Can’t decide on a topic for your science fair project? Don’t know what you’re interested in?

Take a brief survey and the site below will recommends projects that may be a great fit for you!

Go to the Topic Selection Wizard at sciencebuddies.org

Do you know what area your interested in, but don’t know exactly what you want to work on? Check out the topic suggestions under your category of interest and see what you can find.

Behavioral Science

• Cell Phones and Diving: Does cell phone use affect diving ability in a video game simulation?
• Cell Phones: Does the amount a person text influence their spelling abilities?
• Eyewitness Testimony: How reliable are eyewitness reports?
• Memory: Do mnemonic devices actually help people remember things?
• Learning: How does music influence learning and memory?
• Learning: What is the relationship between physical exercise and learning?
• Sleep and Grades: Does the amount of sleep that students get affect their grades?
• Reflexes: Does gender affect react time to colors and words?
• Food: Does eating breakfast affect attention span?
• Mood: What effect does tanning have on a persons mood?

Biochemistry, Medicine, Health and Microbiology

• Bacteria: Are antibacterial hand lotions effective in reducing bacteria populations?
• Bacteria: How well do we wash our hands?
• Bacteria: How clean are the tops of soda cans and what is the most effective way to clean them?
• Blood Pressure: What effect does playing a video game have on a person’s blood pressure?
• Caffeine: What affect does caffeine have on fruit flies?
• Caffeine: Are the motor skills of teachers or students affected more by caffeine consumption
• Vitamins: What brand of orange juice has the most vitamin C?
• Body Temperature: How does eating cold/ hot food change a person’s body temperature?
• Arthritis: Does magnetic energy have any affect on lessening the pain associated with arthritis?
• Food: How does cooking time and cooking temperature affect the fat content of french fries?

Biology and Botany

• Animal: How does size affect the breathing rates of tropical fish?
• Animal: How do laws/policies on deer hunting affect deer populations?
• Animal: Are natural sponges more absorbent than synthetic sponges?
• Animal: What color bird feeder attracts the most birds?
• Animal: What factors attract or detract mosquitoes?
• Plants: What type of music increases plant growth the most?
• Plants: What can you do to prevent the growth of mold on store bought bread?
• Plants: Which is better organic fertilizer or chemical fertilizer?
• Plants: What affects do different over the counter medications have on plant growth?
• Plants: How does cigarette smoke effect plant maturation?

Chemistry

• pH Levels: What are the effects of different foods on the pH level of the mouth?
• pH Levels: What components affect soil pH?
• Aluminum: Does aluminum leach out of Teflon pans?
• Chemical Reactions: How does water hardness affect the color of hair dye and how long the color lasts?
• Chemical Reactions: What materials are strongest when reacting to acid rain?
• Chemical Reactions: Which product waterproofs leather shoes the best, and why?
• Oxidation: How do you prevent the oxidation of apples?
• Corrosion: What factors affect corrosion in aluminum foil?
• Electrochemistry: How do the levels of salt and vinegar affect the amount of gas produced by electrolysis of water?
• Magnetism: How does temperature affect a magnet?

Earth and Environmental Science

• Earthquakes: Do earthquakes tend to occur at a certain time of day?
• Weather: How accurate are Web-based weather forecasting services?
• Weather: What are the effects of the weather and human emotions?
• Pesticides: Are organic or chemical pesticides more effective for controlling grasshoppers and locusts?
• Wind: What is the relation between wind direction and temperature inversions?
• Water: Does fresh water or salt water hold heater longer?
• Sewage Treatment: How do common household chemicals affect the effectiveness of sewage treatment?
• Pollution: Is snow safe to eat?
• Oil Spills: Why are some animals able to survive an oil spill?
• Recycling: What reusable items make the best soil/fertilizer for indoor plants?

Engineering

• Sound: How does drywall thickness affect sound transmission?
• Aerodynamics: What is the most aerodynamic bike wheel?
• Concrete: Are there any recycled materials that can actually strengthen concrete?
• Flight: What paper makes the best flying paper airplane?
• Structures: How strong/safe is a playground jungle gym?
• Structures: Which design of skyscraper best withstands wind?
• Structures: Can fences be used to create snowdrifts in desirable locations?
• Solar Cells: How does temperature affect the efficiency of a solar cell?
• Steel: What steel make up will rust fastest?
• Insulation: Can corn byproducts be used as an effective insulation material?

Math & Computer Science

• Artificial Intelligence: Does alpha-beta pruning improve program efficiency?
• Calculations: Can a calculator be wrong?
• Computer Speed: Is there such as a thing as “too fast” when it comes to a computers operating system?
• Biometrics: Can vocal wave patterns be used to identify individuals?
• Robotics: Can a robot be programmed to learn and reproduce a path to a target?
• Education: Are online storage centers safe places to keep student records?
• Cellular Automata: How do various rules affect a two-dimensional system of cellular automata?
• Computer Modeling: How do snow crystals grow?
• Video Games: Do you have to win for the video game to be fun?
• Video Games: Do you actually learn anything about playing an instrument in video game simulations?

Physics

• Dynamics: Does the height to which a golf ball bounces when dropped affect how far it will travel when struck by a golf club?
• Dynamics: How does tempeture affect the bouncy-ness of a bouncy ball?
• Dynamics: How does air pressure affect a soccer ball’s flight?
• Force: Can eggs with stand a greater force from one direction to another?
• Sound: How does the material of a violin string affect how long it will stay in tune?
• Liquids: How does the viscosity of motor oil change as it is used in an engine?
• Light: How does what droplet size affect the brillance of a rainbow?
• Materials: Which materials are best a blocking radio waves?
• Magnets: What affects the strength of an electromagnet?
• Energy: What brand of battery lasts the longest?

Want even more suggestions for topics? Visit any of the following sites for more ideas and suggestions.

http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/category0.html

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/pages/sciencefairzone/topics.asp

http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/sciencefairs/senior.html (For project ideas grades 9-12)

http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/sciencefairs/intermed.html (For project ideas grades 7-9)

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/

http://stas.edu.pe.ca/english/sub.cfm?source=ideas_experiment2

http://www.juliantrubin.com/sciencegateways.html

Do you know of a great site for science fair topic ideas? Let us know about it at ucsciencefair@uc.edu

Already done a project or two with the Scientific Method? Try your hand at Engineering Design.

Students may also choose to design a mechanism, product or system. This process does not follow the scientific method. Instead, this method requires a student to rationalize the need for the product, mechanism, or system, then design parameters for success, construct and test the design next to those parameters, and make the needed changes to the design. Click here for more details about the differences between Engineering Design and the Scientific Method.

Engineering Design Project Idea

• Design a better smoke detector
• Make a wheelchair more user-friendly
• Create a more efficient way to electronically collect and store data
• Design a safer child’s safety seat
• Create a better hearing aid
• Make a cell phone battery last longer