Middle School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 107)

Investigate the 'Death' of an Orange: How is Rate of Heat Loss Based on the Surrounding Temperature?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Imagine that you are a detective investigating a murder. You have a body that was found in a swimming pool, and someone reported hearing an argument near the pool at 10:00 PM the night before. Your first question might be "Was this person killed around 10:00 PM last night, or at some other time?" One way to answer this question is to measure the internal temperature of the body. The longer ago the killing occurred, the colder the body. But can you assign a specific time of death to a specific… Read more

Investigating Fluid Viscosity

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You can measure the viscosity of a fluid using a glass tube and a marble with slightly smaller diameter than the tube. Seal one end of the tube. Fill the tube with the fluid to be tested. Drop the marble into to the tube and measure the time it takes to fall a fixed distance. Repeat the measurement several times, and use the average value. How does viscosity change with the amount of sugar dissolved in water? How does viscosity change with temperature? Read more

Investigating the Role of Procedural Music in Video Games

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wondered about the various types of music in a video game you've played? You may not have paid much attention to the music, but its job was to enhance your gaming experience. In fact, the wrong kind of music can detract from the atmosphere of the game. Can you imagine the music in Mario KartTM playing in Street Fighter®? In a game, music can indicate many different things, such as a special or new event, shift of mood, or the arrival of a character. This kind of music is… Read more

Is a Deleted File Really Gone?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When you delete a file, by accident or on purpose, is the information really gone? Can you get it back? If you accidentally deleted your five-page report for school, you may be hoping it is not really gone. On the other hand, if you do not want someone to get their hands on the goofy and unflattering pictures you and your best friend took while staying up late the other night, you probably hope the files you deleted are gone for good! Computer experts are often asked about file recovery.… Read more

Is It a Country Ballad? Listen to the Beat!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever noticed that hip-hop songs have a fast tempo, while country ballads are usually slow? Do you think there is a correlation between the number of beats per minute (bpm) in a song and the type of music? You can explore whether different genres of music have different bpm ranges by measuring the bpm in several different songs from a number of different genres. Bpm can be measured using free music software, like the one listed below in the Bibliography, or by counting all the beats you… Read more

Is Smiling Contagious?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You've probably observed from your own personal experiences that some actions are contagious. Yawning is a great example. When one person in a room yawns, several other people usually do, too. Coughing, clearing your throat, these are other actions that often seem contagious. But what about smiling? Have you ever walked down the street and had a random stranger smile at you? Did it make you happy? Did you smile back? In this science fair project, you'll investigate whether smiling is… Read more

Is the Gold in My Jewelry Real?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered if a piece of jewelry is real gold or if it's just some ordinary metal alloy? It turns out that some metals have a unique property; even in small amounts, they can be toxic to some organisms, including algae, molds, fungi, and bacteria, although it often takes many hours to see an effect. Can this phenomena, called the oligodynamic effect be used to tell whether or not the gold or silver in a piece of jewelry is real? Do bacteria react differently to pure, plated, and… Read more

Is your Physics Textbook Lying? Linear & Nonlinear Springs

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Spoiler alert: Your physics textbook might contain an inaccurate equation. Are you shocked? Let us explain — many questions in your physics textbooks are simplifications of how things behave in the real world. For example, in physics textbooks, springs are usually modeled with the equation Force = stiffness x displacement: Equation 1: [Please enable JavaScript to view equation] … Read more

It's Hard Work to Work Harden! Learn How to Make Metals Stronger

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

It's easy to forget that metals are everywhere and in nearly everything. They are a part of our lives in so many ways that we hardly notice them. But just stop and think about it. We use metal spoons to eat and cook our food. Cars, bikes, and planes are composed of metals. Metals are in our furniture and part of your school supplies. Some people even have metal in the dental work in their mouths. Their strength and dependence is obviously very important. But what are metals? In this science… Read more

Killing 'Vampires': Saving Money and Power by Turning Off Computer Peripherals

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What do you think about killing vampires? No, no, not the kind that drink people's blood, but the kind that suck your power and money away. Equipment like televisions, computers, printers, and fax machines all use electricity to operate, of course, but do you realize that this equipment might still be sucking electricity from the wall, even when you think it's turned off? These electricity-suckers are called vampire loads. In this science project, you will investigate how much power these… Read more

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