Science Fair Ideas For High School Students

For students participating in a science fair, it is important to ask for approval from the science fair coordinator before starting any experiments. They will know if there is specialized equipment needed and if the experiment requires special paperwork.

Explore friction with this fun Newton’s Cradle project. Or, learn how forensic scientists find fingerprints with this easy experiment.

Electricity and Magnetism

Teens who are intrigued by electricity and magnetism will love these STEM challenge science experiments. They’re perfect for a high school science fair project.

Electricity is a force that can pull charged particles toward each other, as demonstrated by the foam that pulled a student’s hair when it was rubbed on it. Electricity also can flow through wires, which carry current to homes and businesses. It can create magnetic fields, as evidenced by the attraction of a compass needle and bar magnets.

Magnetic forces are also at work when students play with Newton’s Cradle, which demonstrates the principle of action-reaction forces. Or, they can see it in the way that objects fall from a tree or take a long time to come down after being dropped. Or, they can experiment with the effects of friction by interleaving sheets of paper to see how much harder it is to pull a piece of paper out from the middle of a stack.

Engineering

Engineering science fair projects can be very challenging because students must think outside of the box to engineer a solution that is unique. This is why it is very important for students to select a project that interests them and will also be within their means to create. They should never bite off more than they can chew! Engineers make our world a better place by providing safer cars, sound systems with better acoustics, life-saving medical equipment and affordable building materials that fight poverty.

Encourage students to use their creativity by using this project via Homeschool Scientist to see if eggshells can hold objects or this one from Steve Spangler Science to see how high they can build a tower of cups. Another fun engineering idea is to challenge students to see if they can grow plants through mazes by using this experiment from All Science Fair Projects. Or, students can experiment with paper airplanes by following this science fair idea via KiwiCo.

Life Science

From birds soaring through the air to plants growing in the garden, life science covers all of the living things around us. It is one of the two major branches of science, with physical science dealing with nonliving things like rocks and soil.

Get kids excited about life science with these fun high school science experiments. From bubbling chemical reactions to mind-blowing optical illusions, these projects will help teens understand a range of important concepts.

Encourage kids to explore microbiology with this germs experiment that compares bacterial growth while they drink soda. Then, delve even deeper into microscopic life with a cell biology lab that teaches kids about the tiny ecosystems that exist within each cell. Or, challenge teens to determine which nut has the most energy, or how to build an impressive plastic bottle bridge. All of these experiments will help students develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They’ll also gain confidence in conducting scientific experiments and presenting their findings to others.

Physical Science

Physical science experiments are a great way to pique students’ interest in STEM fields. They help develop scientific inquiry skills that will allow them to ask and respond to scientific questions throughout their lives.

Some popular physical science science fair projects include creating a jar compass and finding out the density of different materials. Students can also learn how kinetic friction affects the speed of objects that are rolling on smooth or rough surfaces and explore whether light is refracted differently on certain types of substances.

Another fun science fair project idea is learning about the chemical reaction that takes place when an egg is placed in vinegar. This simple experiment is sure to fascinate the crowd! Other interesting projects that fall under this category include testing the strength of paper bridges and identifying the best material to use in a parachute. Students can also learn about the structure of an apple’s core, and even create a model of the solar system to demonstrate Galileo’s ideas of heliocentrism.