This is experiment #1 in a 3 part series of fun, simple, inexpensive projects that will wow your judges at the science fair.

Experiment #1. Magnetic Fields
This simple project will explore how magnetic fields affect the rate at which water flows. This will require water, salt solution, and a few permanent magnets. A good example of an everyday permanent magnet is a refrigerator magnet and these would work well for the experiment. These kinds of magnets can be purchased at most local stores, just try to avoid the flat strip magnets.

This project explores diamagnetism, simply meaning the property of being repelled by both poles of a magnet. Water is the diamagnetic element, meaning that it has permeability or degree of magnetization of less than 1 and it will repel the magnetic force. This will become your hypothesis for the experiment.

HYPOTHESIS: If water repels the magnetic force, then the rate at which water flows will decrease when a magnet is nearby.

PART I: This project can be conducted in a variety of ways, the easiest being to start by measuring (i.e. timing) the flow of 300 milliliters of water through a burette without a magnet (this is the control). You will want to repeat this 3 times and average the results. You would then repeat the same experiment but now with 2 permanent magnets at the bottom of the burette.

Did the water flow faster or slower with the magnets in place? Should you accept or rejection your hypothesis?

PART II: What do you think might happen if salt water is used instead of tap water?

Write your hypothesis:

If salt is dissolved in the water, then the rate at which water flows will (PICK ONE) increase, decrease, or stay the same.

Now repeat the experiment with salt water (i.e. a solution of water and table salt), timing the 300 milliliters of salt water through the burette without a magnet (the control) and then with the two magnets set up just like before.

Record all results in a table and make a bar graph. Then determine if your hypothesis was supported (conclude by accepting the hypothesis) or unsupported (conclude by rejecting the hypothesis).

Other variations to explore:

• How does number of magnetic affect the rate of flow? (compare one, two, three, four magnets)

• How does the distance from the water affect the diamagnetic effect? (i.e. measured as the rate of flow – determine by varying the distance between the magnets and the stream of water)

• How does the temperature of the water affect the diamagnetic effect? (i.e. is the effect measurably larger with hot or cold water?)

This experiment is great because of the low cost and fairly limited time it takes to get the results. Look for 2 more magnet projects coming soon!

Bruce Utsler is a freelance blogger and science enthusiast. He is currently studying to become an X-ray technician. He is an expert with magnets and when he isn’t busy studying or experimenting, Bruce likes to hit the streets with his longboard.

Need magnets or want to learn more about Bruce? see neodymimium magnets

Since there is no appeal process, no coach’s challenge, and no instant replay for review, the judges’ decisions stand (and will not be explained no matter how much you beg…). SO KNOWING THAT, your project must be well executed and well communicated so that the “bad calls” are minimized.

Here are 10 general questions all students should be prepared to answer:

1. Where did you get the idea for this project?

2. What did you learn?

3. Why are your findings (i.e. results/data/conclusion) important?

4. What was your control (i.e. why is that a control for the independent variable)?

5. Why did you pick that hypothesis (i.e. why did you think that would happen)?

6. Who helped you?

7. What would be an example of the next logical experiment (i.e. what would you do next)?

8. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

9. What were the hardest/easiest/most challenging/most fun /most exciting/ most unexpected (etc.) parts of the project?

10. Did anything surprise you along the way and why (i.e. how did you overcome that problem)?

Remember that there is a component of judging that is intangible and unpredictable. It is based on the random allocation of projects into rooms or groups. In the ideal situation, all judges would review all projects and all come to one agreement. This is not going to happen because of time constraints. Consequently, your impression on whatever judges you are randomly assigned is critical.

MORE TIPS for students:
• You need to study your project. You are responsible for every word on your backboard and every concept related to every word on your back board.

• Chances are you did the project a considerable time before the actual judging (especially at the higher levels); go back and re-read the log book and your research paper.

• You need to show enthusiasm and knowledge TOGETHER.

• One judge can make a difference – so treat EVERYONE who stops by your project with the utmost respect.

• Depending on your project, you could win while wearing ripped jeans or could lose while wearing dress clothes BUT remember that the impression on the judge is critical and your appearance will factor into that even if it is ever so slight. So if you hate dressing up – find the least dressy thing that you will not be fidgeting in and put in on for a few hours.

HAVE FUN!!

Sarah is in the 6th grade.

6th grade science fair project

Some things to notice:
-a catchy title

-just a touch of artistic flair (if there is too much “art” the project will look like an arts-n-crafts project and it might be interpreted as more art than science)

CHECK OUT: http://www.scholaradvisor.com or click on:
Educational Portal

School Science Fair Ideas

The school science fair is a time honored American tradition. It is meant as a celebration of all things science and allows students to receive praise outside of the classroom. Sure the kids who win the science fair are not held in as high esteem as the kids who win the sports events, but it is often the kids who win the science fair that go on to earn big money. Whereas few of the sporting heroes in school will ever make a career out of their efforts.

Many parents get involved with their students science fair projects. This is also becoming a time-honored tradition, as the parent’s education advice morphs into direct manipulation, often resulting in the kid running off to enjoy video games whilst the parents “play” with their project.

A child is sent to school to learn, which is a shame, because they should be taught how to think. Memorizing every state on the map is not going to help them figure out how to pay a mortgage after they lose their job; it is also not going to help them navigate a convoy of petrol tankers. A child should be taught how to think in school. The science fair is a good way to see how far your child has come. It is a good way to see how well they are learning to “think”.

If your child copies a friend’s idea then you may need to encourage him/her to think of something else. Why not take out their text books and scour them (together) to see what principals they may use for their science fair project. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1 – Creating Hydrogen
A child may rig up a small electrolysis device which fills up small plastic bags with hydrogen. As a little crowd pleaser, the child could explode the bag for the judges. If the child finds a green way of creating the hydrogen, then the green theme may help them win the fair. **

2 – Can smells scare away pests
There are lots of myths that claim that things like Basil smells bad to flies. A child may prove this by growing different herbs and introducing aphids or house flies to the plants. Could the basil be ground into a solution and sprayed on other plants for pest protection?

3 – Can the sun be concentrated?
Could a collecting of mirrors and magnifying glasses be used to heat water using only the sun’s rays?

4 – Smarties or Skittles in cola
They fizz away until the color comes off. Can diet cola fizz away more candies than regular cola? How does Pepsi fair?

5 – Which types of buildings will withstand an earthquake better?
Flexible buildings help, but will a round one fair better than a square one? Will a triangular based building last longer if it only has one central support column?

6 – Boiling points
What substances will lower a waters boiling point? You can show how pure distilled water can be heated until it is explosive.

7 – What grows quicker?
Put radish seeds in soil that has different components and see if you can find what elements make them sprout the quickest.

8 – The science of selling
Are some people more attracted to adverts with certain colors? Can a color really make people not want to look at something? ***

9 – Is it possible to grow stronger in just a week?
Keeping a daily chart of foods and exercise may help the scientist figure out what it is that helps muscles grow. ***

10 – Can heavier planes be forced to fly faster?
Can the downward force being exerted on a flying plane be used to make it move faster diagonally?

**Make sure you have permission to explode the bag!
***Make sure you have permission to do a project involving humans!

It is a good way of approaching a science fair project because you will know what you are going to do with your data even before you have it. Unfortunately, sometimes students collect a lot of numbers…. and then don’t know how to graph them, or which graph format is correct, or worse – didn’t collect the data correctly and now can’t graph them.

SO START WITH IMAGINING THE DATA. Here is an example from my lab notebook:

I always imagine the possible outcomes from the experiment BEFORE I conduct it and think about what each would suggest.

This is for an experiment that I was about to do. I knew I was creating different levels of a disturbance as my independent variable (x-axis) and that I was measuring the amount of metabolism in the bacterial community for my dependent variable (y-axis), but I DID NOT know what the data would look like – So I imagined all the possibilities, and what each possibility would suggest, and sketched them in my notebook BEFORE the experiment.

If you need help selecting a graph – check out the Graphing 101 tab under Scientific Method above for details.

In contrast….here is what my daughter’s school notebook looks like….

What a scientific notebook does NOT look like…

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
She’s not going into a science field.

If you have found your way to my website – I hope you are at least thinking about designing your own project!!

The key to designing your own project is NOT to start with the question – even though that seems like a good place to start – but rather to start with the DEPENDENT VARIABLE!!

Remember that the DEPENDENT VARIABLE must be quantitative — That means it can be measured in numbers (as opposed to qualitative variables that are described with adjectives).

So figure out what can you measure???

What might you have access to that other students do not? Think about what your mom does, what your dad does, what your neighbors do, what your teachers might have in their classrooms and try to identify something unique. Pretty much ANYTHING that measures something such that you end up with a NUMBER – will do.

Here are some things to think about:

You could measure…
• size or a change in size: weight, height, length, volume, area, perimeter, diameter
• speed (= distance / time)
• concentration (= # / volume)
• density (= mass/volume)
• frequency (how often something happens)
• angles and/or direction
• percent coverage, percent change (loss or increase)
• and many other things like temperature, humidity, light, sound, pH, wind speed, direction, water quality, tidal height, heart rate, blood pressure, reaction time

Now you need to figure out an INDEPENDENT VARIABLE can be either quantitative or qualitative (but quantitative would be best).

Examples of qualitative variables would include:
• color: red, blue, green, yellow, orange
• male/female
• small, medium, large
• slow, medium, fast
• high, low
• old, young
• labels for groupings: A, B, C, D, E
• any type of category

NOW form your question: How does the independent variable effect the dependent variable?

Your experiment will involve CHANGING the independent and MEASURING the dependent.

Good Luck! The best part will be when the judge asks “where did you get the idea?” (and they will ask!) – you will be able to say “I designed it myself!”

Step 1: Research

Examples of animals without backbones include the animals that made these shells

Search for “Ocean Acidification” and look for websites by NOAA or NSF or from a University/College.

DO NOT get overwhelmed by the chemistry. The essential idea is that ocean water is naturally basic (pH ~ 8) but with all the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, some of it diffuses into the ocean and shifts the pH to something lower (i.e. less basic = more acidic). The name is a bit of a misnomer in that the ocean is becoming more acidic, but it is not necessarily becoming an acid. Regardless, this project looks at the effect of pH changes on marine life.

Note: acids have a pH of less than 7 and bases have a pH of more than 7. Ocean water has a pH about 8 – and that might not sound like much of a difference from neutral (= 7), but because pH is a logarithmic scale (just like earthquakes), each change of 1 unit = 10x. A change of 2 units is really a 100 fold (10 x 10) difference.

Also decide which animals you want to determine the potential impact on – the best choices are mollusks, crustaceans, or echinoderms depending on what you have access to. Go to a seafood restaurant or seafood department of the supermarket and ask for left-over oyster, mussel, clam or scallop shells (all mollusks), or crab, shrimp, or lobster shells (crustaceans), or sea urchin shells (echinoderms).

DO NOT USE LIVE ANIMALS

.
.
.

Step 2: Design your own unique experiment

Question: How will changes in ocean water chemistry affect animals that live in the ocean?

The question is already in the right format: How will X affect Y?

X is your independent variable so it will be the one that you manipulate.

Y is your dependent variable so it will be the one that you measure.

Therefore, the experiment will need to change water pH and measure a change to the shells. If you don’t have access to real ocean water, you can make your own by buying the salts at a pet store or online. You can also buy pH strips or pH test kits anywhere aquarium supplies are sold.

Figure out a way to change the pH of ocean water (hint: vinegar is an acid and bleach is a base – be careful with bleach!).

Now figure out a way to measure a change to the shells — think about: if the shell dissolves how will you measure the change in size? (hint: differences can be measured as absolutes or percentages).

Don’t forget replication. You will need 3 shells for your control condition (ocean water with no change in pH) and 3 shells for your experimental condition (ocean water with a different pH).

Creative twists: compare different animals or different types of animals, compare different pHs, compare different times, etc.

Final hint: Take photographs!

Good Luck – Oh and it may take a few weeks to months (depending on pH selected) to see noticeable changes, so set it up in a place that it will not be disturbed – NOT THE KITCHEN TABLE!!!

However, here I will give you a basic design and then you can twist this into a unique science fair project by targeting a different variable. But, if you are in a crunch – and the project is due TOMORROW then just do Part I of the experiment explained below. It should get you a decent grade because it is technically correct.

BACKGROUND

First ask yourself: How long does it take for coffee to reach a safe temperature to drink?

Your gut reaction might be: “it depends” – and you would be correct, it does depend on many factors, some of which you can use in Part II to modify this basic design into your own unique project, but for now just estimate the time. Note that there is NO WRONG ANSWER here – it is just whatever you think it might be (10 seconds? 10 minutes? 10 hours?).

Now think about what information you need to know in order to determine a quantitative, objective answer. For example, you would probably need to know:

What is a safe temperature to drink?

— To find the answer, you could do some research or you could use:
— 143 degrees F (62 degrees C)

What is the temperature of coffee right after it is brewed?

— To find the answer, you will measure it yourself

How long does it take for a liquid to go from one temperature to another?

– To find the answer, you will conduct an experiment

.
.
.

EXPERIMENT – PART I

Materials:

– Coffee maker
– Coffee
– 3 identical mugs
– 3 meat- or candy- thermometers
– 3 stopwatches

.

Procedure:

1. Make a pot of coffee
2. Pour exactly 1 cup of water into 1 mug, start the stop watch, then measure and record the temperature with the thermometer.
3. Repeat with the second mug and then the third mug.
4. Measure the temperature every minute until the temperature is lower than the safe temperature you found in your research or the one I have listed above. You might want to continue to measure the temperature for a few more minutes to have a nicer looking graph.
5. Record the total time for each mug-thermometer-stopwatch set up
6. Graph time vs. temperature and add a horizontal line for the safe temperature

What is your independent variable?

– Answer: time – which means time goes on the x-axis

What is your dependent variable?
– Answer: temperature – so put temperature on the y-axis

How close were you to your hypothesis? (Hint: your hypothesis was the time you estimated BEFORE you started.

.
.
.

EXPERIMENT – PART II

Here is where the creativity comes in. You will now compare the results above to the results from a second run with ONE and only one variable (i.e. factor) changed.

So what factors might the answer also depend on:

• Volume of coffee?
• Strength of the brew?
• Type of coffee maker?
• Type of container (i.e. material the mug/cup is made of)?
• Amount of cream added?
• Adding Cream vs. Milk (whole, 1%, 2%)?
• Amount of sugar added?
• Adding Sugar vs. Sweetener?
• Type of coffee?
• Coffee vs. Tea vs. Hot chocolate?
• Store bought vs. Home brewed?
• Different coffee shops or different major brands?
• Dunkin Donuts ® vs. Starbucks ®

Can you think of any others?

.
.

Now, the first set of results are your control.

The second set of results are your experimental results to answer a new question:

How does ____________ affect the time to reach a safe temperature for drinking coffee?

Hypothesis: If ____________ then the time to reach a safe temperature will
(pick one) increase/decrease/stay the same

Experiment: Repeat the same experiment, but make your change. Also make sure you cool the coffee maker and the mugs back to room temperature.

Note that the more time (and interest) that you have, the more times you could repeat the experiment with other variables. Generally, the more you do, the more competitive the project will be.

Good luck and have fun!

First, keep in mind the basic FORMULA FOR SUCCESS:

Scientific method (45%) + Creative idea (45%) + Random intangibles (10%) = SUCCESS!

Accordingly, the project must apply the principles of the scientific method to a creative idea to be successful. The last 10% (random intangibles) come into play at higher levels of judging and competition and are impossible to predict. So – don’t worry about them – focus on the first two parts, since they are worth more.

Next, review the BASIC GAME PLAN:

BEFORE the project, you (as the parent/mentor) should…

1. determine what type of student you have
2. get the proper equipment (starting with a notebook, later you will need a backboard)
3. learn/review the scientific method (see tab on home page)
4. learn the general rules (see tab on fatal flaws – know these ahead so you don’t start down the wrong path)
5. complete the practice experiment (skip if it’s the night or weekend before the project is due)
6. help student find a creative idea

DURING the project, you should…

1. be ready to ask the right questions (see tab on judging tips)
2. pace the project by setting realistic milestones/deadlines
3. help prepare them for grading/judging

Finally, remember that the scientific method is the framework by which we teach science. It will be important for you child’s project to have its basic parts including: question, hypothesis, experiment with controls, dependent and independent variables, data analysis, conclusion.

Good Luck!

It is the perfect time to start a plant-themed science fair project because there will be sufficient time for the plants to grow by a measurable amount. Plant projects also automatically earn extra points for effort because they are an example of a project that could not have been done the night, or even weekend, before the due date.

Typically a plant project’s DEPENDENT VARIABLE will be some indicator of growth. That could be height, weight, surface area, volume (e.g. for a succulent), and/or the number of blades, leaves or flowers. If you start with seeds the dependent variable could be the number (expressed as a count or a percentage) that germinate and if you start with plants it could be the number that survive or the number that die. Color could also be selected, but remember that color is a QUALITATIVE variable and the top projects almost always have QUANTITATIVE dependent variables.

The INDEPENDENT VARIABLE is a much more difficult choice. Plant projects usually suffer from a lack of creativity because there are only so many ways you can water or light a plant. Very common examples include watering plants (seeds/seedlings/plants) with tap water, rain water, distilled water, bottled water, carbonated water, salt water, pond water, flavored water, etc. or other common liquids like coffee, milk, soda, tea, juice, bleach, etc. Also, a project that shows up at almost every fair I have ever judged includes growing plants under different colored lights. I highly recommend trying to design a creative project that stays away from these ideas.

To design your own plant-themed science fair project, try one of these strategies to find a creative topic:

1. Think about your desired end result:
• Do you want to ENHANCE plant growth to increase yield? This result might help certain regions of the world grow more crops. What aspects of growing a plant could be systematically manipulated to increase production of the targeted food?
• Do you want to REDUCE plant growth to eliminate a specific species? This result might help with weed control or removal of invasive species. What apspects could be systematically manipulated to discourage growth?

2. Think about plants in their environment:
• Are you interested in PLANT-ANIMAL INTERACTIONS? Remember there are some observational studies that are allowed using vertebrate animals such as birds, squirrels, bats, etc.? What aspect of the plant attracts or detracts animals? Can you suggest and test a suitable alternative?
• Do you wonder how plants discourage insects from eating their own leaves (did you know plants have “weapons”)? Research PLANT-INSECT COEVOLUTION and PLANT DEFENSES. Find one that interests you and test how effective it is.
• Did you know some plants compete with each other (for space, light, water, pollinators, etc.) while others help each other grow (symbiosis)? Look into ALLELOPATHY. How could allelopathy be used to help farmers?

3. Focus a project on the development of a part of the plant:
• Plants have many parts: Fruits, seeds, leaves, stems, shoots, roots, flowers, etc.
• Research PHOTOTROPISM, HYDROTROPISM, THIGMOTROPISM – Ask: How does the plant “know” where to grow? Can you outsmart the plant by altering an aspect of its environment? What practical application might this have?

4. Focus on a unique plant type
• Grasses are easy to grow, but mostly boring. Research: Mosses, Ferns, Vines, Epiphytes – what are their UNIQUE ADAPTATIONS that faciliate their success? What would you expect to happen if you manipulated their environment?
• Carnivorous plants; Research their unique ecology and ask: is there food preference among or within carnivorous plant species?
• Aquatic plants; Research their unique adaptations and ask: how much does that adaptation contribute to growth?
• LICHENS (OK – these are not plants, but if you live near or have access to the woods – you could do a very original projection on lichen growth and ecology)