Science Fair Ideas

Questions to Investigate :
(Borrowed from Tillamook Science)

For many students the hardest part of the science fair is coming up with a project to study.  Even if you don't pick any of these ideas, hopefully this will get you thinking creatively to develop your own question.

SAFETY FIRST: Many of these activities may require protective equipment such as gloves, goggles or respirators.  Be sure to seek adult approval before starting a project.

• Does music affect animal behavior?
• Does the color of food or drinks affect whether or not humans like them?
• Where are the most germs in your school or home?
• Does music have an affect on plant growth?
• Which paper towel brand is the strongest?
• Which paper towel brand absorbs the most water?
• What is the best way to keep an ice cube from melting?
• What level of salt works best to hatch brine shrimp?
• Can the food we eat affect our heart rate?
• How effective are child-proof containers and locks?
• Can background noise levels affect how well we concentrate?
• Does acid rain (vinegar, lemon juice, etc. in water) affect the growth of plants?
• What is the best way to keep cut flowers fresh the longest? (salt, sugar, bleach?)
• Does the color of light used on plants affect how well they grow?
• What plant fertilizer works best?
• Does the color of a room affect human behavior?
• Do colors affect blood pressure?
• Do singers have greater lung capacity than non-singers?
• What brand of battery lasts the longest?
• Does the type of soil used in planting affect how fast plants grow?
• What type of food allows mold to grow the fastest?
• Does having worms in soil help plants grow?
• Can plants grow in pots if they are sideways or upside down?
• Does the color of hair affect how much static electricity it can carry? (balloons on hair)
• How much weight can the surface tension of water hold? (ex: paperclips)
• Can salt, temperature, or soap affect the surface tension of water?
• Can some people really read others thoughts?
• Which soda decays fallen out teeth the fastest?
• Does regular, diet, cherry or vanilla cola decompose metal nails at different rates?
• How does the amount of light affect plant growth?
• Does the color or brand of food affect how much an animal will eat? (dog, cat fish, bird, etc.)
• Do natural or chemical fertilizers work best?
• Does milk (or another household product) help plants grow?
• Can animals learn? (cats, dogs, fish, hamsters, insects, birds, etc.)
• Can people tell artificial smells from real ones?
• What brands of bubble gum produce the biggest bubble?
• Does age affect human reaction time?
• What is the effect of salt (or other chemical) on the freezing temperature of water?
• Do more eggs make a cake less crumbly?
• Does baking powder make cookies rise more than baking soda?
• Does changing the butter temperature change the cookie size?
• Does changing weight affect how a car goes down a ramp?
• Will the number of wire wraps affect how strong an electromagnet is? (Don't forget to sand the end of the wires when connecting them to batteries.)
• Do different fruits produce different strength batteries?
  

---

Here are some other places you can look for ideas:

• AllScienceFairProjects.com
• Education.com
• ScienceBob.com
• ScienceBuddies.org
• Science Fair Extravaganza
• Explorable.com
• JulianTurbin.com
• MWV Middle School Science Fair