Middle School Science Experiments (Page 116)

Feeding Fido & Fluffy: Designing an Automatic Pet Feeder

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

An overnight trip to the beach or a quick two-day vacation can be lots of fun. What do you do to prepare? Pack your clothes, get sunscreen lotion, and borrow a book from the library. But wait! Who is going to feed your dog or cat? It would be irresponsible to let them go hungry. And you can't just leave food out, because it can get stale and start to grow bacteria, which can cause your pet to get sick. Also, it is not a good idea to leave bowls of food out because a pet might overeat, which is… Read more

Finger Paint Fractals

Blog Post

Kids can explore fractals and search for similar and repeating patterns with a family-friendly science activity at home. Beautiful Math Fractals refer to specific kinds of patterns that repeat, often at smaller and smaller sizes. This characteristic of patterns that repeat at different scales is referred to as self-similarity. Fractals can be found in nature as well as in digital art. While the study of fractals is something mathematicians do, kids of… Read more

Football: Punting

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When the punter is trying to hit the "coffin corner" (within the opposing team's 10-yard line), out of bounds, what is the best angle to kick the ball for correct distance and maximum "hang time?" (For more information on the physics involved, see: Gay, 2004, Chapters 4 and 5.) Read more

Football Punting: Distance vs. Hang-time

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When the punter is trying to hit the "coffin corner" (within the opposing team's 10-yard line), out of bounds, what is the best angle to kick the ball for correct distance and maximum "hang time?" (For more information on the physics involved, see: Gay, 2004, Chapters 4 and 5.) Read more

Froggy Forecasting: How Frog Health Predicts Pond Health

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever heard the expression "a canary in a coal mine"? In the 1900's and earlier, coal miners brought canaries with them into the mines to act as early warning signals. The canaries were very sensitive to low levels of dangerous gases, so if the birds stopped singing, or got sick, then the miners knew to leave immediately, even if they felt fine. As it turns out, our froggy friends are also very helpful at signaling problems, not in mines, but in and around bodies of water. Try this… Read more

From Black to Clear with the Magic of Photochemistry

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The rates of some chemical reactions can actually be increased by adding light. Light sometimes interacts with one or more of the chemicals and provides an "energy boost" that dramatically speeds up a normally slow reaction. In this photochemistry science project, you will experiment with the effect of light on a chemical reaction. The reaction converts iodine, which forms a dark-orange solution, to iodide, which is colorless! Read more

From Sauce to Solid: The Science of Cranberry Condiments

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

"Slurp...plop!" Recognize that sound? You might if your family usually serves jellied cranberries for the holidays. Jellied cranberries are thick, like gelatin, and retain the shape of the mold in which it was placed, which might mean Aunt Sue's turkey mold or even the shape of the can if you buy one of the popular canned versions. Taking a bite of wiggly jellied cranberries can be a fun addition to a delicious meal, but cranberries can also be served as a sauce. Both versions use the same… Read more

Fruit and Gelatin Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

Blog Post

In this week's spotlight: a pair of science projects from the kitchen. Is a gelatin-based fruit salad in your recipe book of family favorites? What fruit do you add? Will any fruit work? Put it to the test with this week's hands-on science exploration and investigate what the enzymes in certain fruits have to do with whether or not a gelatin will solidify properly when a fruit is added. Which Fruits Can Ruin Your Gelatin Dessert? (full Science Buddies Project Idea) Solidifying… Read more

Fruit Ripening

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Fruit is a strategy some plants use to attract animals to disperse seeds. The animals eat the fruit and disperse the seeds through the digestive system. To attract animals, fruit needs to ripen and develop an odor that acts as an attractant. How much more successful are ripe fruits at attracting animals? Try setting out an over and under ripe piece of fruit, and compare how many many insects are attracted to each fruit. How does ripening occur? You can do an experiment using a very ripe… Read more

Fun or Frustrating?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Is winning correlated with fun? Pick a video game which has different difficulty settings, for example easy versus hard mode. Ask volunteers who have never played the game before to try it out. Some of them should use the easy mode and others should use the hard mode, this will ensure that you have a range in the amount of winning and losing among your volunteers. Keep track of how much each player is winning. Survey the volunteers to find out if they like the game. Do people who win more like… Read more

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