What can I test about air for my science fair?
Lots! Here are 14 home air projects you can really test with kitchen things. Each one has a question, a guess you can tap, what to measure, and a real-life link.
Your school science fair is a chance to be a real scientist. The best projects ask a question you can test, change only one thing at a time, and measure what happens with numbers. Every project here works at home, with a grown-up as your lab partner.
A grown-up handles warm water and scissors.
How to build your project
- Pick a question you really want to know the answer to.
- Make a guess. Scientists call it a hypothesis (hi-POTH-uh-sis). It is just your best guess about what will happen. Tap a guess on any project below. There are no wrong guesses!
- Plan a fair test. Change one thing (this is your variable). Keep everything else the same.
- Measure with numbers. Use a timer, a ruler, a measuring cup or a kitchen thermometer.
- Repeat it. Try each test at least 3 times. Real scientists check their work.
- Make a chart or graph of your numbers.
- Write your conclusion. Was your guess right? A wrong guess is still a great project if you explain what you learned.
- Practice explaining it out loud before you make your board.
Judge tip: Judges love it when you explain how your project connects to real life. Every project below has a “Real life” line to help you.
14 project ideas
1 Which cup sweats the most?
Question: Does the kind of cup change how much water forms on the outside?
My guess: Which cup will get wet first?
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Fill a plastic cup, a metal cup and a paper cup with the same amount of ice water. Time how many minutes until you see the first drops on each.
Real life: The cold coil in your air conditioner is made of metal so it can pull water out of the air. See Cloud in a Glass.
2 Does a muggy day make more drops?
Question: Does a cold cup sweat faster on a sticky day than on a dry day?
My guess: When will the cup get wet faster?
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Do the same cold cup test on 5 different days, in the same spot. Time the first drops each day, and write down if the day felt muggy or dry. A grown-up can help you look up the day’s humidity on a weather report.
Real life: On muggy days your AC pulls more water out of the air.
3 Which coat keeps ice frozen longest?
Question: Which wrap slows an ice cube’s melting the most?
My guess: Which ice cube will melt last?
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Wrap same-size ice cubes in foil, a napkin, a sock and bubble wrap, plus one with no wrap. Time how many minutes each one takes to melt.
Real life: Attic insulation is your house’s coat. See Keep It Cold Race.
4 Does a thicker coat work better?
Question: Does adding more layers of insulation keep ice frozen longer?
My guess: More layers will make the ice melt…
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Wrap ice cubes in 0, 1, 3 and 5 paper napkins. Time how long each takes to melt. Make a line graph of layers and minutes.
Real life: Builders choose how thick to make attic insulation.
5 Dark cup, light cup
Question: Does color change how warm something gets in the sun?
My guess: Which cup will get warmer?
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Wrap one cup of tap water in black paper and one in white paper. Set them in a sunny window for 30 minutes. Measure each water temperature with a kitchen thermometer.
Real life: Light-colored roofs and shirts stay cooler in the Texas sun.
6 Do blinds keep a room cooler?
Question: Does closing the blinds on a sunny window change the temperature near it?
My guess: With the blinds closed, the floor will be…
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: With a grown-up, set a kitchen thermometer on the floor in a sunny spot by a window. Read it after 20 minutes with the blinds open. On another day at the same time, read it after 20 minutes with the blinds closed.
Real life: Closing blinds on the sunny side helps your AC. See Shade Squad.
7 Does a breeze dry things faster?
Question: Does moving air make water evaporate faster?
My guess: The cloth with a breeze will dry…
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Wet two same-size cloths the same amount. Fan one with a paper fan for 1 minute every 5 minutes. Leave the other still. Time how long each takes to feel dry.
Real life: Fans help people feel cooler by drying sweat. See Cool by Evaporation.
8 Do wide puddles dry faster?
Question: Does the shape of a container change how fast water evaporates?
My guess: Which water will disappear first?
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Put the same amount of water (use a measuring spoon) in a flat plate, a bowl and a tall cup. Each day, measure the water left with a ruler or measuring spoon.
Real life: More open surface lets more water escape into the air.
9 Does fanning melt ice faster?
Question: Does moving air carry heat to ice faster?
My guess: The fanned ice cube will melt…
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Put two same-size ice cubes on two plates. Fan one with a paper plate. Time how long each takes to melt.
Real life: Your AC’s cold coil needs lots of air moving across it. A blocked return grille slows that air down.
10 Does warm air take up more space?
Question: What happens to air in a bottle when it warms up or cools down?
My guess: In warm water, the balloon will…
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Stretch a balloon over an empty plastic bottle. A grown-up sets it in a bowl of warm tap water, then in ice water. Measure around the balloon with a string and ruler each time.
Real life: Warm air spreads out and rises, so upstairs and attics get warmer. See Warm Goes Up.
11 Which material makes the strongest static?
Question: Which material gives a balloon the biggest static charge?
My guess: Which will lift the most paper bits?
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Rub a balloon 10 times on hair, wool, cotton and a plastic bag. Count how many tiny paper bits it lifts each time.
Real life: Many air filters use a little static to help grab tiny dust bits. See Static Balloon.
12 Which homemade filter catches the most?
Question: Which material makes the best filter?
My guess: Which will catch the most pepper?
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Pour the same peppery water through a coffee filter, a paper towel and a piece of old T-shirt. Count the pepper flecks that get through into the cup, and time how fast the water drips.
Real life: Your home’s air filter catches dust before it reaches the machine. See Dust Detective.
13 Can a pine cone tell the weather?
Question: Do pine cones open and close when the air is dry or damp?
My guess: On a damp day, the pine cone will…
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: Pick up a pine cone outside with a grown-up. Each day, measure how wide it is with a ruler and write down the weather. You can also set it in a damp paper towel overnight and measure again.
Real life: Pine cones react to humidity, the same water in the air that your AC pulls out.
14 Which mirror clears fastest?
Question: Does the bathroom fan help a foggy mirror clear faster?
My guess: With the fan on, the mirror will clear…
Bonus: can you say why you think so?
Measure: After a grown-up’s warm shower, time how many minutes until the mirror is clear with the bathroom fan on. On another day, try it with the fan off.
Real life: Bathroom fans pull damp air out of the house.
Make your board shine
- Put your question at the top in big letters.
- Show your hypothesis, your materials and your steps.
- Show your numbers in a chart and a graph.
- Draw pictures of what you saw.
- Write your conclusion and one “real life” connection.
- Add a “What I would try next” box.
Need help with the big words? Try Hero Words, the Why Bank and the Homework Helper.
My project plan
Two pages: your plan and the steps, then a page to write your measurements.
Two pages: your plan and the steps, then a page to write your measurements.
