garbage bag affected by its thickness?
- 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 exposure to radiation?
- How is the strength of a plastic garbage bag affected by freezing?
- Which brand of plastic garbage bag is strongest?
- How does moisture affect the strength of a paper grocery bag?
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?
Facial Tissue
- How does the resistance of facial tissue to blowing (compressed air) vary from brand to brand?
- How does the resistance of facial tissue to blowing (water) vary from brand to brand?
- How does moisture affect the strength of facial tissue?
Paper
- How does wetting the paper affect its strength?
- How can you fold paper to make it support more weight?
- Which paper has the fastest capillary action?
- Which paper plate will carry the most weight without buckling?
- Does the color of a paper towel affect its strength?
- How does the color of a paper towel affect the amount of water it will absorb?
- How do different types of paper change color when exposed to sunlight?
- How do different types of paper change color when exposed to heat?
- How do different types of paper change in strength with changes in humidity?
Soap
- What kind or brand of soap makes the most bubbles?
- What kind or brand of soap bubbles last the longest?
- What kind or brand of soap or detergent cuts grease best?
- How do soap bubbles react to additives in the water?
- How does glycerine affect the size and/or strength of blown soap bubbles?
- Can soap bubbles be made in a variety of shapes?
Solution
- 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 rates? Which brand of antacid dissolves fastest?
- Do different brands of antacid neutralize different amounts of acid? Which brand of antacid neutralizes the most acid?
- Which brand of antacid neutralizes acid the fastest?
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?
- Do woven blends of nylon, rayon, etc. withstand sunlight and weather better than pure nylon or rayon?
- Which woven mixture withstands sunlight and weather best?
Earth/Space Science
Evaporation
- How does temperature affect the rate of evaporation?
- How do additives affect the rate at which water evaporates?
- How does the size of its container 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?
Humidity
- Can human hair be used to indicate changes in humidity?
- How do different colors of human hair react to changes in humidity?
- Does straight and curly hair react differently to changes in humidity? What is the difference?
- How does treating hair with chemicals change its reaction to changes in humidity?
- Does the drying time of paint vary with humidity?
The Outer Banks
- 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?
Physical Geology
- 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?
Pollution
- What kinds of particles are found in our air?
- 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?
Precipitation
- How does precipitation vary from place to place within a storm?
- 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?
Wind
- What is the average speed of the wind in your city?
- How does the speed of the wind vary with the direction from which it blows?
- What direction does the wind blow from in your city?
- Is the direction from which the wind blows related to weather systems?
Food Science
Fruits
- 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?
- How does the size of a fruit affect the amount of juice it contains?
- How does the kind of fruit affect the amount of juice it contains?
Popcorn
- How does the method of popping affect the volume of popcorn?
- How does the method of popping affect the ratio of popped to unpopped kernels?
- How does the brand of popcorn affect the ratio of popped to unpopped kernels?
- How does the amount of moisture 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 the type of oil used affect the ratio of popped to unpopped kernels?
- How does the temperature of popping affect the ratio of popped to unpopped kernels?
- How does popping time affect the ratio of popped to unpopped kernels?
Soft Drinks
- Which drinks are the most carbonated (have the most fizz)?
- Do drinks stay colder longer in cans or bottles? What is the reason for any differences?
- Can people distinguish between brands of soft drinks?
- What effect do different soft drinks have on various materials (for examples, meat, vegetables, pastry, paper, fabrics)?
Sugar
- How does water temperature affect the rate at which sugar dissolves?
- How does water temperature affect the amount of sugar that can be dissolved in a given volume?
- How does the shape of a piece of candy affect the rate at which it melts?
- How does the size of a piece of candy affect the rate at which it melts?
- Do different kinds of candy melt at different rates?
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 does heredity influence fingerprint patterns?
- How can handwriting be used to identify an individual?
- If a subject writes with his or her opposite hand, will the handwriting be effectively disguised?
- How can bones be used to determine the age, gender, and ethnic background of a 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?
Life Science
Epidemiology
- Can the life span of individuals buried in cemeteries be related to medical discoveries?
- How do the life spans of individuals buried in cemeteries reflect epidemics?
- How do the death rates of individuals buried in cemeteries reflect epidemics?
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?
- Do males and females grow at different rates? If yes, which gender grows fastest?
Seeds
- How does the position in which a seed is planted affect the way its seedling sprouts?
- How does the sprouting time for a seed change with planting depth?
- 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?
Physical Science
Acceleration
- 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 cart?
- 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?
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?
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?
Ice
- 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?
Light
- How does the area covered by a light beam change with the distance to a surface?
- How does the strength of a light beam change with the distance to a surface?
- How does the area covered by a light beam change with the angle between the beam and a surface?
- How does the amount of light on a given area of a surface change with the angle between the light beam and the surface?
Magnets
- 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?
Music
- How does music affect the respiration rate of fish?
- How does music affect the activity of fish?
- 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?
- How does the length of a pitch pipe affect its pitch?
- How does the speed of a passing car affect the change in pitch demonstrated by the Doppler effect?
Oil/Friction
- How does the viscosity of oil vary with temperature?
- How does the slipperiness of oil vary with temperature?
- How do different oil weights behave differently (viscosity, slipperiness) with changes in temperature?
Rubber Bands
- Are thicker rubber bands stronger? If yes, how does the strength of a rubber band vary with thickness?
- How does the strength of a rubber band vary with temperature?
- How does using a rubber band affect its strength?
- 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?
- How does exposing a rubber band to radiation change its strength?
Shadows
- 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?
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?
For further information on science competitions, visit the American Junior Academy of Sciences and the Science Service.
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