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Examples of Science Fair Projects
Find the Right Type of Project for You
So you are wondering what type of project you should do; the examples of science fair projects here will help you identify just the right type for you. You will also find some great examples of science fair projects so that you can see what your finished project might look like.
Depending on the level of your science fair competition, you will be spending a substantial amount of time over the upcoming weeks or months working on your project. You therefore want to become quite familiar with the different project types
so that you can pursue the one that interests you the most.
Just in case you already have an idea of the type of project you would like to carry out, you can have a look at the large collection of science fair topics in the topic ideas section and if you would like some more in depth examples of science fair projects, just head over to the science fair project idea section. You will find a great selection of ideas and science project examples.
Examples of Science Fair Projects ~ Types of Projects
Generally speaking, there are three different types of science fair projects that you can potentially carry out for your science fair. Below is a brief outline of these project types as well as examples of science fair projects topics that fall into each category.
Examples of Science Fair Projects ~ Experimental Research
If you are intrigued by the things that make up your surroundings, or are fascinated by the natural phenomena that you observe in your everyday life, then a science investigatory project or experimental research might be the one for you. These types of projects usually involve the application of the scientific method and this is actually what distinguishes them from the other two types.
Experimental research projects usually involve making initial observations and this is followed by a definition of a problem or purpose for the pending investigation. This will then generally be followed by the formation of a hypothesis and the development of a procedure that you will use to test the hypothesis.
You will then usually carry out an experiment and collect data for further analysis using the procedure you have outlined, after which you will draw conclusions. Below are a few examples of science fair projects topics you could explore that fall into this category:
How long does it take your heart rate to return to normal after exercise?
The basis of this science fair project example is the heart rate of humans and how it fluctuates. You could look into the way in which the human heart responds to stress such as that caused by physical activity and how it returns to it's normal state once this stress has been alleviated.
Why is the body less flexible early in the morning than in the afternoon?
In this science fair project example, you could look into the effects that temperature has on muscle flexibility. For example will you be able to move more easily when the climate is warmer?, whether it is morning or night? Snowing or sunny etc...
How does the tension in a guitar string affect its pitch?
The scientific basis behind this example could be the creation musical notes. You could look into how people perceive or hear musical notes. For example will a guitar string that is wound tighter create a higher pitch or a lower pitch sound and what is it that actually creates these different notes?
There are many examples of science fair projects that fall into the experimental research category.Here is a more detailed description of a scientific investigation based on the scientific method and how you might go about conducting an experimental research.
Examples of Science Fair Projects ~ Technology Innovation
Technology innovation or engineering science projects usually involve construction
of a kit or model. They generally demonstrate a scientific principle, aim to provide a solution to a common problem or provide improvements on current solutions.
Although the scientific method is not followed as such in this type of project, a methodical process is used and this is commonly referred to as the engineering design process. Having used the engineering design process countless times in my university studies in electrical and biomedical engineering, this is by far the type of project that I enjoy the most.
If you examine examples of science fair projects that fall into this category, you will usually find that they involve defining a problem and the purpose of the project.
This will usually involve developing a design criteria, building and testing a prototype.
This prototype will then usually be tested and it's performance analyzed with a focus placed specifically on how closely the design addresses the problem it is trying to solve. Below are a few examples of science fair projects topics falling into the engineering criteria that you could possibly explore:
Demonstration of electrical phenomena
In this example you could build a series of circuits consisting of light bulbs connected in various series and parallel configurations to explore Ohm's Law. In this you could show how the different connections affect the performance of the light bulbs with regards to brightness. You might also look into the types of connections that might be more preferable in certain situations and why.
How does rocket propulsion work?
Here you could design several model rockets to investigate the process by which rockets are propelled into the sky. Of particular interest here would be the exploration of Newton's Laws of motion such as Newton's Third Law of Motion which explores equal and opposite forces.
Which bridge design is the safest?
The history of bridge design is one that has had infamous moments of catastrophic events. The Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse due to strong winds is a prime example.
In this example you could create model bridge designs and look into well known factors that affect how much load certain bridge designs can withstand before collapse.
Examples of Science Fair Projects ~ Science Research Paper
This type of science fair project is less common than the experimental research and technology innovation project types. As its name suggests, it is more specifically based on research with the view of reporting findings in a scientific research paper as the end result.
It will usually involve researching, collecting and interpreting data from a wide variety of sources and drawing comparisons or evidence that supports the particular scientific principle that you are investigating. Here you can find a more thorough explanation of the steps involved in completing a scientific research paper.
What Your Finished Project Might Look Like
Below you will also find some written examples of science fair projects donated by a few generous students. They are a good indication of what your science fair project write-up might look like. Just click on the links below and a PDF file will open for
your viewing. Feel free to print them out for future reference.
Take some time to become familiar with the different types and examples of investigatory projects. You ideally want to pursue a type of project that interests
you the most and one that meets the requirements of your science fair competition.
Where to From Here?
- Browse through a host of Science Fair Questions for ideas that can be explored further as science fair projects.
- Take a look at the Science Fair Topics descriptions and ideas for more examples of science fair projects.
- Or jump straight to the more detailed Science Fair Project Idea section for more concrete science fair projects possibilities.
The resources you find here will be constantly updated and you will continue to find more examples of science fair projects being added to so make sure to bookmark this this page and pop around for another visit in the near future.
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