Project Guides (Page 7)

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SCIENCE BUDDIES SAMPLE TITLE1 References Booth, S.A. (January 1999). High-Drain Alkaline AA-Batteries. Popular Electronics, 62, 58. Dell, R. M., and Rand, D.A.J. (2001). Understanding batteries. Cambridge, UK: The Royal Society of Chemistry. Devitt, T. (2001, August 2). Lightning injures four at music festival. The Why? Files. Retrieved from http://whyfiles.org/137lightning/index.html Dove, R. (1998). Lady freedom among us. The University of Virginia Alderman Library Electronic Text… Read more

Arduino Troubleshooting Guide

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Arduino not working? Use this Arduino troubleshooting guide to diagnose and solve circuit, code, and connection issues. Troubleshooting an Arduino Project If you are working on an electronics or robotics project with Arduino and running into a problem, the problem may be related to the circuit, the connection between the Arduino and the computer, or the code you are using. Solving a problem with an Arduino project requires troubleshooting! This… Read more

Background Research Plan for an Engineering Design Project

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The Focus of Your Background Research For an engineering design project, you should do background research in two major areas: Users or customers Existing solutions Users or Customers Research your target user or customer. Everything humans design is ultimately for the use of another human. (Think about it— even products designed for animals or plants are first purchased by another human!) Your choice of target user will sometimes have a big impact on your design… Read more

Brainstorm Multiple Solutions

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Why Create Multiple Solutions? When solving a design problem, there are always many possible good solutions. If you focus on just one before looking at the alternatives, it is almost certain that you are overlooking a better solution. Good designers try to generate as many possible solutions as they can before choosing one that they feel is the best. Even "wild and crazy" design ideas that you end up rejecting might have some pieces that can make other designs better. Read more

Chemistry Safety Guide

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Safety is a key concern in any scientific enterprise, but particularly so in the chemistry lab. There are many potential hazards when working with chemicals, but all of them can be avoided with the appropriate precautions. Safety in the lab is everyone's responsibility. It requires the proper safety attire and equipment, knowledge of the chemicals you are working with, and proper lab procedures and techniques. Safety Attire and Equipment When working with chemicals,… Read more

Design Requirement Examples

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The design requirements for your project will differ from those of anyone else, because yours will apply to your specific problem statement and the product, system, or experience that you are designing. In the table are a few examples of design requirements. Your requirements will be more specific and directly related to meeting the needs of your project's users. If you are designing a baseball bat, your design requirements might be that the bat needs to be: Less… Read more

Drawing

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Since the beginning of time, drawings have been a way to share ideas with others. Being able to describe your idea verbally is important, but drawings are what allow you to show other people what's in your imagination. Words can only translate an idea to someone else's mind—and that allows for a new interpretation of what that idea may look like. You don't want your ideas to get lost in translation! Now, like many, you may think that you can't draw. But you don't have to be… Read more

Engineering & Programming Project Tips

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Outline Comparing the Scientific Method and the Engineering Process Overview of the Engineering Process Who should use the engineering process for their science fair project? Define a Need Instead of Asking a Question Background Research Plan & Bibliography Define your target user or customer Research what already exists to fill the need you defined Do research that will help you establish your… Read more

Experimental Design for Advanced Science Projects

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Sandra Slutz, PhD, Vice President of STEM Education, Science Buddies Kenneth L. Hess, Founder and President, Science Buddies Preface Advanced science projects and independent scientific research are invariably subject to much scrutiny. Other scientists in the field will be looking at your work and will expect that the data has been rigorously analyzed. But rigorous analysis also requires careful experimental design. If you don't spend time thinking about the types of observations you'll be… Read more

Guide to Purchasing Chemicals

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Introduction Knowing which chemical to buy and where to purchase it can be a confusing part of preparing for your science fair project. This guide will help you navigate some of those challenges. Read more

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