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General STEM experiments and science fair projects

Hands-on general stem projects covering cross-subject investigations and everyday science. Each one lists the exact materials, the time and cost involved, the variables to control and a data table you can fill in — so it works as a class activity or as a full science fair entry.

15 published projects in this collection

Choosing a general stem project

These projects cross subject boundaries, which makes them a good fit when your fair category is open or you simply want to test an everyday question properly.

What every project includes

A research question and hypothesis, an independent and dependent variable, the variables you hold constant, a materials list with costs, numbered steps, safety guidance and a reproducibility score based on how completely the method is documented.

Projects to try

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Are rolled dice actually fair, or do some numbers come up more often?

Roll a die a large number of times, tally the results, and compare the observed frequency of each number to the expected probability.

Beginner
Elementary +3
Several days
$2 materials

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Can people accurately guess the passage of one minute without a clock?

Ask participants to silently signal when they think one minute has passed and compare their estimate to the actual elapsed time.

Beginner
Elementary +3
1 day
No-cost materials

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Does drinking more water improve self-reported energy levels the next day?

Track daily water intake and next-morning self-reported energy ratings over two weeks to look for a relationship.

Intermediate
Middle School +2
1–2 weeks
No-cost materials

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Does the colour of text change how fast people read it?

Time volunteers reading matched passages printed in different colour combinations.

Beginner
Elementary +3
Several days
$8 materials

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Does the number of coin flips affect how close the results get to a 50/50 split?

Flip a coin in increasing batch sizes and compare the percentage of heads to the theoretical 50% expectation.

Beginner
Elementary +3
Several days
No-cost materials

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How consistent are ruler measurements when different people measure the same object?

Have several people independently measure the same set of objects with a ruler and compare the spread of their results.

Beginner
Elementary +2
1 day
No-cost materials

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Which brand of batteries lasts longest powering an identical device?

Run identical battery-powered devices, such as small flashlights, with different battery brands until they die and record the run time.

Intermediate
Elementary +3
Several days
$25 materials

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Can you taste the difference between fizzy and flat drinks?

Run a blind taste test with fizzy and deliberately flattened samples of one drink.

Beginner
Elementary +3
30–60 minutes
$8 materials

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Does reaction time change with distractions?

Use the falling ruler test to measure reaction time with and without distraction.

Beginner
Middle School +2
Several days
$2 materials

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Does music tempo affect memory recall?

Test volunteers on a word list while different tempos of instrumental music play.

Intermediate
Middle School +2
Several days
No-cost materials

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Which type of fabric dries fastest after being soaked in water?

Soak identical-sized fabric swatches of different materials and measure the time and mass change as they dry.

Intermediate
Elementary +3
Several days
$10 materials

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Does music affect how well people memorise a word list?

Test volunteers memorising equivalent word lists in silence, with instrumental music and with lyrics.

Intermediate
Middle School +2
Several days
No-cost materials

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Does music tempo change how fast people tap?

Play music at different tempos and count taps per minute for each listener.

Beginner
Elementary +3
30–60 minutes
No-cost materials

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Does the colour of a plate change how much people think they eat?

Show identical portions on different coloured plates and record size judgements.

Beginner
Middle School +2
Several days
$15 materials

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Which brand of paper towel absorbs the most water?

Compare absorption capacity across brands using mass measurements.

Beginner
Elementary +2
1 day
$15 materials

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