Project ideas

Cryptography - breaking codes

Forensics - blood spatter

Do El Nino seasons affect hurricanes

Ethics - the trolley problem

Finding the sweet spot on a bat, racket, etc

Is fingernails on a chalkboard the worst sound

Introverts and Extroverts from body language

Physical Science (motion, force, energy)

Hydraulics – using fluids and syringes

What shape causes the most drag?

Does the material of a parachute affect how fast it drops?

Which materials are effective magnetic shields?

What's the breaking point of balsa wood?

What materials can be used to insulate hot water?

Does color affect the melting speed of ice cubes?

Which materials are effective sound insulators?

Which liquids have the greatest viscosity?

What factors affect the speed of a ball rolling down hill?

Can we measure the speed of sound?

Which materials are effective heat insulators?

How does mass affect an object in a collision?

What factors affect the speed of a toy race car?

What factors affect the speed of a swinging pendulum?

What launch angle will give the greatest distance for a projectile?

What kind of packing material best protects your valuables from damage?

Does water boil faster when salt is added?

How does temperature affect the diffusion of food coloring in water?

What kind of candle burns the fastest?

Which liquid can dissolve a tablet the fastest?

What variable affect the force of friction on a sliding block?

What factors affect how far a rubber band will fly?

Sinking Values: Analyzing footprints

Tire patterns: How do time, weight, and surface affect the tread patterns left by bike tires?

Which materials are the best heat conductors?

What is the mechanical advantage of wheelchair ramps?

Earth Science (soil, weather, astronomy, rocks)

Landslides – effects of soil, slope, and rain

Will different types of salt grow different kinds of crystals?

What type of soil resists erosion most effectively?

Evaporation – what affects the rate of evaporation?

Hurricane evacuation – how long would it take to evacuate the coastline?

What factors affect the speed at which chalk will dissolve?

How accurate are weather predictions?

How does wind affect surface waves?

How pure is the water at different locations?

Do dark or light surfaces absorb more heat?

What factors affect beach erosion?

What kind of soil absorbs the most water?

What type of nail corrodes the fastest?

Life Science (environment, living things, food)

What makes yeast react the best?

Does salt water harm plants?

What factors affect the growth of mold?

Anti-bacterial soaps – do they work?

Preventing mildew on shower curtains

Genetic Variation: How diverse is the population?

Which foods are the greasiest?

How do germs spread?

Which camouflage pattern is the most effective in the woods?

Which factors affect the growth of algae in an aquarium?

What kind of seeds will attract the most birds to a feeder?

Which trash items are biodegradable?

What is the effect of acid rain on plants?

Which substances cause osmosis in eggs?

Fresh water bioassay - how healthy is the water?

How well do plants grow in different biomes?

People & Animals (require special permission)

The placebo effect

Does multitasking really work?

Handwriting analysis – can the writer be identified?

The effects of pollution on vinegar eels

Caffeine – does it affect pulse rate, blood pressure?

What factors affect short term memory?

Are identical twins really identical?

Do visual aids improve your ability to remember?

Peer Pressure – study using music

Why is it so hard to debunk a myth?

Image or issues – how do voters choose a candidate?

Risk assessment – do people over estimate some risks?

Science of speed reading: context and word shape

Makes Scents: Testing the ability of humans to smell

Smell You Later: Can scents improve your memory?

Money Talks: Is money a good motivator?

Unskilled & Unaware: Do people accurately assess their own abilities?

Stereotypes: Do stereotypes affect our performance?

Is a dog's mouth really cleaner than a human's?

Is their a relationship between a person's arm span and height?

How long does it take for your eyes to adjust to the dark?

What technique will help you remember people's names?

What color is easiest to read at night?

Can you trust eyewitness testimony?

Are guard dogs more alert than other dogs?

Does smoking affect lung capacity?

Are fingerprint types an inherited trait?

Are left-handers also left-footed?

Who is best at following directions?

How do we decode words when we're reading?

What's the most effective teaching method?

Which hand can identify a shape the fastest?

Are kids TV shows more violent now than in the past?

Is there a gender bias in school text books?

Are young kids the targets of ads for fatty and sugary foods?

Sports & Hobbies

What's the most accurate way to shoot a basketball?

Does wearing gloves reduce you ability to catch a football?

Which exercises raise your pulse rate the most?

Do aluminum bats really hit for greater distance?

How is the bounce of a basketball affected by different floor surfaces?

How does the condition of a baseball affect its bounce?

How can we lower our pulse rate after exercise?

Which cleats are the best for athletes?

Can crowd noise affect your ability to shoot free throws?

Does your bat speed improve after swinging a weighted bat?

Which surf wax is the stickiest?

Does the size of a football affect the distance it can be thrown?

Which body position creates the least wind resistance when skateboarding?

How does vision affect your balance?

Which surf boots are the best for keeping your feet warm?

How does the pressure in a basketball affect the way it bounces?

Math

Game Theory: The Ultimatum Game

Game Theory: The Prisoner’s dilemma

Home field advantage – do refs favor the home team?

Does jet lag affect the performance of sports teams?

Population Balance – predator and prey balance

Chaos – the mathematics of disorder

Tesselations – which polygons can tile an area?

Fractals – creating patterns

Racial bias in officiating – is it real?

Bracketology: Applying mathematics to the NCAA basketball tournament

Spirolaterals: What number sets create repeating patterns?

The Golden ratio – where is it found?

Fibonnacci Sequence: Where is it found in nature?

Engineering

Passive Solar Heat – black top energy source?

Building the best solar cooker

Creating a working Rube Goldberg machine

Bridge Strength – which design is the strongest?

What kind of lever gives the greatest mechanical advantage?

Which paper airplane design flies the farthest?

Which structure is the strongest?

Can I build a machine to simulate the bell curve?

Which car design is more aerodynamic?

What can you do to improve a car’s gas mileage?

Product Testing

Comparing CFL’s and incandescent light bulbs

Which hair spray is the best?

What brand of shampoo gives the best results?

How strong are trash bags?

What type of salt melts ice faster?

Which sneaker has the greatest friction?

Which is the most effective sunscreen?

Which shoes improve your agility and ability to stop and start?

Which detergent creates the largest bubbles?

What's the most effective tile cleaner?

Which tooth paste is the best?

Which is the best stain remover?

Which fabric is the most absorbent?

Which detergent really works better?

Which paper towel is the strongest when wet?

Which washable marker is really washable?

How long will a band-aid stick?

Which bubble solution makes the largest bubbles?

Which bathroom cleaner works the best?

Which paper towel can absorb the most liquid?

How do you prevent odor in shoes?

Does temperature affect how quickly paint dries?

Which string has the greatest strength and elasticity?

2006 - 2008

How does Carbon Dioxide Affect Global Warming

Which is the strongest paper towel?

What's the most accurate way to shoot a 3 pointer?

Which Sail Design Works Best?

Should you follow through on foul shots?

How far does the average student walk in a school day?

What factors affect your ability to remember things?

How can you clean up an oil spill?

Which surf wax is the stickiest?

How does a cat react to different stimuli?

What can mathematics teach us about football stats?

Which type of metal rusts in different conditions?

Is there really fruit in that?

What factors affect the number of drops that can fit on a penny?

How can you build an accurate seismograph?

Were medieval catapults accurate?

What's the best design for a windmill?

Are oven temperature setting really accurate?

Which surfaces are the best for making fingerprints?

What's the connection between math and music?

Can people tell the difference between bottled and tap water?

Which bag is the strongest?

Can NJ's adults pass the NJ state tests?

Which soccer ball goes the farthest when kicked?

What kind of crystals are grown from different salts?

Does the color of a fabric affect how it absorbs heat?

Can you train a dog to recognize shapes?