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Science Fair Project Ideas That Win Awards – Project #9 – Submarines

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:51:56 +0000

Objective

To find out how a submarine uses a propeller and a stabilizing fin for forward movement.

Introduction

Although the submarine you have seen in a movie seems to be gliding along effortlessly, it is actually fighting the forces of gravity, pressure, friction and buoyancy. Have you ever encountered these terms in previous science fair experiments? Among all other science fair experiments, this is one of the best, as you will understand how these forces are overcome by the submarine.

Materials

A 500ml water bottle, a soda bottle (2 liter), knife, scissors, 2 large paperclips, needle-nose pliers, chopsticks, 3 rubber bands, stiff ruler, a silicone sealant, a bathtub or pool

Preparation

The Propeller

This is one of those science fair experiments in which you will need the assistance of an adult.
Cut a soda bottle (2 liter) in half. Take the bottom for making a propeller with 5 curved separate blades. Two holes are to be drilled in the propeller, in the centre and a little off-centre. Cut a small plastic circle out of the remaining 2-litre soda bottle. Bore a hole at the centre of this circular piece of plastic and the submarine bottle cap. The free end of a straightened paperclip should be passed through the cap of the bottle, the circular plastic and the centered propeller hole. The free end should be bent back and passed through the non-centered hole in such a way as to keep the cap, the plastic piece and the propeller in close contact with each other, but allow the propeller to rotate freely.
The Submarine
Drill two holes at the bottom of a 500 ml water bottle similar to the propeller holes. Now feed the straightened end of a paperclip from the inside of the bottle through the central hole. Bend the free tip and pass it in the non-centered hole. Secure the paperclip in such a way that it will not turn. This part is very tricky, so use a chopstick. Attach a rubber band between both the paperclip hooks. The rubber band must be tightly stretched between the hook at the bottle’s base and the hook on the cap. Attach the ruler perpendicular to the water bottle body in the centre with the help of two rubber bands in the form of an “X”. The ruler is your stabilizing fin. Now use a waterproof sealant to close all the paperclip holes in the bottle.

Your submarine is now ready.

Testing your Submarine
Fill three-quarters of the submarine bottle with water and put the cap on. Turn the propeller to build potential energy in the rubber band. Science fair experiments require that you write down all your activities. So count the number of turns and write this number in your lab book. You must turn the propeller that many times in future.
Procedure

Now you will position the stabilizing fin in the front, center and the back in different ways and have some fun observing how your submarine moves. Record your observation each time. Use the below-mentioned ten positions.
No fins- Middle: Fin Centered- Middle: Fin moved to the right – Middle: Fin moved to the left – Front: Fin Centered- Front: Fin moved to the right – Front: Fin moved to the left – Back: Fin Centered- Back: Fin moved to the right – Back: Fin moved to the left –

The observations will allow you to answer the following questions:
What would happen if there was no stabilizing fin? What is the best position for the fin? Why is a stabilizing fin important in a submarine?

If you’re ready to get started with your submarine experiment, your next step is to download a free copy of “Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science Fair Projects” from the link below right now.

By: Aurora L.

bottle submarine project stabilizing, competia, science projects that win awards

Science Fair Success – Writing a Great Science Fair Report

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:56:13 +0000

No matter what your science fair project is about, one thing is certain: your science project report will communicate the nature of your experiment as well as the information that you learned from the experiment. Many students enjoy actually doing the science fair experiment, but struggle with the report because it requires in-depth writing and analysis.

By breaking the project report into small steps, you will be able to complete the report without a lot of hassle. A thorough report can also mean the difference between a good grade on your science project and a so-so grade. Remember: the judges will also take a look at your report, so make sure you pay attention to the details when you create it!

Here are the sections you’ll need to include in your report:

Abstract. Your abstract should provide a short overview of the science project report. Briefly state what the report is about and what people will learn by reading the report. I usually try to keep abstracts to about a paragraph. Introduction. The introduction to your report can be anywhere from one paragraph to an entire page. This is the section where you will provide background information about the topic of your report and any pertinent information that you will include in your report, such as terms and equations. Experiments. In this section, you should describe in details how you went about conducting your experiment. Outline methods that you used to perform the experiment as well as methods you used to collect data. Data. This is the part of the science project report where you will include completed data. You can use charts, graphs, photos and other visual aids to help communicate data. If you have a large amount of data, it may be wise to organize the data in appendices at the end of your report as well. Discussion. No matter what kind of science fair project you do, chances are good that you will have your own opinion about how it worked and how effective it was. Discuss the results and talk about anything that you would change in the discussion section of your report. Conclusion. This is my favorite section of the science project report because it is where you tie together information that you learned from the experiment and draw your own conclusions. Hopefully this is also where you can share your own ideas and opinions that you gathered from your experiment. Acknowledgements. Thank anyone that helped you with your project, such as your parents, siblings, friends and teachers. This section can include a brief statement of how people helped you and allows you to send out a great big “thank you!” References. No science project would be complete without a list of references that you used in order to complete the experiment. Cite the references according to the citation method that you teacher prefers, such as MLA format. Also, be sure to recognize the people that gave you information as well, such as a doctor or scientist you may have interviewed.

A good science project report requires that you take time to pay attention to each section. You cannot complete a science fair report the night before a fair and expect it to be thorough and an accurate representation of your talent. Therefore, start in advance, plan, and work hard to include all of the information and ideas needed to make your report complete. Have fun!
If you’re ready to get going with your own science project report or project, your next step is to download a free copy of “Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science Fair Projects” from the link below right now.

By: Aurora L.

4th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:26:28 +0000

It’s time for the school’s annual science fair competition. Now that your child is older, what are some good 4th grade science fair project ideas? Magnets? Plants? Electricity? No need to worry, 4th grade science ideas are not that hard to come up with. Here is a sample project:

Materials Needed

-scissors
-spoon
-tape
-crazy glue
- nails (same length)
-medium size cardboard box
-balloons
-bowl
-bag of sugar
-two thin wooden boards (Make sure they have lengths/widths that are equal to or less than the length and width of the bottom of the cardboard box.)

Step by Step Procedure

1. Adult supervision might be required. Take one of the thin wooden boards and crazy glue/tape a nail right in the middle of the board. Put crazy glue/tape on the head of the nail and stick it on the board so the point side of the nail faces up.

2. Take the other thin wooden board. Glue and tape the nails in the same manner as the first board (pointy side up). Instead of one nail, take four nails and arrange them in a square shape in the center of a board. Make sure the nails are about the same height.

3. Take the cardboard box. Using scissors, cut off the top and one of the sides.

4. Place the one pined wooden board into the box. Make sure the nail is in the middle.

5. Blow up one balloon and put it lightly on top of the nail. Make sure to be careful. You do not want the balloon popping!

6. Take the lid of the cardboard box that you cut off with the scissors. Put it on top of the balloon.

7. Put the plastic bowl on top of the cardboard lid, right in the middle. The sole needle should be holding everything up.

8. Add one spoonful of sugar into the bowl. Watch what happens. Keep adding spoonfuls of sugar until the balloon pops. Record how many spoonfuls of sugar it took for the balloon to pop.

9. Now it is time for a different setup. Take out the wooden board with the one nail. In its place, put in the wooden board with four nails. Make sure the nails are in the middle.

10. Repeat the other steps. Blow up a balloon and put it on top of the nails. Put on the cardboard lid. Then put the bowl in the middle.

11. Add spoonful of sugar until the balloon pops. How many spoonfuls did it take this time?

By: Alan Wagner

4Th Grade Electricity Science Projects, fourth grade science project research, fourth grade science projects, fourth grade science research project, fourth grade science research projects

Science Fair Project Topics For Winning Science Projects

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:29:21 +0000

There are countless science fair project topics. To figure out a topic, you must first decide on a category of interest; Astronomy, Biology, Zoology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Engineering, Environmental, Microbiology, Physical Science or Mathematics. Once you have found a category that you like, you can then decide on a topic. It may not be an easy task, since there are countless topics on each category, but it will not take you long before you choose something that really interests you. Just remember that any project has the potential to be a winning science project, and keep in mind that the judges are looking mainly at presentation and whether or not you learned something from the project.

You don’t want to pick a topic that is too easy, nor do you want to choose one that is beyond your level. The judges want to see that you are knowledgeable about your project and that you have documented your findings. Obviously, the first thing they will notice is your presentation, so you want to make sure it’s eye catching and well organized. If you use graphs in your project, make sure to double check your figures and ensure you understand the graphs you are presenting. If you can’t explain your work, you are definitely going to lose points. Basically, if you chose a topic that interests you, is on your skill level, that you genuinely learn something from your project, are able to show and explain your work, and present the project in an organized and eye catching manner, you are likely to score great points with the judges.

By: Dee Schrock

Physics Science Fair Projects and Ideas

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:15:32 +0000

Physics science fair projects are based on the study of matter and energy and focus on understanding electricity, energy, gravity, machines, magnets, and how certain materials change and combine. Studying these topics will give us a better understanding of how the world and the universe around us work. There are many different projects that can be done about physics because physics covers a very broad range of subjects.

There are still many aspects of our world and our universe that we don’t completely understand, so thinking of a topic for your project is just a matter of thinking of a question you have about our world; whether it be wondering how electricity works, or energy, or studying gravity. Maybe you are interested in machines and how they work, or how magnets work. If magnets interest you, a good science fair project might be to see if magnetic bracelets and necklaces can really help with pain in your body. Some people believe they help with headaches, joint pain or back pain. You could do some research and see how effective they really are.

Another good physics project would be to see which method will cool a soda the quickest from room temperature. For this project you will need a digital thermometer, water, ice, a refrigerator, four cans of soda, a timer, plastic wrap and two Styrofoam coolers. You will then need to make a water bath and an ice water bath and then check the temperature of the soda before you start. Next, place one soda in the fridge, one in the freezer, one in the ice bath and one in the ice water bath and continuously check their temperatures to see which method cools the soda the quickest.

By: Dee Schrock