Chemistry Science Fair Projects: How to Get Involved in Chemistry Science Fair Projects Throughout Your Educational Career
Throughout elementary, middle and high school, anyone interested in STEM fields can use science fair projects as a way to not only showcase their understanding of science, but to build a myriad of other skills along with it! But why chemistry? This blog will discuss all the benefits of a chemistry science fair project, and why YOU should consider participating in a chemistry science fair project!
What is a chemistry science fair project?
A chemistry science fair project can be defined in many ways – from an abstract definition like exploring a phenomenon dealing with substances and how they interact with one another, or a more concrete definition which entails forming a hypothesis and using an experiment combining or analyzing substances to support it.
How can you get involved in chemistry science fair projects?
There are a multitude of ways to get involved in chemistry science fair projects both within your school and outside of it!
One way is to compete in science fair competitions that allow topics in the chemistry field. Here are some competitions to consider:
Davidson Fellows Scholarship (18 or younger)
Stockholm Junior Water Prize (high school)
Regeneron ISEF (high school)
Oftentimes high schools hold science fairs that provide a gateway into regional or national competitions! Elementary and middle school-level science fairs at your school may also provide such opportunities, so be on the lookout for those fairs!
Ideas for chemistry science fair projects
Now that you know you WANT to participate in a chemistry science fair project, you may not have decided WHAT you want to present. Fear not! There are countless possibilities to choose from, including:
Comparing the different pH values of substances and their effect on a certain phenomenon
Boiling points of different substances and the molecular properties that explain the bp
Titrating different substances to determine when a substance becomes pure
Analyzing vinegar properties with different substances
Comparing the electrolytes in different drinks
Analyzing the thermal conductivity of glass
Doing a case study of different soaps and how harmful they are based on their ingredients
The brainstorming process
Perhaps you have a million ideas of science fair projects, or maybe you are having trouble just finding one tangible option. The list above is just a short list of ideas to consider. You can always reach out to teachers about your ideas to get some ideas on what a feasible project may be. You can find even more inspiration online by looking at past science fair projects.
AI and Chemistry
One popular option is to conduct an experiment which gives insight into if machine learning can be used to replace or make new discoveries about substances. With artificial intelligence, you can consider making a project that can predict elements or create a more complex understanding of molecular structure.
Gathering materials
Once you have an idea, you may be left wondering how you can actually obtain the materials you need to conduct your experiment. The good thing is that your teachers are always willing to help you! Reach out to your chemistry, environmental science, physics, or biology teachers to ask them what materials they may have. More likely than not, they will have knowledge and access to materials that you may not have ever seen in their classrooms!
You can also consider using online simulations or making your own simulation of an experiment. Double check with the science fair destination where you are presenting to make sure that your digital experiment qualifies!
You’ve just finished your chemistry science fair project, now what?
As mentioned earlier, there are a ton of benefits to completing a chemistry science fair project. You get to research a topic you love, work with other students, get feedback on your experiment and experimental design from professionals, and become exposed to other new science applications. Much like scientists in the real world, you will encounter failure. You will find experimentation flaws, you will find more variables that you need to control, and you will learn the limitations there are to drawing conclusions from data.
Utilizing your chemistry science fair project in your journey from high school to college
In transitioning from high school to college, you will have gained real world experience in chemistry that will aid your learning in college. If you wish to pursue chemistry research, your science fair project will be a great way to demonstrate your skills and passion in chemistry to professors you want to work with. If you decide to work at your professor’s lab, you can impress them by performing an acid-base titration before the professor even teaches you.
If you join STEM clubs and projects in college, you can use your knowledge to help your team build innovative products and create groundbreaking solutions. You might find yourself using your chemistry knowledge to make water purification filters in a remote part of another country, or helping researchers build a new vaccine against a virus.
Taking the next step in your chemistry science fair project
Your chemistry science fair project is also a great launching-off point to pursue further work in chemistry in high school and beyond. You can transform your project into a research paper to submit to journals. By doing so, you can become the primary author of your own published research before even heading to college!
You could also consider presenting your science fair project as a conference presentation. In this way, you can share your findings with a larger, perhaps more specialized group of people.
There is no one path that is right. Remember the fundamental purpose of your chemistry science fair project. It may be to learn the process of designing and writing about experimental findings. It may be to explore your passion in chemistry. It may be to get real hands-on experience in chemistry. Whatever your purpose may be, if you follow that purpose, you will find that choosing your next steps will come easier to you.
You may also like this blog post on How to Get Started with a Chemistry Science Fair Project.
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
