Jr. High Science Fair Project “Suggestions”
From Soda Bottle Science:
- “Wave Machine”
Objective: To observe how different liquids have different densities
Materials: several 1-liter soda bottles, liquids of different densities
- “Viscosity Bottles”
Objective: To discover how the viscosity of a liquid changes with temperature
Materials: several 1-liter soda bottles, water, cooking oil, pennies, hair dryer, ice
- “Inertia Bottle”
Objective: To investigate how the mass of an object affects its inertia
Materials: several 1-liter soda bottles, wooden board, thick book, tennis ball, basket ball
- “Soda Bottle Pendulum”
Objective: To explore the law of pendulums
Materials: 1-liter soda bottle, sand, small washer or nut, string, broomstick, chairs
- “Hot-Air Balloon”
Objective: To observe what happens to the volume and density of air when it is heated and cooled
Materials: soda bottle, pan/water/stove, sunshine, ice cubes
- “Infiltration Bottles”
Objective: To investigate which earth material allows water to flow through it fastest
Materials: several 1-liter soda bottles, plastic cup, water, sand, gravel, soil
- “Porosity Bottle”
Objective: To investigate which type of soil stores moisture best
Materials: several soda bottles, thumbtack, sand, potting soil, topsoil, cups, water, paper towels, garbage bag
- “Soda bottle greenhouse”
Objective: To investigate if the color of light affects the growth of plants
Materials: clear soda bottle, colored soda bottle, identical plants/accoutrements
- “Yeast Beast”
Objective: To investigate how yeast cells get food
Materials: 2 1-liter soda bottles, yeast, sugar, water, balloons
- “Soda Bottle Composters”
Objective: To explore how nutrients are recycled in nature
Materials: 4 1-liter soda bottles, newspaper/grass clippings/vegetable scraps/etc., spray bottle, tape
From 50 Terrific Science Experiments:
- “Don’t Be Dense”
Purpose: Compare the densities of several liquids. Determine the relative densities of some objects.
Materials: glass jar, water, salt, food coloring, oil, molasses, small wooden block, paper clip, egg, crayon, button
- “Heat It Up”
Purpose: Determine that warm molecules move faster than cold molecules
Materials: 4 glass jars, water, food coloring, ice, wooden spoon
- “Cold Feet”
Purpose: Compare the effectiveness of wool, cotton, and nylon as insulators
Materials: socks of different materials, thermometers, empty soda bottles, clay, glass jar
- “Enzyme Buster”
Purpose: Observe the effects of acids, bases, and water on the enzyme in apples that speeds the browning reaction of apple by oxygen
Materials: apple slices, small cups, vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, milk of magnesia, water
- “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Leaves”
Purpose: Determine the effects of acid rain on plant growth
Materials: 3 identical plants, spray bottles, water, vinegar, baking soda
- “Speed Demon”
Purpose: Observe the effect of a catalyst on a chemical reaction
Materials: beef liver, water, hydrogen peroxide, thermometers
- “Bold Molds”
Purpose: Grow fungi (bread molds) and observe some of their growth requirements
Materials: plastic bags, bread, hand lens, water
- “Chalk It Up to Acid Rain”
Purpose: Observe the effects of acids on chalk, a calcium carbonate compound
Materials: chalk, vinegar, straw, file, plastic wrap
- “Tips on Smooth Lips”
Purpose: Evaluate the effect of oils and waxes on moisture retention in lips
Materials: tissue paper, petroleum jelly, chapstick, lipstick, stiff paper, water, food-coloring, tape, dropper
From 46 Science Fair Projects for the Evil Genius:
- “Go with the Flow”
Problem: Does shape affect the ability to withstand high velocity winds?
Materials: glue, cylinder, wood, hair dryer, scissors, ruler
- “Kinetic Pendulum”
Purpose: To understand the principles of pendular motion
Materials: bowling balls, plastic bags, rope, string, swing set
- “Vlip”
Problem: Do trained dogs respond to commands because of association with sound and not because of any understanding of language?
Materials: pet dog, training book
- “Flying in the Wind”
Purpose: To determine if wind speed is different at ground level compared to 30 or 40 feet above ground
Materials: ribbon, clothespins, flagpole
- “A Better Burger”
Purpose: To compare the fat content of different grades of ground beef
Materials: 3 grades of beef, kitchen scale, use of standard kitchen equipment
- “A Sweet Treat”
Problem: What happens when an organism is given a choice between a sweet food with little nutritional value, and a nutritional source of energy?
Materials: white sugar, brown sugar, saccharin artificial sweetener, aspartame artificial sweetener, compass, ants, popsicle sticks, cardboard
- “A Fantastic Vitamin”
Problem: Does boiling foods affect the Vitamin C content?
Materials: carrot, jars, water, corn starch, Vitamin C tablets, iodine, eyedropper, standard kitchen equipment
- “A Bold Mold”
Problem: What environmental factors create mold that spoils food?
Materials: lettuce, bread, meat, cheese, fruit, spray bottle, sandwich bags
- “In the Ear of the Beholder”
Problem: Is all noise equal?
Materials: 10 Jr High students, 10 adults
- “Zenith is not a radio”
Purpose: To determine the time of the sun’s highest altitude
Materials: plywood, protractor, level, clay
- “M&M’s Ring Around the World”
Materials: several bags of M&Ms
Problem: 30-A: Percentage of each color in a bag?
30-B: Number of pieces per bag?
30-C: Weight of individual pieces? (additional material: scale)
- “Choices”
Purpose: To determine which is the stronger trait for selecting objects-- the location of the object or the association of color?
Materials: cupcakes, food coloring, eye dropper, 20 male students
- “Melting Mountains”
Purpose: To determine if the rate at which ice melts effects the amount of material lost
Materials: milk jugs, styrofoam trays, wood, sand, freezer, scale, heat lamp
- “Parallelogram Prevention”
Purpose: To find the best placement of braces to strengthen a square wooden frame
Materials: screw hooks, lumber, nails, sand, towel, scale, wood, saw, drill, hammer
- “A Taste of Plant Acid”
Purpose: To determine if pH is a factor in the taste of an onion
Materials: several different kinds of onions, litmus paper
- “A Nose Knows”
Purpose: To determine if age affects the ability to identify scents
Materials: cookies, vanilla extract, ten adults, ten students, small jars
