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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Image File Types and Size

For Students 3rd - 5th
There are so many different ways to save an image file it can be mind boggling. If you want to know whether to save your favorite photo as a jpeg, bmp, gif, or tiff then try this simple experiment.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: The Golden Rules of Photography

For Students 3rd - 5th
What is it that famous photographers do to make their images so pleasing to the eye? Find out if simple rules of geometry and symmetry can make you a better photographer.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Hurricanes and Climate

For Students 9th - 10th
The past few years have histories of extremely powerful and dangerous storms. These storms have also increased in frequency. To investigate potential effects of climate on hurricane number and strength, this project will focus on the...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Do Fears Change With Age?

For Students 9th - 10th
Although some of us may not like to admit it, everyone's afraid of something. Big dogs, thunderstorms, public speaking, heights: what are you most afraid of? Do you think grown-ups have the same fears as kids? The goal of this project is...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Yogurt Cultures

For Students 3rd - 5th
Find out in this experiment how good bacteria can turn milk into a treat by investigating the optimal starter cultures for making yogurt from whole milk.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Can Your Faucet Save Water?

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiment with low-flow faucets and see how much water you can save in your home. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on terms,...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Can the Color of Your House Reduce Your Energy Bill?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Did you know that the color of your house could save money? Do this experiment to see which colors regulate temperature best in different environments. Learn how painting the house can save money on the energy bill.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: A Juicy Project: Extracting Apple Juice With Pectinase

For Students 6th - 8th
This is a basic project on the effect of enzymes on apple slices. The goal of the project is to monitor enzyme activity by measuring the amount of apple juice released by pectinase.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Enzyme Catalyzed Reactions What Affects Their Rates?

For Students 9th - 10th
Enzymes speed up chemical reactions by factors of at least a million. This project investigates some of the factors that affect how fast enzymatic reactions occur.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Alternative Sources for Paper Fiber

For Students 6th - 8th
If you're interested in arts and crafts, you might like this project. It uses several alternative, renewable sources of fiber to make paper, and compares the resulting papers for strength and writing quality.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Yeasty Beasties

For Students 3rd - 8th
While looking at a package of dry yeast it is hard to believe it is alive. But add the right ingredients and presto, the mixture becomes a bubbly, oozing, mess of life. What are the right ingredients? Do this experiment and figure it out...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Well Do Disinfectants Work?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Germs are everywhere. We try and clean our home with disinfectants, but do we really get rid of all the germs? Find out with this "hands-on" experiment.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: What Is the Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking?

For Students 9th - 10th
Maybe you know someone who smokes, and you want to help them to quit. They've probably already told you how hard it is to stop once a person has started smoking. This project tries to answer the question: What is the most effective way...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Testing the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony

For Students 9th - 10th
Think back to the last time you went to the grocery store. How well can you describe the person who was ahead of you in the check-out line? How many details do you remember about the person? Here is a project to investigate the accuracy...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Testing for Bias in a Photo Lineup

For Students 9th - 10th
You may have read about criminal cases where innocent people have been wrongly convicted of a crime. Sometimes, modern DNA analysis techniques have provided the evidence to exonerate these innocent people. In many cases, mistaken...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Candy Confusion: Can Small Children Mistake Medicine for Candy?

For Students 9th - 10th
Many medicines come in bottles with special child-proof caps so that small children can't accidentally open the bottle and eat the pills. To a small child who can't read the label, the pills might look just like candy. This project helps...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Getting Critical Over Colloids

For Students 3rd - 5th
What is a colloid? If you have made Oobleck out of corn starch and water, then you know that a colloid is a mixture that acts like a solid and a liquid at the same time. This activity helps you determine the critical factors that...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Antlion Pits in Open Sand or Under Leaf Cover

For Students 5th - 8th
Antlion larvae are known for their predatory ways. In sandy areas, they dig pits to trap ants or other crawling insects that happen to stumble in. This project shows you how to create a mini-environment for antlion larvae to test their...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Animal Magnetism: Do Magnets Affect Regeneration in Planaria?

For Students 9th - 10th
The human body has an impressive ability to heal itself after injury, but humans have nothing on planaria. Planaria have an amazing ability to regenerate. An entire animal can regenerate from just a fraction of the body. This project...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Acid Rain and Aquatic Life

For Students 2nd - 5th
Chemicals from the Earth's atmosphere are making their way down to the planet. Not in spaceships, but in rain. The acid rain can infiltrate ground water, lakes, and streams. How does acid rain affect aquatic ecosystems?
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Can Copper Foil Snails?

For Students 6th - 8th
If you have a garden, you probably know about snails (or their shell-less relatives, slugs). You may even be looking for a good way to keep them from getting into your garden and eating up the results of all your hard work. Here's a...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Explore the Forces of Friction

For Students 9th - 10th
We all recognize what friction is, but do you really understand what causes it? This project focuses on friction, its causes and forces and specifically how it affects how fast you can slip down slides.
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Does Temperature Affect the Rate of Butterfly Development?

For Students 6th - 8th
This is an interesting experiment for an Investigator who is 1) curious about insect metamorphosis and 2) patient. You'll need to set up different controlled environments for the chrysalides, and then check on them regularly as you wait...
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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Paw Preference in Pets

For Students 4th - 8th
The great majority of people have a distinct hand preference. The goal of this science fair project is to determine whether non-primate mammals (e.g., dogs or cats) have a paw preference, which might indicate lateralization of function...