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Easy science experiments

Easy projects from the community library, rated by how much setup, measurement and skill they need rather than by how impressive they look.

117 published projects in this collection

What to expect

Everything here uses household or inexpensive materials and can usually be finished in a single session. Good for a first fair project, a rainy afternoon or a classroom period.

How difficulty is decided

Difficulty comes from the project's own record — the number and complexity of steps, the tools required and the skill level the creator set — not from a subjective label, so it stays comparable across subjects.

Projects to try

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Super Easy Bottle Rocket

Build a simple bottle rocket using a vinegar and baking soda reaction in a sealed plastic bottle to produce carbon dioxide, increase pressure, and launch the bottle. Demonstrates gas production, pressure, and Newton's third law.

Beginner
Elementary
Under 30 minutes
$3 materials

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Which packaging design best protects an egg from a drop?

Design and test multiple egg-drop packaging solutions using different cushioning materials, dropping each from the same height and recording outcomes.

Beginner
Elementary +3
Several days
$10 materials

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Does the arm length of a catapult affect how far it launches a marshmallow?

Build a simple spoon or popsicle-stick catapult with adjustable arm length and measure launch distance.

Beginner
Elementary +3
Several days
$8 materials

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Does wheel size affect the speed of a battery-powered model car?

Build a simple battery-powered model car and test its speed over a fixed track using interchangeable wheel sizes.

Beginner
Elementary +3
Several days
$20 materials

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Does the Fibonacci sequence appear in real plants?

Count petals, seed spirals and leaf arrangements across many plants and compare with the sequence.

Beginner
Elementary +3
Several days
$5 materials

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Does a wider base make a tower more resistant to wind?

Build towers of equal height and different base widths and test them against a fan.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1–2 hours
$10 materials

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How many filtration layers are needed to clear muddy water?

Build filters with different numbers of sand and gravel layers and measure the turbidity of the filtered water produced.

Beginner
Elementary +2
1 day
$12 materials

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Does the colour of a flower attract more insects?

Set out coloured artificial flower cards outdoors and count insect visits over several days.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1–2 weeks
$10 materials

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Which solar oven design reaches the highest internal temperature?

Build three solar oven designs using cardboard and foil and compare their heating performance under identical sunlight conditions.

Beginner
Elementary +3
Several days
$18 materials

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Does canopy size affect how slowly a parachute falls?

Build parachutes with different canopy sizes and time how long each takes to fall from the same height.

Beginner
Elementary +2
1 day
$5 materials

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Does hand sanitiser or soap remove more glitter from hands?

Coat hands in glitter and compare removal by water, sanitiser and soap washing.

Beginner
Elementary +2
30–60 minutes
$5 materials

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Does hand washing time change how clean hands look under a UV tracer?

Apply a UV tracer lotion and photograph hands after different washing times.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1–2 hours
$20 materials

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Does the shape of a paper cup affect how loud a string telephone sounds?

Build string telephones with different cups and rate how clearly words come through.

Beginner
Elementary +2
30–60 minutes
$5 materials

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Environmental Science

Does rain change how many earthworms appear at the surface?

Count worm casts and surface worms in the same plots before and after rainfall.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1–2 weeks
$5 materials

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Does column shape affect how much weight a paper tower can hold?

Roll identical sheets into different column shapes and load them until they buckle.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1–2 hours
$5 materials

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Is a dice game fair when you change the winning rule?

Play a two-dice game under several rules and compare observed win rates with calculated probabilities.

Beginner
Elementary +3
30–60 minutes
$5 materials

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Which paper folding pattern makes the strongest bridge?

Fold identical sheets into flat, corrugated and tube shapes and load them until they fail.

Beginner
Elementary +3
30–60 minutes
$3 materials

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Does the length of a marble run change how fast the marble finishes?

Build marble runs of different lengths from the same starting height and time each run.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1–2 hours
$10 materials

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Does the shape of a boat hull change how much cargo it carries?

Shape identical foil sheets into different hulls and load them with coins until they sink.

Beginner
Elementary +3
30–60 minutes
$6 materials

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Does the shape of an object affect whether it floats or sinks in water?

Mould equal amounts of clay into different shapes and test how much weight each shape can float.

Beginner
Elementary +2
1 day
$5 materials

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Which sense helps you identify food fastest: smell or sight?

Blindfolded volunteers try to identify foods by smell only, then by sight only, and reaction times are compared.

Beginner
Elementary +2
1 day
$10 materials

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Does the type of liquid affect how quickly an iron nail rusts?

Place iron nails in water, saltwater, vinegar, and vegetable oil and track rust formation over a week.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1–2 weeks
$8 materials

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Does the shape of a boat hull affect how much it holds?

Shape equal pieces of foil into different hulls and load them with coins until they sink.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1 day
$6 materials

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Does wing size affect how far a seed helicopter falls?

Build paper maple-seed helicopters with different blade lengths and time their descent.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1 day
$3 materials

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Preparing for a fair? Read the science fair guide or record your data in the lab.