Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Something's Fishy About That Fertilizer
Did you know that when you use fertilizer in your garden, it can eventually reach a lake, stream, or pond? There are many different chemicals present in fertilizers. Learn how they affect the aquatic organisms in the ecosystem within...
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Science Buddies: Heavy Metals and Aquatic Environments
You might know that lead can be toxic, and that you can get lead poisoning from eating or inhaling old paint dust. Lead is called a heavy metal, and there are other sources of heavy metals that can be toxic, too. Silver, copper, mercury,...
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Science Buddies: Dog Smarts: What's Going on Behind Those Puppy Dog Eyes?
Have you ever wondered what goes on in your dog's mind? Even though humans have the benefit of language, trying to understand another person's thoughts can be hard enough sometimes. This project will show you some behavioral tests you...
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Science Buddies: Timing the Tides
Have you ever been to a tide pool during low tide? Some intertidal animals in the low tide zone are left in a tiny pool of water when the tides go out. Other intertidal animals that live in high tide zones may be left to dry out during...
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Science Buddies: Boys and Girls All Around the Town
In this experiment you will find out if boys and girls go to the same places, or if some places tend to have more of one gender over the other.
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Science Buddies: Do the Eyes Have It?
Some people have a photographic memory and can memorize anything they see almost instantly. Other people can remember almost anything they hear. Try this experiment to see which type of memory you have.
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Science Buddies: Eeeeew! Maggot Mass Temperature
If you're looking for an experiment that will gross out just about everyone, you probably can't do much better than this. This project investigates an important question in the field of forensic entomology. Just make sure to get...
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Science Buddies: How Much Weight Can Your Boat Float?
Have you ever wondered how a ship made of steel can float? In this project you'll investigate how much weight boat hulls of various shapes and sizes can support without sinking.
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Science Buddies: Testing Behavioral Incentives
Research has shown that positive reinforcement is an effective means of influencing behavior. This experiment looks further to determine which type of reinforcement-praise or reward-is more effective with young children. The objective of...
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Science Buddies: Decisions, Decisions: Judging a Book by Its Cover?
This project challenges you to think like a politician (and a scientist.), and try to ascertain what factors are most important as individuals make their decision on how to vote. For example, is it what is being said, or who is saying it?
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Science Buddies: Do Dilutions of Disinfectants Affect Bacterial Resistance?
This is a project that illustrates the process of natural selection in action. You'll need access to a laboratory for working with the bacterial cultures used in this project.
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Science Buddies: The End Zone: Measuring Antimicrobial Effectiveness
Antimicrobial agents are chemicals that are used against bacteria. There are many such agents available. Because there are many different situations where bacterial control is important, no antimicrobial agent is effective in all...
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Science Buddies: Minimizing Bacteria in the Thawing and Cooking of Meat
Here's a practical project that sheds light on safe practices in the kitchen. Use this information to determine which method of defrosting meat is safest and which method of cooking kills the most bacteria.
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Science Buddies: How the Strength of a Magnet Varies With Temperature
Physicists sometimes study matter under extreme conditions. For example, think of the emptiness of interstellar space vs. the unimaginable crush of pressure at the center of a neutron star, or an object dipped in liquid nitrogen vs. the...
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Science Buddies: Teachers Rule!
Most students like their teachers. However, they may not always say so. Peer pressure may keep a student from expressing how they really feel. In this experiment you will find out if more students like their teacher in younger grades...
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Science Buddies: Effects of Food Preservatives on the Growth of Microorganisms
The problem of protecting food from spoilage has been with us since prehistoric times. The solutions to this problem have changed with advances in technology and knowledge about what causes food to spoil. This project uses liquid...
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Science Buddies: What Duration of Ultraviolet Exposure Kills Bacteria?
Ultraviolet light can damage DNA molecules. If a cell's DNA repair mechanisms can't keep up with the damage, mutations are the result. As harmful mutations accumulate, the cell eventually dies. How much ultraviolet light is too much for...
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Science Buddies: Distance and Constant Acceleration
This project is an experiment in classical physics. You'll be following in Galileo's footsteps, and investigating Newton's laws of motion, using a metronome as your timing device. This resource will help you get a firm understanding of...
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Science Buddies: Distance and Speed of Rolling Objects
This project is an experiment in classical physics. You'll be following in Galileo's footsteps, and investigating Newton's laws of motion, but you'll be taking advantage of modern video recording technology to make your measurements. The...
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Science Buddies: Measuring Sugar Content of a Liquid With a Laser Pointer
Here's a project that shows you how to use a laser pointer and some knowledge of physics to figure out the concentration of sugar dissolved in a liquid.
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Science Buddies: Frequency Dependent Sound Absorption
Want to start a garage band, but Mom or Dad won't let you because it will make too much noise? This is a good project for someone who is interested in acoustics and likes to build things. The objective of this project is to determine if...
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Science Buddies: How Do the Seasons Change in Each Hemisphere?
On a rainy day, do you ever wonder what the weather is like on the other side of the planet? Different regions around the globe can have very different seasonal weather patterns. In this experiment, you can test if these seasonal...
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Science Buddies: How Does a Wind Meter Work?
On a windy day it is hard to keep your hat on. The power of the wind can even be strong enough to power large wind turbines to make electricity. In this experiment, find out how you can make your own instrument to measure the speed and...
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Science Buddies: Testing Sunscreen Effectiveness
The goal of this project is to measure the effectiveness of different sunscreen products for blocking ultraviolet-A (UVB) and ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from sunlight. This project shows you how to use a UV detector to measure rays of light.