Download SCIENCE PROJECT SUGGESTIONS POSSIBLE RESEARCH

SCIENCE PROJECT SUGGESTIONS
POSSIBLE RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR A PROJECT USING DIGITAL PROBES TO COLLECT DATA.
These ideas are mostly extension questions from Vernier Software and Technology resource books or ideas generated
from the extension questions in some of the Vernier resource books.
Temperature Probes
1. Is heat transferred more rapidly in solids, liquids or gases? Which phase of matter makes the best insulator?
2. Which substances can reduce the freezing point of water the most? (anti-freeze materials)
3. Investigate evaporating rates of various liquids (alcohols, solvents).
4. How much energy is given off by different alternative fuels (ethanol vs. regular fuel).
5. How much energy is given off by different types of food?
6. How much energy is involved with chemical reactions? (endothermic vs. exothermic reactions).
7. Building a solar home. What kind of factors can help a solar heated home? Thermal masses, window size,
window location, window color, solar collecting panels etc.
8. What factors affect the absorption of radiant energy? Land surface texture, color, ground cover……..(snow,
foliage).
9. How much does soil color affect the rate of heat absorption?
10. How much does soil moisture affect the rate of heat absorption?
11. Investigate the Greenhouse Effect. Do different materials work better for the “greenhouse effect”? What is the
relationship between carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the ability of the atmosphere to trap heat energy?
12. Investigate insulation properties of different materials (clothing, construction, other).
13. Investigate wind chill.
pH Probes
1. How does the acid/base (pH) characteristics of soil change in the Lower Yellowstone Valley.
2. Which foods that we eat contain the most acid?
Light Sensors
1. What factors affect surface reflection of light? (surface texture, color, ground cover etc.)
2. How much does angle of insolation (incoming light) affect the amount of light reaching a surface?
3. Investigate which Earth surface (soil, sand or water) reflects (or absorbs) light.
4. Design an experiment to find out if there is a relationship light reflectivity and heat absorption for different
materials or colors.
5. Collect particulates from the air (air pollution) and measure amounts of particulate using a light sensor.
Motion Detectors
1. Use a motion detector to model the process of mapping the ocean floor.
2. Use a motion detector to show graph patterns for different types of motion (constant velocity, acceleration,
deceleration etc.).
3. Compare the rate of falling of two (or more) objects.
Voltage Probes and/or Conductivity Probes
1. Set up series and/or parallel circuits to investigate patterns of current flow through the circuits.
2. Investigate the conductive properties of different metals.
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Investigate mineral ion concentration in fruits and vegetables.
Study water hardness using a conductivity probe.
How does water hardness compare in the Sidney area?
How effective are different water softeners?
How does the temperature of water affect the rate of diffusion of salt?
How much salt can be removed from sea water by desalination?
How much does evaporation affect the salinity of sea water?
Water treatment investigations. Test different water supplies for total dissolved salts (TDS), pH, and turbitity
(cloudiness). Use conductivity probe, pH probe, and turbidity sensor.
11. Efficiency of photovoltaic (solar cells).
Magnetic Field Probes
1. Design and test simple electromagnets. Find a relationship between the number of winds in the wires of the
electromagnet, the strength of the magnetic field and the amount of material the electromagnet will lift.
Weather Station
1. Observe/record and analyze weather variables over an extended period of time (two or four week study). The
weather station can monitor precipitation, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction,
barometric pressure and others. Design a study to compare one weather variable to another and see if there is
a relationship between the two.
2. Probes are also available to monitor variables such as temperature, pressure, UV light, and relative humidity if
you can think of or design an experiment that you are unable to use the weather station for.
OTHER PROBES THAT ARE AVAILABLE
1. EKG (heart rhythm) monitor
2. Heart rate monitor
3. Hand grip monitor
4. CO2 gas sensor (could be used in a greenhouse experiment along with a temperature probe)
5. Accelerometer
6. O2 gas sensor (could be used with CO2 sensor to do a plant or animal respiration investigation).
7. Force sensor – like a scale device.
OTHER OPTIONS WITH COMPUTER/TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
Another option if you like working with computers and maps is a project involving GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
software. Our school has a site license to ESRI (Earth Systems Research Institute) GIS software which allows the
software user to develop map relationships between environmental factors and their patterns and trends as they can be
plotted on maps. Examples of topics that might be analyzed using GIS software could include:
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animal population studies
Distribution of volcanoes or earthquakes during a given year. Sort and analyze Earthquakes by magnitude.
Types of habitats across the state/region.
Distribution of a species across a state/region. (Study of relationship between habitat and species distribution.)
Soil distribution in Montana.
Mineral or natural resource distribution across the state or nation.
Tracking the paths of objects/items/natural events – storms or hurricanes, animal habits,