Science Buddies' fifth grade science projects are the perfect way for fifth grade students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our fifth grade projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the fifth grade. Students can choose to follow the science experiment as written or put their own spin on the project.

For a personalized list of science projects, fifth graders can use the Science Buddies Topic Selection Wizard. The wizard asks students to respond to a series of simple statements and then uses their answers to recommend age-appropriate projects that fit their interests.

Search
Filter by
Take a Candle Carousel for a Spin
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
Have you ever ridden on a carousel, or a merry-go-round, at an amusement park? On a carousel, you usually get to take a seat on a wooden horse or other animal that spins around and around as the carousel is turned on and powered by electricity. Another smaller type of carousel that people can have in their homes is a candle carousel, which is powered by heat from candles. In this science project, you will get to make your own candle carousel and investigate how the spinning speed of the… Read more
Candy Chromatography: What Makes Those Colors?
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
Quick, what is your favorite color of M&Ms® candy? Do you want to know what dyes were used to make that color? Check out this science project to find out how you can do some scientific detective work to find out for yourself. Read more
Fighting the Flu: How Your Immune System Uses Its Memory
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
Being sick is no fun, especially when your friends are doing exciting activities that you have to miss out on. Thankfully, common illnesses usually last for just a few days, and then you start to feel better. Why is this? It is thanks to the immune system, which is a group of special organs and cells in your body that constantly work to keep you healthy. In this science project, you will make a simple model to investigate how the immune system defends the human body from common illnesses, and… Read more
The Physics of Artificial Gravity
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
How can we make space stations with artificial gravity a reality? In this science project, you will explore the physics of creating artificial gravity with circular motion. Read more
Basketball Physics: Where Does a Bouncing Ball's Energy Go?
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
Have you ever noticed that when you drop a basketball, its bounce does not reach the height you dropped it from? Why is that? When a basketball bounces, such as on a basketball court, its bounce actually loses momentum by transferring energy elsewhere. This means that to dribble the basketball, players must continually replace the transferred energy by pushing down on the ball. But what happens to the "lost" energy? As we know from physics, energy is not really lost, it just changes form. One… Read more
Use Floating Leaf Disks to Study Photosynthesis
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
Have you ever seen a (non-carnivorous) plant eat? Probably not! Plants do not get the energy they need from food, but from the sunlight! In a process called photosynthesis, plants convert light energy, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar. They can then use the sugar as an energy source to fuel their growth. Scientists have found an easy way to measure the rate of photosynthesis in plants. The procedure is called the floating leaf disk assay. In this plant biology project, you can… Read more
Effect of Friction on Objects in Motion
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
The funny thing about friction is that you couldn't get anywhere without it, yet it still acts to slow you down as you're getting there. Here is an easy project to measure the effects of friction. Read more
Build a Gauss Rifle!
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
What can you do with magnets and ball bearings that makes a lot of noise? Why, build a magnetic linear accelerator, called a Gauss rifle, of course! Now, this magnetic accelerator is not a weapon, but a way for you to learn a lot more about physics concepts, like momentum. In this physics science project, you will investigate how far a ball bearing launched by a Gauss rifle will fly, depending on how many magnetic acceleration stages are in the setup and the ball bearing's initial velocity.… Read more
Cosmetic Science: Testing Lip Balm Recipes
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
Did you know that cosmetics companies employ teams of specialized scientists to develop and test each new line of makeup, perfume, lotion, or soap? This science project lets you be the cosmetics scientist. You will create your own lip balm right in your kitchen using a short list of ingredients, then test it, and follow up with some creative cosmetics science of your own! Read more
How the Strength of a Magnet Varies with Temperature
Log in to add favorite
Science Fair Project Idea
Physicists sometimes study matter under extreme conditions. For example, think of the emptiness of interstellar space vs. the unimaginable crush of pressure at the center of a neutron star, or an object dipped in liquid nitrogen vs. the tiles on the space shuttle during re-entry. Here's an experiment on permanent magnets in "extreme kitchen" conditions that you can try at home. Read more
< 1 2 3 4 5 ... 53 >

Explore Our Science Videos

How to Build a Brushbot
Make Fake Snow - Craft Your Science Project
How to Make Elephant Toothpaste
Free science fair projects.