Discovering amazing science fair experiments often starts with curious observations – look around your school, neighborhood or science museum for ideas to inspire your experiments.
Experiment to see if an egg will crack when left out in the sun with this entertaining experiment! Or use this classic experiment that shows how different salt levels affect buoyancy. Or grow crystals overnight for a beautiful wind catcher!
1. Water Density
Water density is an integral concept that students can explore with some simple and fun experiments. Just like solids, liquids also possess different densities depending on their size and close packing togetherness; to accurately gauge this density of liquid samples use a graduated cylinder with weight to weigh the sample in question.
Students using hydrometers to assess the density of liquids such as vinegar can easily learn that solutions with higher densities (like pure water ) will cause their hydrometer to float lower compared to lower-density solutions ( like salt water ).
Water density can be better understood through this timeless experiment of submerging an egg in vinegar! Not only will students learn about water density, but this project will help them understand potential and kinetic energies as well.
2. Sound
Sound can be hard to grasp. In this science experiment, children will learn how to build a simple musical instrument from drinking straws and lollipop sticks that demonstrates how shifting straw pieces alters sound waves’ pitch.
This experiment is perfect for younger children. It makes it easy to see how sound travels in various directions, while making it fun by experimenting with various lengths and combinations of straws to see which create the highest or lowest pitches. You don’t need any special equipment – even using your computer or tablet as the source of sound will work! Just ensure its volume remains constant throughout your trials!
3. Electricity
Electricity is the movement of charged particles (electrons) between atoms. Your child can learn all about electricity and magnetism with these engaging hands-on experiments that utilize common household objects and are safe to conduct at home.
Demonstrate how negative and positive electrical charges repel each other with this “jumping goop” experiment made from cornstarch. Children can also learn how to harness static electricity’s powers to bend a stream of water. It’s sure to leave an impressionful demonstration!
Engage children with electricity by testing materials that conduct or do not conduct with this engaging and easy experiment from Carrots Are Orange. Students can even build their own electromagnetic train using batteries and neodymium magnets in this project! Kids can also experiment with circuits by building an LED flashlight powered by pencil graphite!
4. Friction
Oftentimes, kids struggle with comprehending friction. They might think objects move because of an invisible force pushing against them or that rubbing together causes friction, when in reality this science fair project idea will help students gain a deeper insight into this important concept.
Students engaged in this project use ramps to explore how surface friction affects car speed. Furthermore, they investigate how applying oil or other lubricants reduces friction.
Racing cars down a ramp is another highly effective friction experiment to demonstrate acceleration and velocity, discuss gravity’s effect on objects’ movement and observe how different surfaces impact car speed.
5. Electrolytes
Electrolytes are essential components of cell communication in our bodies, enabling heart, muscles and brain function. Children can gain an insight into this topic with this science fair project that uses everyday materials to construct a battery.
Add depth to your 7th grader’s understanding of physics with this project that tests how temperature impacts the melting point of ice. They can also learn time measurement with this easy water clock experiment or compare seed sprouting abilities through this project that explores plant biology.
Encourage your child to explore projects that pique their interest when choosing an exciting science fair project. Doing so can build their STEM skills and lay a solid foundation for future careers.