Fifth Grade, Electricity & Electronics Science Projects (25 results)

Stop for a minute and try to imagine your world without electrical power and electronic gadgets. No convenient appliances in the kitchen, no electric lights. No computers, MP3 players, television, or video games. Your life would be completely different, wouldn't it? Electricity and electronics are so central to modern life that, paradoxically, they're easy to overlook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfzqhohbtSQ

Build a Simple Electric Motor!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When you think of a motor, you may immediately think of a car, but you actually encounter other motors in your home every day. That's right, if you put on clean clothes from the washing machine, ate food from the fridge, or used a fan, you used an electric motor. In this electronics science project, you will make a simple electric motor with two magnets that "talk" to each other. As they interact, they will alternate between "liking" each other (pulling together), and "disliking" each other… Read more

The Strength of an Electromagnet

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You may be familiar with permanent magnets—the kind that hang on a refrigerator. But did you know that other magnets, called electromagnets, can be turned on and off? When turned on, electromagnets act just like permanent magnets, but if you turn them off, their magnetic properties disappear. Electromagnets are an important part of many electronic devices, like motors and loudspeakers. You can create an electromagnet with a simple coil of wire and a battery. In this project, you will… Read more

Build Your Own Crystal Radio

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered how a radio can grab signals that are transmitted through the air and convert them into sound? In this science project, you will build your own AM radio receiver from scratch and use it to listen to AM radio broadcasts. With your crystal radio you will be able to experiment with the circuit and the antenna to get the best reception. Read more

Green Technology: Build an Electronic Soil Moisture Sensor to Conserve Water

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Water is a valuable resource, and water shortages are a serious problem in many parts of the world. The problem can be made worse by people who waste water; for example, by watering a garden or using sprinklers on their lawn (or a farmer taking care of an entire field) when it has rained recently or the soil is already moist. How can you help conserve water and prevent such waste? One way is to build an electronic soil moisture sensor. This project will show you how to build a circuit that… Read more

Human-Powered Energy

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You have probably read all about forms of alternative energy like solar and wind power. But what about human power? With the aid of a coil of wire and some magnets, you can generate electricity with nothing more than a flick of your wrist. In this project, you will build a small hand-powered electrical generator that can power a series of tiny lights. Get ready to save the planet and get some exercise at the same time! Read more

Make Your Own Wireless Alarm System

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wished you could have an alarm to prevent your little brother or sister from sneaking into your room? How about an alarm to prevent someone from stealing your favorite toy or from taking cookies out of the cookie jar? In this project you will learn how to program your own customized, wireless alarm systems to send you alerts about whatever you want! Read more

Effect of Different Materials on a Magnetic Field

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You've seen that a magnet's attractive force can cause a small object (like a paper clip) to "jump" to the magnet. So a magnetic field can act through the air, but what about other materials? Here's an experiment you can do to find out. You'll need a strong bar magnet, a stack of books, a paper clip, some thread and tape. Place the bar magnet underneath the top book in your stack, so that it sticks out. Tie a piece of thread (as long as the stack of books is high) to a paper clip. You… Read more

How Well Do Different Materials Create Static Electricity?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When your parents were kids, they probably wore polyester. Static cling was a major household issue! Now everybody wears cotton, which does not get static cling nearly as much. Why are some materials more susceptible to static cling than others? Investigate how well different materials produce static electricity by making a homemade electroscope and testing it out in this science project. Read more

LED Dance Glove: Get the Party Started with Your Own Interactive Light Show

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen clothing with built-in lights? This might sound like something out of a science-fiction movie, but electronic textiles (>e-textiles for short, also called wearable electronics or sewable circuits) really exist. Instead of using hard surfaces for circuits (like what goes inside your computer or cell phone), e-textiles weave electrical parts like batteries, wires, and lights directly into clothing that you can wear to make the clothing do fun, interesting things like light… Read more

Mapping Magnetic Fields

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You probably know that you can use iron filings to reveal the magnetic field produced by a strong magnet. If you sandwich the iron filings between pieces of waxed paper, you can make a permanent record of your magnetic experiments (Gardner, 2004, 66). Cover the wax paper sandwich with a layer of brown paper (from a roll, or cut open a paper shopping bag), and then (with an adult's help) use a hot, dry iron to seal the waxed paper together. You will have to experiment a little with your iron… Read more

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