Table of Contents

PART 1: GETTING STARTED.Why Do a Science Project?What Must a Science Project Contain?PART 2: PROJECT IDEAS.How to Use the CliffNotes Science Fair Project Ideas.Physical Changes.What Makes Honey Crystallize?Do Thick Liquids Flow Faster or Slower than Thin Ones?What's the Best Way to Get Stains Out of Clothes?Which Brand of Soap Releases the Most Water Quickly?How Much Fat Is in Potato Chips?Chemistry.Are Household Powders Acids or Bases?What Are the pH and Total Alkalinity of Personal Care Products?How Do Acids and Bases Affect Enzyme Action?Which Fruit Juice Has the Most Vitamin C?Do Chemical Reactions Absorb or Release Energy?Forces and Motion.How Easily Do Objects Move over Surfaces?Will a Ball Bounce Higher If It Is Dropped from a Greater Height?What Is the Tensile Strength of Fishing Line?How Does the Volume of Air Affect How Far a Balloon Rocket Travels?What Makes a Pendulum Swing Fast or Slow?Heat.Do Some Liquids Heat Faster than Others?Will Some Colors Keep You Cooler than Others?Which Metal Conducts Heat Best?Do Some Colors of M&Ms Melt Faster than Others?How Does the Sun's Direction Affect Temperature?Light.How Does Light Make Colors?Does Ultraviolet (UV) Light Pass through Some Colors More than Others?Do Some Sunglasses Block UV Light Better than Others?How Many Images Can You Make with Mirrors?How Does Distance Affect the Spreading of Light?Sound.Can Sound Travel through a Barrier?How Well Do People Judge the Direction of Sound?How Does the Length of a Vibrating Column Affect Pitch?How Does the Loudness of Sound Vary in a Room?Does Distance Affect a Sound-Activated Finder?Electricity.Do Temperature and Humidity Affect How Long Static Charges Last?Does Electricity Move Better through Thick Wires or Thin Ones?Which Brand of Batteries Is Stronger or Lasts Longer?Does the Sun's Angle Affect the Output of a Solar Cell?Does a Fresnel Lens Affect the Output of a Solar Cell?Magnets.How Does a Compass Work?How Do Magnetic Fields Differ?Are Two Magnets Twice as Strong as One?How Does Distance Affect the Strength of a Magnet?Can a Toy Car Reveal the Strength of a Magnet?Soil, Rocks, and Minerals.How Does Moisture Affect the Color of Soil?How Does Porosity Vary in Rocks and Soils?How Compact Are the Soils Near Your Home and School?Does the Temperature Underground Vary as Much as the Surface Temperature Does?What Tests Can You Use to Identify Minerals?Microscopic Life.What Do Yeast Eat ... and How Can You Tell?Does Garlic Prevent Microbial Growth?How Does a Salt Concentration Affect the Hatching of Brine Shrimp Eggs?What Makes the Best Compost Pile?Do Hand Soaps and Sanitizers Prevent the Growth of Bread Mold?Plants.What's the Best Way to Stop Cut Fruits and Vegetables from Turning Brown?Are Some Fruits and Vegetables Denser than Others?Does a Mordant Make a Natural Dye Brighter or Longer Lasting?How Much Water Do Plants Lose to the Air?Do Long Pods Contain More Green Beans?Behavior.How Do Odors Affect Cricket Behavior?How Do Crickets Respond to Light and Dark?Does the Caffeine in Soft Drinks Affect the Human Heart Rate?How Accurate and Precise Are Dart Players?How Reliable Are Eyewitness Reports?PART 3: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.How to Make a Grayscale.Sources of Materials.Science Suppliers.Making Graphs.Using the Metric System.Constructing a Display.Planning for Next Year.

About the Author

Faith Hickman Brynie is a writer specializing in science and health; she holds a Ph.D. in Science Education, Curriculum, and Instruction from the University of Colorado. She is a frequent writer for the children's science magazine Odyssey as well as the editor of various elementary school science textbooks.