Science fair help requested

[Nonc Hilaire]

8th grade science fair. My daughter needs an experimental chemistry or physics project.

Must be extremely simple and non-toxic. Suggestions please!

[Simple Minded]

Nonc, a couple quick thoughts

making a magnet from a battery, some wire and a nail or iron bar.

dropping different objects from the same elevation and recording fall times or watching to see which falls fastest.

Weigh objects with a fish scale and then weigh the same objects submerged in a tank of water (Archimedes Principle)

setting a piece of magnesium on fire with a propane torch or maybe even a magnifying glass

setting a piece of paper on fire with a magnifying glass (outside)

writing their names on a piece of wood with a magnifying glass (outside)

placing an object on different material and recording the force need to pull the object horizontally

take them to the ocean so they can watch sea level rise due to AGW

fill a container with water and freeze it so they can see it break/expand the container

and my favorite: peeing on an electric fence

I hope this helps! let me know how the last one works out!

[noddy]

i enjoyed electro plating with copper sulfate at that age, iron turns into shiny new copper so it has a certain visual appeal.

just found this tutorial on a simple search, im sure their are a million others.

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/a/elec ... ce-project

[noddy]

making a motor with magnets and copper coil.

[Typhoon]

Do it yourself DNA extraction:

http://genetics.thetech.org/online-exhi ... wberry-dna

DNA [actually, gene] yield by mass for different biologicals might be an interesting measure as a sci fair result.

[Simple Minded]

magnets and compasses

buy a cheap block and tackle to use as a force multiplier

use levers as force multipliers

get some wooden dowel rods to use as rollers and let them push some heavy objects around

[noddy]

Do it yourself DNA extraction:

http://genetics.thetech.org/online-exhi ... wberry-dna

DNA [actually, gene] yield by mass for different biologicals might be an interesting measure as a sci fair result.

nifty.

[Nonc Hilaire]

Thanks, friends. All suggestions being forwarded to the Jr. Scientist.

[Zack Morris]

Conductivity of electricity in salt water: hook up a small light bulb or LED to a battery, with the circuit completed by a cup or baking dish filled with water.

I remember the year I did that, I only got an honorable mention but someone who poured water on a pile of dirt to demonstrate "erosion" placed in the top 3. I guess they figured (correctly) that my dad came up with the idea, but whose father didn't?

[Nonc Hilaire]

Conductivity of electricity in salt water: hook up a small light bulb or LED to a battery, with the circuit completed by a cup or baking dish filled with water.

I remember the year I did that, I only got an honorable mention but someone who poured water on a pile of dirt to demonstrate "erosion" placed in the top 3. I guess they figured (correctly) that my dad came up with the idea, but whose father didn't?

Good one. This is her third project and the value of a simple, uncomplicated project goes up each year.

[Miss_Faucie_Fishtits]

Nonc, a couple quick thoughts

making a magnet from a battery, some wire and a nail or iron bar.

While we're talking about magnetism, explain why a canadian nickel (97% pure nickel) is magnetic and an american nickel (85% nickel), is not. What makes some material magnetic (relatively few) and the effects of alloying on that property.....'>>........

[Simple Minded]

Nonc, a couple quick thoughts

making a magnet from a battery, some wire and a nail or iron bar.

While we're talking about magnetism, explain why a canadian nickel (97% pure nickel) is magnetic and an american nickel (85% nickel), is not. What makes some material magnetic (relatively few) and the effects of alloying on that property.....'>>........

Here you go Liz. http://science.howstuffworks.com/magnet.htm

Sorry I am lazy today. In short, magnetic material contain iron or ferrous metals. The more iron the metal contains, the more magnetic the material.

Analogous to the nickels.... 300 series stainless steels are non magnetic, 400 series stainless steels are magnetic.

If that explanation does not work for anyone, maybe the magnet was black, and the racist American nickel was not attracted to the magnet, while the non-racist Canadian nickel was attracted to the magnet.

One should never try to separate science from politics too much or loss of funding may result!

[Simple Minded]

Conductivity of electricity in salt water: hook up a small light bulb or LED to a battery, with the circuit completed by a cup or baking dish filled with water.

I remember the year I did that, I only got an honorable mention but someone who poured water on a pile of dirt to demonstrate "erosion" placed in the top 3. I guess they figured (correctly) that my dad came up with the idea, but whose father didn't?

Zack,

You should have tried peeing on an electric fence! You could have couched it in terms of human cruelty to animals. Guaranteed to get the blue ribbon!

You lost cause you weren't politically chic enough!

I'll bet the erosion experiment came from the kid or the father peeing on a dusty road or an ant hill....

[Nonc Hilaire]

Nonc, a couple quick thoughts

making a magnet from a battery, some wire and a nail or iron bar.

While we're talking about magnetism, explain why a canadian nickel (97% pure nickel) is magnetic and an american nickel (85% nickel), is not. What makes some material magnetic (relatively few) and the effects of alloying on that property.....'>>........

Here you go Liz. http://science.howstuffworks.com/magnet.htm

Sorry I am lazy today. In short, magnetic material contain iron or ferrous metals. The more iron the metal contains, the more magnetic the material.

Analogous to the nickels.... 300 series stainless steels are non magnetic, 400 series stainless steels are magnetic.

If that explanation does not work for anyone, maybe the magnet was black, and the racist American nickel was not attracted to the magnet, while the non-racist Canadian nickel was attracted to the magnet.

One should never try to separate science from politics too much or loss of funding may result!

Probably sexual preference. American nickels have a man on them, but Canadian nickels have a woman on one side and a close-up of her beaver on the other.

[Typhoon]

Measuring the speed of light using a microwave and some marshmallows

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-f ... p056.shtml

[A good resource site for SF projects]

[YMix]

Probably sexual preference. American nickels have a man on them, but Canadian nickels have a woman on one side and a close-up of her beaver on the other.

If you have awesome beavers, you flaunt them.

[Nonc Hilaire]

Probably sexual preference. American nickels have a man on them, but Canadian nickels have a woman on one side and a close-up of her beaver on the other.

If you have awesome beavers, you flaunt them.

You have inadvertently stumbled upon the reason why I am not the Queen of England.

[Simple Minded]

Probably sexual preference. American nickels have a man on them, but Canadian nickels have a woman on one side and a close-up of her beaver on the other.

If you have awesome beavers, you flaunt them.

You have inadvertently stumbled upon the reason why I am not the Queen of England.

and yet..... strangely enough .... I still find myself extremely "attracted" to you....

as often happens with men practicing science, a bunch of undisciplined clowns, screwing around, advance science inadvertently to benefit mankind (and babes too)!

For your young'un, I propose the following experiment.

Are different color magnets attracted to metals with different force levels?
Are some magnets stronger or lazier than others if they are different colors?
Are some magnets attracted to a nickel with an image of Thomas Jefferson?
Are some magnets attracted to nickels with an image of a white women or a beaver?
Which side of the Canadian nickel is more attractive to whom?
Is this due to racism or sexism or anti 1%ism or anti new world bias?

You should help your kid get ahead of the curve by abandoning science and entering politics or law. It will be a much better way to fund your golden years!

[Simple Minded]

Nonc,

After giving this more thought, your yute should probably avoid the chic sensitive topics of racism, sexism, wealth inequality and stick with science that is "settled."

Get some magnets, some new nickels, some nickels that are over 30 years old, and maybe a few that are over 100 years old. Ignore the difference in metallurgy and attribute the difference in magnetic attraction to the negative effect of AGW on magnetism.

blue ribbon for sure!

[Typhoon]

NH, do let us now how the SF project goes.

[Nonc Hilaire]

Will do. Right now the favorite is making batteries out of fruits and vegetables, mostly because it is simple and I have a voltmeter.

The graduated cylinder I bought for last year's project graduated all the way up to lab glass heaven when the dog knocked it off the table.

[Typhoon]

Brilliant.

[Nonc Hilaire]

Brilliant.

Amen.