SOME EXAMPLES OF SCIENCE FAIR EXPERIMENTS (more in the classroom and online)
Maple Syrup: For Pancakes, Waffles, and...Crystal Candy?
Abstract
Maple syrup is deliciously gooey and great on breakfast foods like pancakes and waffles. But it it has another
amazing property. It can form crystals under the right circumstances, and the crystals change in size and
shape, depending on temperature. In this science fair project, you will discover how to make crystals out of
maple sugar, and study how their growth is affected by temperature.
Objective
The objective of this food science fair project is to investigate how the rate of cooling affects crystal
structure.
Introduction
Did you know that there are around 300 different natural flavor compounds in pure maple syrup? Other
prominent ingredients are sugar, caramel, and vanilla. Nutty, buttery, floral (honey), cereal, chocolate, and
coffee flavors can be found in some syrups! As is the case for most natural products, maple syrups have
complex flavor chemistry to delight your senses of taste and smell.
Chemically speaking, maple syrup is a concentrated solution of sugar in water, with many minor flavoring
compounds. When it is heated, some of the water evaporates off and the sugar becomes more
concentrated. As the heated maple syrup cools, the sugar molecules (the smallest particles of the sugar)
form crystals. Unlike the sugar molecules in liquid syrup, which are free to float around, sugar molecules in
the heated, concentrated syrup form these crystals, which line up and arrange themselves in an orderly and
repetitive pattern. So as the water evaporates, the sugar molecules bump into one another frequently
because there are so many of them, so close together. Occasionally, when they bump into each other, the
molecules end up sticking together. This slow process is how the crystal "grows."
You might think of a growing crystal as a big block of Legos. Each individual Lego is like a sugar molecule,
because it is the smallest "piece" possible. When you add a new Lego piece to the big block, you have to line
it up just right so that it will fit in with the pieces that are already there. In the same way, sugar molecules
have to align themselves just right in order to become part of the growing crystal.
Crystals can form at different rates; for instance, snowflakes form in seconds, but amethysts and rubies form
over years. As you might imagine, the final crystal shape is affected by how fast the molecules adhere to the
growing crystal. The slower the rate, the more time each molecule has to get aligned with its neighbors,
resulting in a more organized final crystal. In this cooking and food science fair project, you will study how
the rate of crystal formation affects crystal shape in maple syrup.
Terms, Concepts, and Questions to Start Background Research

Solution

Evaporation

Concentration

Molecule

Crystal

Sucrose

Glucose

Fructose

Viscous
Questions

What makes crystals different from other solid materials?

What are the differences between imitation maple syrup and pure maple syrup?

What is the definition of the chemical term precipitation?

Why do crystals form after you heat the syrup, but not in unheated syrup?

Based on your research, list some examples of how the rate of cooling affects crystal growth in
different materials.

What other kinds of food are in the form of crystals?
Bibliography

MacDonald, A. (2005, May 23). Maple Sugar Crystal Candy. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from:
http://www.googobits.com/articles/p2-59-kitchen-science-for-kids.html

Cornell Sugar Maple Research & Extension Program. (n.d.). Maple Syrup FAQs. Retrieved November
12, 2008, from http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/FAQ.htm
Materials and Equipment

Small baking pan filled with a thin layer of water and frozen to create a flat sheet of ice

Pure maple syrup (not the imitation syrup)

Saucepan

Large spoon

A second small baking pan at room temperature

Stopwatch

Lab notebook

Ruler

An adult helper
Experimental Procedure
1. Before you heat the maple syrup, make a sheet of ice by placing a thin layer of water in a baking pan
and keeping it in the freezer until it is frozen solid.
2. Once the water in the baking pan is frozen, heat the maple syrup over medium heat in the saucepan,
stirring constantly. Note: You will need the help of an adult for this part.
3. Bring it to a boil and allow it to cook, uncovered, until it is very thick and viscous. Keep stirring to
make sure that it does not burn.
4. Set out the baking pan with the sheet of ice on the countertop.
5. On another flat area of the counter, set out the other room-temperature baking pan.
6. Use your spoon to drop one dollop of the hot, thick maple syrup onto the ice or onto the roomtemperature baking pan. You might want to drop the dollop on the frozen baking sheet first, before
the ice melts.
7. Do not touch the dollop yet—it will still be really hot!
8. Watch as the maple syrup cools. Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes for crystals to form and
solidify on the dollop.
9. Observe the shape and measure the length of the crystals. Use a magnifying glass to get a close look
at the crystals.
10. Record your observations about how long it took for the crystals to form and how the rate of cooling
affected their size in your lab notebook. Use a data table like the one below. Remember, your notes
and observations should be clear enough that someone else could use them to reproduce your
results.
11. Repeat steps 6-9 until you have observed at least three dollops on each baking sheet. If your first
dollop was on the frozen baking sheet, you might want to drop your next two dollops there, too,
before the ice melts. However, if it does start to melt, simply refreeze it and you can continue with
your trials on the room-temperature baking sheet.
Method
for
Cooling
Syrup
Length of Crystals
Time Until First
Crystal Visible
Notes
Ice on
baking
sheet
Roomtemperat
ure
baking
pan
Variations

Experiment with the sugar concentration before you put the dollops on ice by heating the solution for
different amounts of time. Can you think of some ways to figure out how much you have reduced the
volume of the syrup?

Experiment with cooling the syrup very slowly. For example, allow the syrup to cool in an insulated cup.
Are crystals that are made very slowly different than the ones you made earlier?
What happens if you form the crystals in the refrigerator?
Nothing But Net: The Science of Shooting Hoops
Abstract
Swish! What a great sound when you hit the perfect shot and get nothing but net. Here's a project to get you
thinking about how you can make that perfect shot more often.
Objective
The goal of this project is to determine if the ball's starting position for shooting a basketball affects a player's
shooting percentage. In this project, you'll measure shooting percentage when players shoot baskets from chest
height, chin height, and over the head.
Introduction
If you're an avid basketball player, then few things are more satisfying
than sinking a perfect jump shot, hitting nothing but net. What goes into
making that perfect shot? What can you do to make your shots more
accurate?
Jai and Jonathan both like basketball, and they're also pretty observant.
They noticed that some kids liked to shoot from chest height, others from
chin height, and others from over their heads. They wondered what effect
the different starting positions had on shooting success. They set up an
experiment to find out. Check out the video clip at right to see what they
did.
Jai and Jonathan took a great approach to their project. Starting with a
subject they knew and liked, they used observations about shooting styles
to come up with an interesting question: does the height where the player
holds the ball affect shooting percentage? They designed an experiment
Click here to watch a video of this
to test their hypothesis, keeping all experimental conditions constant,
investigation, produced by DragonflyTV
except for the variable of interest. Jai and Jonathan also did a great job
and presented by pbskidsgo.org
with their data analysis. When their data disproved their initial hypothesis,
they didn't stop. They dug deeper to see if their data might hold some other clue for shooting success.
If you've read this far, it's a good bet you're thinking about doing a basketball-related project, too. You could
repeat Jai and Jonathan's experiment yourself. We've suggested a couple of improvements in the Experimental
Procedure section below, and you can probably come up with some of your own. Or, you could use your powers of
observation to come up with your own basketball question to test scientifically. The Variations section also has
some ideas that might help you get started.
Terms, Concepts, and Questions to Start Background Research
To do this project, you should do research that enables you to understand the following terms and concepts:

arc,

trajectory,

backspin,

basketball shooting percentage.
More advanced students should also study:

physics of projectile motion.
Questions

Which trajectory do you think improves your chance of making a basket: higher or lower? Explain why.

Do you think that there will be a relationship between the ball's starting position (chest height, chin
height, or over the head) and the ball's trajectory? Why or why not?
Bibliography

TPT, 2006. "Basketball by Jai and Jonathan," DragonflyTV, Twin Cities Public Television
http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/basketball.html.

Cull, T., 1999. "Why is putting rotation on a basketball when you shoot good?" MadSci Network: Physics
[accessed June 15, 2006] http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/jun99/929552614.Ph.r.html.

Henderson, T., 2004. "Lesson 2: Projectile Motion," The Physics Classroom, Glenbrook South High School,
Glenview, IL [accessed February 7, 2011] http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/vectors/u3l2a.cfm.
Materials and Equipment
To do this experiment you will need the following materials and equipment:

basketball,

basketball court, hoop, and backboard,

volunteer players to shoot baskets (the more the better),

masking tape.
The following items are optional, but can give you a better understanding of what is going on with the different
hand positions.





video camera and tripod to record the shots,
small TV or video monitor for camera playback,
transparencies,
marker or stickers to mark ball position,
protractor for measuring launch angle.
Experimental Procedure
1. Pick a single location on the court for all players to shoot from, and mark it with masking tape. Choose the
location so that your volunteers can make a good percentage of their shots. A straight-on shot would be a
good choice, e.g., from the middle of the free-throw line. If your volunteers are younger players, you may
want to move the shooting location in closer.
2. If you have a video camera, set it up on a tripod to record the shots. Make sure that the camera can
capture the ball all the way from the player's hands to the basket. The camera should be perpendicular to
the path of the ball. The camera should remain in the same position for the entire experiment.
3. Have each player shoot the same number of baskets from each hand position (chest height, chin height,
and over the head). Things to think about:
a.
How many shots? You want to collect a large enough sample so that your results are reliable. Ten
shots per hand position per player is a bare minimum.
b.
You might want to let each player take a few "warm-up" shots that don't count, so that they can
home in on the right distance.
c.
Along that same line, since the players are getting practice as they go along, it would be a good
idea to change the order of the hand positions from player to player. Have the first player shoot
chest high, then chin high, then over the head. Have the second player shoot chin high, then over
the head, then chest high. Have the third player shoot over the head, then chest high, then chin
high. Keep rotating through the hand positions like this, so that each hand position is first, second,
or third equally often.
d.
To help keep everyone's mind on doing their best, you might want to make a contest out of it. For
example, you could offer prizes for the top three shooters, or for all the players who make a
certain percentage of their shots.
4. Keep track of how many shots each player made from each hand position. Keep track of the order you
assigned them for making the shots.
Analyze Your Data
5. Calculate the shooting percentage for each individual for each hand position. Make a bar graph of the
results. Is any position clearly better for all players? Is any position clearly better for individual players?
6. Did the players' shooting percentage improve or worsen during the experiment? Make symbol-and-line
graph of shooting percentage vs. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hand position to find out.
7. If you were able to videotape the experiments, you can analyze the trajectory of the ball, as Jai and
Jonathan did in the video clip in the Introduction.
a.
Connect the video camera to a small TV or video monitor for playback.
b.
For each shot you analyze, tape a transparency over the monitor.
c.
Label the transparency with the player, shot number, hand position, and whether the shot was
made (1) or not (0).
d.
Use your video camera's frame-by-frame playback mode to "freeze" the ball on the screen so that
you can mark the position of the ball on the transparency. Trace the ball's position with a marker.
e.
You will want to advance the video by something like 3–6 frames between each position. Use the
same number of frames each time. (Each video frame represents 1/30 of a second. If you mark
the ball's position at 10–12 points on its way to the basket, you'll have a good picture of its
trajectory.)
f.
You can use a protractor to measure the launch angle. Fit a line through the first few points, and
measure the angle between the floor and the line.
g.
Calculate the average launch angle for each hand position for each player and graph the results. Is
there a clear relationship between between launch angle and hand position?
Variations

There are other aspects of hand position that are important for good shooting technique. A basketball
coach will have you work on shooting with one hand (the other hand supports the ball, but the shooting
hand launches the ball). Design an experiment to compare shooting percentage for one-handed vs. twohanded shooting. Which works better and why?

You could focus your study on the trajectory of the ball. Is a higher trajectory really more successful as Jai
and Jonathan hypothesized? Design an experiment to see whether a high, medium, or low arc results in a
better shooting percentage.

What are the effects of backspin on shooting percentage? Have players shoot from the same position both
with and without backspin. Calculate shooting percentage for each method and compare. Does video
analysis show any difference in average trajectory for the two cases? Does the ball bounce differently for
the two cases? Does this have any effect on shooting success? (TPT, 2006)

What's the scientific difference between a "soft" shot, and a "brick?" Is it the speed of the ball, the spin, or
the arc? Design an investigation to figure out the difference! (TPT, 2006)
Baseball Bat Debate: What's Better, Wood or Aluminum?
Abstract
So baseball's your game? Well, slugger, science and math abound in baseball. Just look at the zillions of "stats."
In this project, you can produce some interesting baseball statistics of your own and perhaps settle a longstanding debate. You'll set up experiments at your local playing field to find out which type of bat is better, wood
or aluminum. Play ball, and batter up!
Objective
The goal of this project is to compare the hitting power and "sweet spots" of wood versus aluminum baseball bats.
Introduction
Baseball may be the all-American game, but it's not without its controversy. Players and fans alike hotly debate
massive volumes of statistics and data. They compare and discuss players' batting averages, runs batted in, and
slugging percentage, along with pitchers' allowed hits and runs, strikeouts, and innings pitched. They argue over
the importance of ball park locations, weather, altitude, and left-handed pitchers. One of baseball's long-standing
disputes revolves around the question of which type of bat, wood or aluminum, is better for whacking a long one
out of the park.
In this project, you'll take the scientific approach to answer this question.
You'll set up an experiment to measure and compare the average hitting
distances of a wood and an aluminum bat. You'll also investigate how
each type of bat affects the "feel" of a hit, and whether that has any
correlation to how far the ball flies after it leaves the bat.
To get you started, check out the video showing what two young baseball
players, Reed and Nick, learned at their ball park when they compared
Reed's wooden bat to Nick's aluminum bat in a side-by-side batting
experiment. Read on to see how you can set up your own tests using your
favorite bats at a ball park near you. Once you have gathered data and
evaluated your own personal "stats", you can reach a scientific conclusion
to settle the bat controversy for yourself.
Several factors come into play when comparing wood bats to aluminum
bats. Aluminum bats are hollow, except near the handle end, so they tend
Click here to watch a video of this
to be lighter and swing faster than a solid wood bat of the same length.
investigation, produced by DragonflyTV
The aluminum also tends to "give" a little more than a wood bat when it
and presented by pbskidsgo.org
comes in contact with the ball. This contributes to the different "feel" of a
hit between the two types of bats. The greater elasticity of an aluminum bat also means there is a slight
"trampoline effect" from its surface so that the ball rebounds differently than it does after it leaves the more rigid
surface of a wood bat. Each of these characteristics has been carefully studied by bat manufacturers and baseball
physics researchers. In this project, you'll read about or investigate how differences in bat composition, balance,
feel, and swing can contribute to the speed and travel distance of a batted ball.
Most seasoned ball players associate solid, long hits with connecting with the ball right on a bat's so-called "sweet
spot." Scientific studies have shown that several such points exist near the wide end of the bat. Their exact
locations vary with the type of bat, how the bat is held, and the criteria used to define the spot. There are
separate and sometimes overlapping sweet spots associated with longer hits, decreased bat vibration, and less
bat movement in the hands of a batter after a hit. For these reasons, some scientists now prefer to describe a
general region between four and seven inches from the end of the bat as a "sweet zone" rather than use the term
"sweet spot." They define the sweet zone as the area of a bat that produces the most powerful hit with the least
amount of "sting" or discomfort to the batter. In your experiments, you will mark the "sweet zone" on the end of
each of your bats and see if hits from this region actually produce the longest line drives and feel the best to the
batter.
What causes a bat to "bite back" or sting a batter's hands during one hit and not during another? Again, there's
been interesting research into the physics of bats, balls, and the energetic outcome that results when the bat and
ball each rebound after impact. Basically, it's a matter of vibration and location. In general, the bat tends to
vibrate more along its length if the ball hits it outside the sweet zone on the bat. The vibrations continue to
reverberate along the bat's length down through the handle—and sometimes painfully—to the batter's hands and
arms. Bat vibrations can also mean less energy is transferred back into the ball after a hit explaining, at least in
part, why the ball travels less when a batter has a hit that stings.
To come up with equally good explanations for the results from your batting experiments, first gather some
background on the science of bats, balls, hits, and swings. A list of search terms and questions is included in the
next section as a guide.
Now do your research, gather up your gear, then head out to the park to let those line drives fly. Batter up, and
may the best bat win!
Terms, Concepts, and Questions to Start Background Research
To do this project, you should do research that enables you to understand the following terms and concepts:

Physics of baseball

Baseball bat-ball collisions

Sweet spot of a baseball bat

Sting from a bat
Questions

What factors contribute to a long hit in baseball?

What and where are the multiple "sweet spots" on a baseball bat?

What causes a "sting" sensation when you hit a baseball?

How are aluminum bats different from wood bats in how they interact with a baseball?

Which type of bat hits a baseball farther?
Bibliography

Introductory website into the history and science of baseball, sweet spots, swings, and more:
Spadaccini, J., Fowler, J., et al, 1998. "Science of Baseball," Exploratorium [accessed June 22, 2007]
http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/index.html.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the physics of baseball from a scientist who studies it:
Russell, D., 2007a. "The Physics and Acoustics of Baseball and Softball Bats," Kettering University, Flint,
MI [accessed June 22, 2007] http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats.html.

Specific details on the sweet spot of a baseball bat:
Russell, D., 2007b. "The Sweetspot of a Hollow Baseball or Softball Bat," Kettering University, Flint, MI
[accessec June 22, 2007] http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats-new/sweetspot.html.

Comparison of aluminum versus wood baseball bats:
Russell, D., 2007c. "Why Aluminum Bats Can Perform Better than Wood Bats," [accessed June 22, 2007]
http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats-new/alumwood.html.

Another website dedicated to the science of baseball and hitting:
Conley, K. et al, 1997. "Batting Cage," ThinkQuest website [accessed June 22, 2007]
http://library.thinkquest.org/11902/physics/batting.html.

A little slow, but cool, simulation that shows how the distance a baseball travels varies with angle and
velocity:
Conley, K. et al, 1997. "Path and Range of a Baseball, II. How far will the ball go?" applet on ThinkQuest
website [accessed June 22, 2007] http://library.thinkquest.org/11902/physics/range2.html.

TPT, 2006. "Baseball by Reed and Nick," Twin Cities Public Television [accessed June 22, 2007]
http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/baseball.html.
Materials and Equipment
To do this experiment you will need the following materials and equipment:

Playing field

Baseball bats: one wood, another aluminum of equal length

Baseballs: at least three of the exact same size and type

Baseball tee

Long tape measure or electronic measuring device (if not metric, then convert feet to meters)

Stakes or colored flags to mark where baseballs land

Powered chalk

Blue painter's tape (3/4" wide)

Notebook or paper

Pen or pencil

One "slugger" to hit the balls

One outfield assistant
Experimental Procedure
1. Arrange with your assistant the day and time to meet at the ball park.
2. Prepare two "Record of Hits" data tables similar to the example below. Use one to record the data from
the wood bat and the other to record the data from the aluminum bat.
3. The goal is to collect data from at least 30 good hits from each bat, ideally including at least 10 hits from
above the sweet zone, 10 hits from within, and 10 hits from below the sweet zone. You should alternate
between the wood and aluminum bats every five hits. Line drives down the middle are best, but you can
include hits off to either side as long as they are not foul balls.
4. Wrap two pieces of tape around the bat to mark the outer margins of the sweet zone on each bat (an area
between 4–7 inches from the end).
5. Set up the baseball tee at home plate, and take a few practice swings to warm up.
6. When you are ready to start collecting data, roll the baseball in powdered chalk before each hit so you'll
be able to tell where the ball connects with the bat. Right after each hit, record whether the ball hit above,
within, or below the sweet zone on the bat.
7. Following each hit, also note the "feel" of the hit by rating the amount of vibration or "sting" felt. Use a
simple numerical system, i.e. 0 = no discomfort or vibration; 1 = very low; 2 = low; 3 = medium; 4 =
medium high; 5 = very high level of discomfort.
8. For each hit, the out-field assistant should mark where the ball lands with a stake or flag. Measure and
record the distance in meters of each hit before the batter takes the next swing off the tee.
9. Some hints to keep your data consistent:
a.
The same person should hit all balls.
b.
Don't do 30 hits in a row with one type of bat. Alternating between the wood and aluminum bats
after every five hits gives a fairer comparison, especially when fatigue could be a factor toward the
end of the experiment.
c.
If the batter starts getting tired, he/she should rest a few minutes between switching bats.
d.
If getting at least 30 good hits, especially line drives down the middle or 10 hits in each of the
three areas of the bat, is too challenging for one day, you can split the experiment between two or
more days, but the weather conditions should be similar.
e.
The more hits you have from each area of the bat, the better your statistics will be when analyzing
your data. So, 30 total good hits is a minimum; 60 total hits or more would be even better.
Record of Hits
Type of Bat:
Date:
Batter:
Field Location:
"Good" Hit
No.
Distance
(meters)
"Sting" Rating
(0-5)
"Sweet Zone" Location
Above
Within
Below
1
2
...cont. to 29
30
Analyzing Your Data
1. Total the distances of the hits for those above, within, and below the sweet zone for each bat. Calculate
the average hit distances (in meters) for each category.
2. Prepare a bar chart of the data for the three sweet zone categories showing the average hit distance from
the wood bat and aluminum bat next to each other.
3. What are the differences in average hitting distance between the two bats? Is one bat consistently better
than the other for the three sweet zone categories?
4. How much difference in distance is there between hits that were in the sweet zone and hits that were out
of (above and below) the sweet zone?
5. Total the numbers of the "sting" rating for the hits above, within, and below the sweet zone of each bat.
Calculate an average "sting" rating for each bat in each three sweet zone categories.
6. Prepare a second bar chart of this data showing the average sting rating of the wood and aluminum bats
side by side for each of the sweet zone categories.
7. Are there any differences in the average sting ratings between the three sweet zone categories? Do the
ratings correlate to what you would expect for hits in and out of the sweet zone?
8. Looking back at your original Record of Hits data table, how many of the hits that felt good (had a low
rating on "sting" level) were associated with a long distance? How many of the hits that stung were
associated with a long distance?
9. On the other hand, how many of the hits that felt good (had a low rating on the "sting" level) were
associated with short distance? How many of the hits that stung were associated with a short distance?
10. Do you see any consistencies with the "feel" of a hit and the distance the ball traveled?
11. For help with data analysis and setting up tables, see Data Analysis & Graphs.
12. For a guide on how to summarize your results and write conclusions based on your data, see Conclusions.
Variations

More hits: Do you think collecting more data would produce different (or more convincing) results? Repeat
your experiment several days in a row and re-evaluate your data. Recruit one or two additional batters to
participate in the experiment to see if your results are the same for all hitters or more specific to an
individual's batting technique.

Different bats: Try using wood and aluminum bats of different lengths and weights. Are your results
consistent for all sizes of bats? Research the importance, if any, of bat length and weight to the distance a
ball travels after being hit. Is your data consistent with these findings?

Size of batter: Would increasing or decreasing the muscle mass behind the swing have any effect on how
far a baseball travels? Repeat the experiment with another batter, or two, who are very different in height
and weight from you. Research the physics of muscle power and swing to better interpret and explain your
results.

Type of ball: Does the type of baseball make a difference to distance or feel of a hit? Use a hard ball and
softball in a repeat of this experiment. Investigate what scientists who study baseball physics say about
the differences between hits with a hard ball versus hits with a softball.
Does the floor surface affect the bounce of a basketball?
Different surfaces you may want to consider are...
Wood
Concrete
Tile
Carpet
Materials List
You'll need...
1. Three basketballs
2. Different gym surfaces
3. Pressure gauge
4. Pump and needle
5. Tape measure
6. Thermometer
7. Parent's permission to visit different gyms
8. Pencil or pen
9. Paper
10. Graph paper
11. Camera (with video capabilities) and tripod or someone to help.
12. Cardboard for display (three sided)
13. Glue
14. Construction paper
15. Computer (optional)
At each place take the temperature with your thermometer. Be careful! Temperature and other conditions can affect
your outcome. So make note of it carefully. Check the pressure in each basketball. You'll want to try to get each ball
as equally filled as you can. Be careful with this part too.
You probably already know that an overly inflated ball always bounces higher than a less inflated one (unless you fill
it so full it explodes!) Get the pressures as even as you can...
Drop each ball from the same height and measure the resulting bounce.
Ask yourself these questions to help you as you analyze your data...
Does the surface make a difference?
Should the pressure in the balls change to account for the surface?
Preparation
Sports science fair projects are fun and educational. This one's no exception. If you like athletics, you
may be an athlete. So you'll enjoy this project even more!
But today we're asking you do be a little more than that. We're asking you to be a scientist too. And
good scientists always research their subject first. So...
...let's research basketball because that's going to be our subject. We'll need to find out as much about
basketball as we can. As with all sports science fair projects, this one deals with a specific aspect of
basketball. So we're going to look at the different surfaces of a court. So, guess what we need to
research?...
That's right! We need to research different kinds of surfaces. Find out what kinds of surfaces are used
for basketball courts. Do certain surfaces require special conditions such as...
Specific temperature...
Constant waxing...
...or...
Dry environment? Find out!
Consider everything! Find all you can about different kinds of floor surfaces. Ask an adult, or get on
the internet. Find out...
How floors are put down...
Which kinds are considered the best playing surfaces...
...and...
Which ones are used professionally and semi-professionally.
That should give you enough information to ask the important question...
Does the floor surface affect the bounce of a basketball?
This is a good question because we can try it out in a room in our house. But don't try it yet. We need
to answer our important question first!
Let's do that now.
Does surface make a difference as to how a ball responds?
Write it down on a piece of paper. Don't change it until you see what the experiment does first.
Remember...
...we call this guess our hypothesis. It's the most important part of our project!
Now it's time to get your stuff from the list above. Let's move to the next step.
Procedure
Now comes the fun part...
...let's experiment!
Make arrangements to try this at different gyms that have different surfaces. Get permission from
different schools or public organizations before you leave to use their facilities.
Also, don't forget to get permission from your parents before you go. Your parents will probably be
interested in what you're doing and want to help anyway. So make sure they know!
Different surfaces you may want to consider are...
Wood
Concrete
Tile
Carpet
At each place take the temperature with your thermometer. Be careful! Temperature and other
conditions can affect your outcome. So make note of it carefully. Check the pressure in each
basketball. You'll want to try to get each ball as equally filled as you can. Be careful with this part too.
You probably already know that an overly inflated ball always bounces higher than a less inflated one
(unless you fill it so full it explodes!) Get the pressures as even as you can...
Drop each ball from the same height and measure the resulting bounce. It may be difficult to do this
by yourself. So get someone to help you.
Repeat this procedure three (3) to five (5) times for each ball...
As you perform the process for each place, make sure you have your graphing supplies ready. You'll
need them for the next step.
Process Data
It's time to organize what you've discovered. For each location make a different graph to show the
different heights of the basketballs. Take each graph and average the heights so you end up with one
number for each location. Now, take your averages for each location and copy them neatly in a
finalized form onto one graph.
It needs to be neat!
Ask yourself these questions to help you as you analyze your data...
Does the surface make a difference?
Should the pressure in the balls change to account for the surface?
Carefully consider each of these questions about your sports science fair project and give answers to
them in you research. You may want to use them later in your paper. That's the next step!
Paper
It's time to tell what you've noticed. Sports science fair projects are just experiments without a report.
So, we'll write a report about what you saw.
You should include...
1.
2.
3.
4.
What you guessed about the floor surfaces.
What you did with the floor surfaces and basketballs.
Which floor had the highest bounce? Which had the shortest?
If your guess was correct about how the basketballs bounced.
Do different brands of popcorn leave different amounts of
unpopped kernels?
Microwave
Camera
Different brands of microwaveable popcorn (such as Orville Redenbacher, Pop Secret, a Store Brand like from
Dollar Tree)
Small bowl for counting kernels
Large bowl to dump out the popcorn
Pop each brand for the same amount of time (for example, 2-1/2 minutes or 5 min.).
Problem:
Do detergents affect plant growth?
Research:
Plants grow by using water and the sun to make food. We are trying to find out if different types of
detergents will affect the growth on a plant. This experiment, if done properly, will give us the answers
we're looking for.
Hypothesis:
We think that the detergents will affect the plant growth and kill the plant since the detergents material
is poisonous to most living things.
Material:
1. 4 of the same plants in little pots
2. 3 Different types of detergent.
3. Area with sufficient sunshine
Procedure:
First of all, make sure that the plants are all the same and are all fresh and not withered. Take the first
plant and put it in the area where you are doing your experiment. Water it and let it stay. Next, take
the 3 detergents and mix half a cup of detergent with half a cup of water and pour the mixtures in each
of the remaining 3 plants. Do this for the next 7 days and record your results below after the 7th day.
Record And Analyze Data:
After testing for 7 days, the experiment showed ….
Melting Chocolate
Enjoy this simple melting chocolate experiment for kids. You've no doubt experienced chocolate melting on a
hot day, so let's do some experiments to recreate these conditions as well as a few others before comparing
results and coming to some conclusions. At what temperature does chocolate go from a solid to a liquid? Is it
different for white and dark chocolate? Give this fun science experiment a try and find out!
What you'll need:



Small chocolate pieces of the same size (chocolate bar squares or chocolate chips are a good idea)
Paper plates
Pen and paper to record your results
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Put one piece of chocolate on a paper plate and put it outside in the shade.
Record how long it took for the chocolate to melt or if it wasn't hot enough to melt then record how soft it was after 10 minutes.
Repeat the process with a piece of chocolate on a plate that you put outside in the sun. Record your results in the same way.
Find more interesting locations to test how long it takes for the chocolate pieces to melt. You could try your school bag, hot water or
even your own mouth.
Compare your results, in what conditions did the chocolate melt? You might also like to record the temperatures of the locations you
used using a thermometer so you can think about what temperature chocolate melts at.
What's happening?
At a certain temperature your chocolate pieces undergo a physical change, from a solid to a liquid (or somewhere in between). On a hot day,
sunlight is usually enough to melt chocolate, something you might have unfortunately already experienced. You can also reverse the process by
putting the melted chocolate into a fridge or freezer where it will go from a liquid back to a solid. The chocolate probably melted quite fast if you
tried putting a piece in your mouth, what does this tell you about the temperature of your body? For further testing and experiments you could
compare white choclate and dark chocolate, do they melt at the same temperature? How about putting a sheet of aluminium foil between a paper
plate and a piece of chocolate in the sun, what happens then?
Vitamins and Plants
Question:
How does vitamins affect the growth of a plant?
Research:
Much research has been done to see if vitamins affect the growth of a plant. Many farmers use fertilizer to
grow their crops so questions have rose on whether or not vitamins help plants grow. We are going to
make a couple of experiments that show whether or not vitamins affect the growth of a plant.
Hypothesis:
We think that the vitamins will help the plants growth since they help people.
Material:
1. Four pots of the same plants
2. 2 different types of vitamins
Procedure:
First, take all the pots and label them. Label them with letters A, B, C, and D. Pot A and B are the ones that
you will not be adding any types of vitamins too. Pot C is where you will be putting the first type of vitamin
so label it with Vitamin A. Pot D is where you will be putting the second type of vitamin so label it with
Vitamin B. Put all four pots in an area with sufficient sunlight. Measure the height of each plant and record.
Water all the plants daily. When watering samples C and D, make a mixture of the vitamin and the water
and then water it. Record the height daily and record any other observations for at least one week.