Science Fair Project Idea Websites: The Science Club: Kid's Science Projects Science Fair Idea Exchange Other Build-it Yourself Projects Science Fair Project Ideas: FORCES What is the best design for a balloon-powered toy car? What is the best design for a toy car powered by a mousetrap? Does the mass of an arrow affect its penetrating power? How can we measure very tiny amounts of mass, and tiny changes in mass? What factors affect the speed with which a parachute falls to the ground? What is the mechanical advantage when using a ramp to raise objects? Is a large pulley more effective than a small pulley? What happens to the force needed to lift a weight when an additional pulley is added to a block and tackle? Measuring the gravitational force between two masses using a torsion balance. Demonstrate how simple machines function through construction and use of a Rube Goldberg machine. What effect does the weight of a bat have on how far a ball can be hit? Compare aluminum baseball bats to wooden ones, and decide the advantages of each. What factors affect the bounce of a dropped ball? What materials are most effective in protecting a dropped egg from impact? Which paper airplane will fly the farthest? How does shape affect the lift of an airplane wing? Determine the factors that affect the amount of centrifugal force. Does a coat of paint change the strength of a piece of wood? Do detergents have any effect on the strength of cloth fibers? What factors affect the strength of a wooden beam? Which laminated beam design is the strongest? How does the tail affect the flight of a kite? How does shape affect the speed at which a boat can travel? Which blade angle is most efficient for a windmill? Research and demonstrate the Bernoulli principle. What is the best shape/design for a spinning top? What is the best shape/design for a boomerang? What size and shape of Frisbee is best for long distance throwing? How Will the Addition Of Holes Affect the Flight Of a Frisbee? How strong is a spider's web compared to other fibers? Do all objects fall to the ground at the same speed? TEMPERATURE What effect does temperature have on air volume and pressure? What factors affect a material's combustibility? What factors affect the temperature of a flame? What effect does temperature have on various types of glue? Which type of firewood provides the most heat for the dollar cost? Construct and explain the operation of a solar cooker. Construct and explain the operation of a solar furnace. Compare different materials (sand, stone, water, wood, paper, etc.) in their ability to retain heat after removal from a heat source. Does temperature affect the strength of rubber bands? Which materials are the best insulators? What factors affect insulation? Does the color of human hair affect its ability to insulate? Which glass would warm up first, one wrapped in dark construction paper or one wrapped in aluminum foil? Which glass would preserve ice the longest? What effect does heat have on a recording tape? What factors determine how long a candle burns? Which fabric materials are the most fire resistant? Compare the flammability of different roofing materials. How can the fire resistance of clothing and household fabrics be increased? Construct a homemade air conditioner and explain how it works. How does anti-freeze work to control freezing/boiling in a liquid? Does color affect how rapidly a material will lose heat? Does the color of a liquid contribute to its ability to absorb heat? Does temperature affect how much salt or sugar can be dissolved in water? Does air movement contribute to evaporation? How does surface area affect the evaporation rate of liquids? What affect does temperature have on water evaporation? Does temperature affect data transmission in fiber optic cables? PERIODIC MOTION What factors affect the period of a pendulum? Do all watches keep the same time? How well can you tell time without a clock? SOUND What factors affect the pitch or frequency of a sound? What factors affect the loudness or volume of a sound? What is the Doppler effect and what factors affect it? What methods can be used to measure the speed of sound? Which are the most accurate? Does sound travel at different speeds through different materials? Determine the natural resonant frequency of glassware. Can wine glasses be broken with sound alone? If so, which factors affect it? Over what distance can voice messages be transmitted through a tube? What factors affect acoustical sound-proofing? Sonoluminescence: Turning sound into light. Can you tell where sound is coming from when you are blindfolded? Does sound travel best through solids, liquids, or gases? LIGHT & OPTICS Explain the visible light spectrum and explain how light colors mix. How does the eye interpret the rapid mixing of primary colors? How are rainbows formed? Why is the sky blue instead of some other color? How does distance affect the apparent brightness of a light? Demonstrate the effects different lenses have on light beams. Construct, demonstrate and explain the optics and operation of one or more types of homemade pinhole cameras. Construct and demonstrate the effects and operation of one or more homemade microscopes. What factors affect light reflection? Refraction? Construct a homemade periscope and use it to explain light reflection. Can the density of a liquid be determined using light refraction? How can you photographically measure the speed of a fan? Research and explain the production of 3D images from 2D photographs. Research and explain the process of generating light energy by triboluminescence. Find means of demonstrating the process. Does light travel at different speeds through different materials? How can we measure the refraction of light through different substances? How do magnifying glasses work? What determines the magnification? Research and explain the use of fiber optic cables for data transmission. Do bends in fiber optic cables cause losses of audio data transmission? Which colors show up best in the dark? Which colors show up best in a thick fog? Which type of sunglasses does the best job of reducing glare? Do sunscreens really reduce the amount of ultraviolet radiation? What is infrared light and how can we detect it? Does the color of water affect its evaporation rate? How does the size of an exit pupil affect the visual resolution of the eye? ELECTRIC/MAGNETIC Demonstrate the effects of static electricity with a homemade electroscope. Build and calibrate a thermocouple (twist together and crimp a copper and an iron wire). Use it to measure a wide range of temperatures. Is the energy developed by a solar panel directly proportional to the amount of light striking the panel? How can we make a homemade photocell? How is the conductivity of distilled water affected when substances such as salt, sugar, vinegar or baking soda are added? Determining the magnetic permeability of different materials. What happens to the strength of the magnetic field when the number of coils in an electromagnet is changed? Build a model train that is magnetically levitated and explain its operation. Research and demonstrate how it is possible to shield magnetic fields. Does the shape of an antenna affect its radiation pattern? How can you measure the strength of a magnet? Conductivity In Ionic Solutions HYDRAULICS/PNEUMATICS How does a water tower maintain water pressure throughout a village? How can we measure the force with which air presses down on the earth? Use a Cartesian Diver to demonstrate how changes in pressure affect density and how density in turn affects flotation. What effect does pressure have on the boiling point of water? What effect does airflow have on the evaporation of water? How much weight can a group of balloons lift? What factors affect the buoyancy of cans of soda pop? What factors affect the speed of a can of soda pop rolling down an incline? How does the shape of a kite affect its flight? How does the air pressure of tires affect the fuel efficiency of a car? ATOMIC Research cosmic rays and other radioactive particles and construct and demonstrate the use of a cloud chamber, which detects their presence. Research and demonstrate the use of a cosmic ray telescope.