Science Buddies'
high school science projects are the perfect way for
high school students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our
high school projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the
high school grades. 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,
high schoolers 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.
If you sit under a leafy tree on a sunny day, you may notice spots of sunlight on the ground from light passing through spaces between the leaves. Try putting a piece of cardboard on the ground and examining the spots of light on the cardboard. Even though the spaces through which the light is passing are irregular in shape, the spots on the cardboard are round. What you are seeing, in fact, are projected images of the sun. Light passing through an aperture forms an image. A pinhole camera…
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Photo_p005
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Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
Must have digital camera capable of taking long, controlled exposures without flash.
Use sound recording and analysis software to record voices of your family members. Can you figure out ways to identify each family member by just looking at the analyzed sound patterns from their voice (e.g., spectral frequency analysis)? Develop a hypothesis about what types of sound analysis will identify an individual. Have a helper record additional test files of your family members, without telling you which file belongs to whom. Unplug your computer speakers and see if you can…
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Have you ever seen a product labeled "biodegradable" or "compostable" and wondered just how well it decomposes? A lot of different products claim to be biodegradable or compostable, such as food containers, bags, packaging materials, and spoons and forks. Not only do they clearly come in different shapes and sizes, but they are made of different materials as well. Do they decompose differently, and, if so, which decomposes the fastest? In this science project, you will make your own indoor…
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EnvSci_p058
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Time Required
Very Long (1+ months)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Average ($50 - $100)
Safety
Use caution when using the drill and the scissors. Adult supervision is recommended.
Disinfectants are products that kill harmful bacteria that inhabit surfaces. Disinfectants can be in household and personal cleaning products. Which products work best? Compare different household cleaning products, like bleach or Lysol, to see which ones kill the most bacteria. Compare different brands of antibacterial hand soap or dish soap to see which brand is the most effective. How do hand sanitizers work? Compare rub-on hand sanitizers to see if they work better than alcohol, or compare…
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MicroBio_p020
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Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
Knowledge about growing and testing bacteria
Material Availability
Specialty items, like bacteria and the media to grow them on, can be ordered from such as .
Cost
Low ($20 - $50)
Safety
Follow all safety warnings printed on the cleaning solutions you are using. Read the before starting any experiments. Adult supervision is recommended. may be necessary.
This project is an experiment in classical physics. You'll be following in Galileo's footsteps, and investigating Newton's laws of motion, but you'll be taking advantage of modern video recording technology to make your measurements. Sure, it's been done before, but if you do it yourself, you can get a firm understanding of these important concepts.
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If you've ever so much as watched a news clip about a hurricane, you probably know that hurricanes draw their power from warm ocean waters. If that is true, does it mean that hurricanes actually cool the ocean down when they pass through? Can the amount of cooling be measured? Is it proportional to the strength of the hurricane? Find out using data that you can collect yourself using online archives. This project shows you how.
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Are oranges highest in vitamin C when they are fresh from the tree (or, in a pinch, the grocery shelf)? Does the amount of vitamin C in an orange change over time, after it has been picked? In this science project, you will find answers to these questions by measuring the amount of vitamin C in a solution using an iodine titration method.
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Chem_p043
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Time Required
Long (2-4 weeks)
Prerequisites
Ideally you would have your own citrus tree with ripe fruit for this science project. The second-best option is to use citrus fruit from a store.
Material Availability
Titration equipment and supplies are needed. A kit is available from our partner . See the Materials tab for details.
Cost
High ($100 - $150)
Safety
Adult supervision required. Concentrated iodine is poisonous if swallowed. Read and follow all safety guidelines in the Procedure. More information is available from the iodine .
When pesticides are applied to protect crops, run-off of potentially harmful pesticides is a major problem. Can water plants such as hardstem bulrush, common cattail, parrotfeather and smooth scouring rush promote pesticide breakdown? If so, diversion of irrigation run-off into plant-filled ponds could help reduce pesticide pollution. Mix malathion at 12.5% of the recommended application strength (to simulate dilution by rain or irrigation water). Use 5-gallon buckets for testing various…
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We've all heard that hurricanes draw their immense power from warm ocean waters. Of course, many factors contribute to the formation and growth of a hurricane, but can we expect to find that the warmer the water, the stronger the hurricane will be? This project shows you how to use online data archives to investigate this question.
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OceanSci_p005
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Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
Familiarity with computers and web browser is helpful for this project.
Does your hair go crazy when the weather turns damp? Did you know that strands of hair can relax and lengthen when the humidity increases and then contract again when the humidity decreases? In fact, hair strands can be used as the basis for a hygrometer, a device which measures the humidity level in the air. Can a human hair hygrometer also detect changes in hair structure caused by chemical lightening? This project shows you how to find out.
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MatlSci_p020
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Time Required
Long (2-4 weeks)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Specialty items
Cost
Average ($50 - $100)
Safety
Adult supervision required for working with hydrogen peroxide-based hair lighteners. Wear protective gloves and eye wear.
