What to Do When a Science Project Isn't Working

Is your STEM experiment not working the way you expected? Use these five steps to troubleshoot and get your project back on track.

Troubleshooting a Science Project

Sometimes a science or engineering project doesn't work the way you expected. Maybe nothing is happening at all, or maybe what you are observing just doesn't seem right. Maybe your LED won't light, your motor won't spin, or the data you are gathering just looks totally wrong.

While there may be a problem with the experimental design of the project, it may also be that something small is causing the experiment not to work properly. Before you decide there is a problem with the project, you need to step back and double-check what you've done so far.

While your results might mean that the project simply doesn't support your hypothesis (which is okay), there could be a problem with the experiment itself. A problem with the science project setup or procedure may or may not be obvious at first. If you were assembling a circuit, for example, and the LED doesn't light when you know it should, then there is likely something wrong with the circuit. Troubleshooting electronics and coding projects is often really concrete, but depending on your project topic, it may be hard to tell at first why things aren't going as expected.

It's time to troubleshoot!

5 Steps to Troubleshoot Your STEM Project

1. Reread the Directions—The first step in troubleshooting your project is to carefully go back through the steps of the procedure to make sure you didn't leave out any steps and did each one completely and as described. Read every step carefully.
   • Did you accidentally miss or skip any steps?
   • Did you do all the steps in the right order?
   • Did you use the right units of measurement?
   • Did you measure your materials correctly?
2. Double-Check Your Setup and Materials—Make sure your materials all match the materials listed for the experiment, that you used the right quantity of each item, and, again, that your measuring tools and units are correct. Using tablespoons where you need teaspoons, for example, can make a big difference in an experiment. When checking your materials, make sure nothing has expired. If your chemistry or biology project involves mixing a solution, you may need to review the steps:
   • How to Make Solutions for Chemistry and Biology Experiments
   • How to Make Dilutions and Serial Dilutions
   • Titration Tutorial: Tips & Tricks for Titrating
   For electronics, robotics, Arduino, or other circuit-based projects, go back to the circuit-building diagram, slide show, or any step-by-step directions that were provided for building the circuit. Start at the beginning and check that each wire, resistor, LED, or sensor has been correctly placed. Pay attention to any notes in the directions about orientation (which way parts face). This includes specific directions, for example, about how to handle the long and short legs of an LED, which direction MOSFETs go, and how to place resistors and diodes. These resources may also be helpful:
   • How to Use a Breadboard for Electronics and Circuits
   • How to Use a Multimeter
   • Arduino Troubleshooting Guide
3. Review Your Variables—Look again at the variables you identified at the start of your project and how you planned to change the independent variable. Did you change it as planned? Review the steps you took. Did you change anything else that might have caused an unexpected result?
4. Review Your Data—Look at the data you've gathered, including any measurements, readings, or observations you've recorded during your experimental trials. Make sure that all of your numbers have been recorded correctly. Double-check the values and units for any formulas you are using. Did you need to convert your data to another unit? If you converted to different units, make sure you did those conversions correctly. Double-check all calculations. A misplaced decimal point or an error in changing units can make a big difference in your results.
5. Get Outside Help—If you've double-checked your steps, materials, setup, and calculations, and you still haven't found the problem, it's time to get extra help. One place you can get help when you have questions about your project or need troubleshooting assistance is the Ask an Expert forums. After logging in, go to the forum for your grade and the area of science for your project (Physical Science or Life Science), and click "New Topic" to post your question. Be sure to explain:
   • What project you are doing
   • What is happening or what you are observing
   • What you expected to happen
   • Where you are in the experiment
   • Any troubleshooting steps you have taken
   • If the project involves a circuit, upload a few clear photos
   • If the project involves code that you have written or altered, upload a screenshot of your code
   • If you have received any error messages, upload screenshots

   Note: Projects from Science Buddies are written by scientists and have been tested to make sure the experimental procedures work. If the science project is of your own design, there may be an issue you didn't anticipate in the experimental setup. Talking about what happened with a teacher or with someone in the Ask an Expert forums may help you identify what went wrong. If you found your project somewhere else online, it is possible that the project simply won't work as written. (There are many science projects online that don't actually work or are just gimmicks.)

What Next?

If you are able to locate the problem with your project, for example, an error in how you conducted the experiment or in the materials, quantities, or ratios, you should redo your experiment if there is still time. If you can't find a specific problem with the project, submit the data you gathered, even if the project didn't turn out the way you expected.

"But My Hypothesis was Wrong"

You may be worried if your hypothesis wasn't supported by your results. That's okay. The goal of a science project isn't just to confirm a hypothesis. The data you gather from an experiment shows you if the hypothesis was supported or not. Your task is to report your findings and data, even if the hypothesis wasn't supported.

To complete your science project, you will need to report on the data you gathered and what you observed. Don't be tempted to alter or make up data that fits what you expected. Instead, present the data you gathered, noting that the data did not support your hypothesis. In your conclusion, reflect on why you think the experiment didn't turn out the way you expected and any new questions this raises. Most importantly, what did you learn?

Always take time to troubleshoot and correct problems with an experiment when you can. This is an important part of doing scientific research! If, after all of the troubleshooting, you determine that the project simply didn't go the way you expected, that's okay. You can learn a lot from a science project even if it doesn't turn out the way you thought it would!

Project Guides

In addition to tutorials and resources mentioned above, there are additional resources and reference materials available to support a range of projects.