Science research » Gravity

Simple Science Fair Projects – Two Ideas

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:04:16 +0000

Science fair projects can be fun experiences if you find the right one. Do you know what the hardest thing is for most students when assigned a science project? Many would say it’s coming up with an idea that interests them and then getting it started. If that is the case with you, then these ideas for simple science fair projects will be just what you need this year.

Gravity

Gravity is the earth’s pull or attraction on objects. Gravity is what holds you and I to the ground and keeps everything else that moves from floating around in space. Everything from people, pets, rocks, water, books, schools, houses, cars, softballs, and more, have weight because of the earth’s gravity. You may know that things have different weights depending on how big and dense they are. A small marble for example weighs less than a baseball.

Did you know that even though a baseball weighs more, a small marble and a baseball will both fall through the air at the same speed? In other words if they are dropped from the same height, at the same time, they will both hit the ground at the same time. This idea can be easily turned into a simple science fair project that you would enjoy.

Humidity

Humidity simply means how much water vapor or moisture the air around us contains. The amount of water vapor in the air will vary depending on the time of year, where you are located, the type of air mass over your area at the time, etc.

How well air can hold moisture depends also on the temperature of the air. The higher the temperature the more moisture air can hold. The lower the air temperature the less moisture the air can hold.

This is why we see dew on the cars and grass in the mornings sometimes. The air is often warmer during the day than at night and collects moisture from evaporation. At night when the temperature drops the air can’t hold all the moisture it has collected and it condenses (the water falls out and collects on colder objects) onto cars, grass, etc. that are cooler.

Can you think of a simple science fair projects experiment to show that air can hold more moisture when its warmer than when its colder? How about taking a glass of cold water from the refrigerator and placing it on a table or counter in a warm room. Does water collect on the outside of the glass? The colder glass cools the warmer moisture laden air that is touching it causing some of the water to collect on the outside of the glass.

By: Doug Nicholson

School Science Projects – What Teachers Really Want

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:31:58 +0000

Looking for a project that can get your teacher’s attention? You need not look any further! And yes, while you’re on the lookout for the best possible project, don’t forget to hop into our library for free guidelines on your projects.

How to Make Your Project Grab Your Teacher’s Attention? To get you started, here are some things that teachers are looking for in good Science projects.

STEP #1: Choose a topic that interests you. Teachers are looking out for science projects that are wholeheartedly done. They can tell a project done well and just for the sake of doing it. It is therefore important to choose a topic that you love.

Your ideas about the following things could turn into science projects:

1. Things That Amaze You: Ever wondered how a huge airplane manages to fly in thin air? Grab some books on that topic from your library, and do some research. There are many like you who are equally confused. Maybe you could look for books on gravity and aerodynamics.

2. Things That You Encounter Daily: Ever wondered how your camera works? Try constructing a pin-hole camera. Or how your car works? Experiment with various home-made models.

3. Things That Others Say: Find out why your parents tell you to exercise or eat your vegetables or go to bed early. Research and learn the positive benefits of these habits on your body. Why do people prefer a particular brand of toothpaste? Is there really a difference? This could give you a practical topic for your project.

If you’re looking for ideas, check out this guide to good Science projects.

STEP #2: Just Do It! Teachers try to determine how much personal effort a student puts in, in order to create the project. Here are a few steps that can enhance your efforts:

1. Collect Facts from Real Life: Look around your home, your neighborhood and the World Wide Web for facts and materials that support your project.
2. Collect Facts from Science: Use science to go about your project.

Ask yourself the following questions:

* Which scientific principle am I trying to demonstrate?
* If I change one parameter how will it affect another?
* If I do things differently how would it affect the result?

3. Collect Facts From Your Own Experiments: Perform a set of actions and write down the results. Let the results be available for your teachers to study.

STEP #3: Make It Presentable Well presented science projects make the first impression on teachers. Make your project simple and clear.

Here are a few ways to make your project presentable:

1. Present Information Clearly: Get rid of all ambiguity by presenting the facts and figures in a neat tabular and graphic form.

2. Present It Using Pictures: Since our minds understand pictures better, a picturesque presentation would make your project entertaining and knowledgeable.

3. Present an account of your experience: Write an account of how you went about creating your project, what hindrances you encountered and how you arrived at the final step.

And yes, there is one thing you could do to boost your confidence. A day before the science fair, run a mock presentation. Have someone ask you some questions and try to answer them. Imagine the judge and your teachers examining and appreciating your project. For more resources on picking a great topic and creating a great project with minimal stress, check out the links below.

Good luck!

By: Aurora Lipper

Physical Science Fair Projects Made Fun and Easy

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:12:05 +0000

Physical science fair projects are for those who are interested in learning about electricity, energy, gravity, machines, magnets and how materials change and combine. There are many sub-categories that go along with physical science, so you should have no trouble finding a topic that interests you.

One interesting project is to build your own electroscope, which is really quite simple. The experiment involves taking a glass jar and covering it with a piece of cardboard that is a little bigger than the jar’s opening, sticking a nail into the middle of the cardboard, and then attaching two thin pieces of foil to the end of the nail. Another fun project is to create sparks with static electricity and experiment to find out what sort of materials work best for creating sparks by walking around on carpet and dragging your feet. This will work up some static electricity, which will allow you to create sparks when touching various materials. You can also further the experiment by seeing which type of shoes work best for creating static electricity.

Remember, when you are experimenting with sparks to use extra caution as sparks CAN result in fire, and make sure you don’t touch your computer when you are charged with static electricity, as you can damage the sensitive components inside. Also be careful not to touch any electrical appliances, although most are safely grounded. You could also experiment with static cling. See when static cling occurs, which types of materials are more prone to static cling and how you can stop it.

By: Dee Schrock