Middle School Science Projects (Page 39)

He Huffed, and He Puffed, But Didn't Blow the House Down! How Can Straw Make a Sturdy Building?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In the fairy tale of the three little pigs, the wolf huffed and puffed and blew down the first pig's straw house. But in reality, straw, tied into bales, is a viable building material that, when used properly, makes sturdy and energy-efficient buildings. Straw is a renewable resource that is available all over the world since it is the byproduct of growing grain. In this science fair project, you will test a straw bale covered with stucco to see if it's water resistant, and evaluate if it's… Read more

Heart Health: How Does Heart Rate Change with Exercise?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Your heart starts beating before you are born and keeps right on going through your whole life. Over an average lifetime, the human heart beats more than 2.5 billion times. Keeping your heart healthy means eating right, not smoking, and getting regular exercise. Which of your favorite physical activities give your heart the best workout and help keep it fit? In this science project, you will use a smartphone equipped with a sensor app to visualize your heart rate and find out which… Read more

Heart Rate Recovery Times

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Over an average lifetime, the human heart beats more than 2.5 billion times, supplying blood to the entire body. When a person exercises, the heart has to work harder than usual. Have you ever wondered how quickly your heart beats when you exercise, or how long it takes to recover back to its normal rate after you are done exercising? Is the heart rate recovery time faster for people who get regular exercise compared to people who do not? Try out this science project to find out! Read more

Heavy Metals and Aquatic Environments

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You might know that lead can be toxic, and that you can get lead poisoning from eating or inhaling old paint dust. Lead is called a heavy metal, and there are other sources of heavy metals that can be toxic, too. Silver, copper, mercury, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium are all heavy metals that can be toxic in certain environments. In this experiment, find out if one common heavy metal, copper, can be toxic to an aquatic environment. Read more

Helicopter Liftoff: How Does the Speed of the Rotor Affect the Amount of Lift?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Helicopters are fascinating to watch. The spinning rotor blades on top of the helicopter generate lift, allowing it to take off vertically. They can land vertically, too, allowing them to set down in small spaces, such as hospital helipads or on a ship at sea. In this aerodynamics science fair project, you will fly a remote-controlled helicopter and measure how the rate of the rotor's rotation changes as the helicopter hovers and flies up or down. Read more

Help! What File Format Should I Use to Save My Favorite Photo?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Jpeg, bmp, gif, tiff ... do these just look like words that you and your friends might make up for your own secret language? They are actually just a few of the file formats (which means "types") that you can use to save your favorite photo on your computer. But does it matter which one you use? Try this simple science fair project to find out and you'll never choose the wrong one again! Read more

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Saving Migratory Animals

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Extinct might be a word you associate with animals that lived long ago, like the dinosaurs, but did you know that over 18,000 species are classified as "threatened" (susceptible to extinction) today? Scientists involved in wildlife conservation have a tough job; they are in charge of determining what needs to be done to prevent a species from becoming extinct. Habitat, food supply, and impacts of local human populations are just a few of the factors these scientists take into account. It is a… Read more

Hey, Do You C My Potatoes? Determining Vitamin C Amounts in Cooked Potatoes

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

As you know, vegetables not only taste good, but they are good for you. Many vegetables are a great source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that plays an important role in protecting the body from infection and disease. Humans do not make vitamin C on their own, so we must get it from dietary sources. Potatoes, like the ones shown in Figure 1, below, are one good source of vitamin C. Does cooking them affect how much vitamin C they have? In other words, if you boil a… Read more

Hey Gear Heads! The Physics of Bicycle Gear Ratios

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you have a multi-speed bike, you know that you can make it easier or harder to pedal just by shifting gears. Ever wonder how that works? You can investigate this a number of ways. A basic approach is to use a selection of spools of thread (with different diameters), a board with two nails, and a rubber band. Place a spool over each nail, and put the rubber band over them. Mark the 12:00 position on each spool so that you can count revolutions. Turn one spool through a full circle and… Read more

Hit Boxes: How Size Affects Score

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Video games come in many varieties: aim-and-shoot games, city-building games, racing games... the list goes on. In many, you get points for colliding with or hitting something. In this computer and video games project, you will learn about how hit boxes are used to detect collisions and you will determine if the size and placement of a hit box affects the score in the game. Read more

Middle School Science Projects (986 results)

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