Science Fair Research Topics



Science Fair Research Topics

There are seven general areas in biology and natural science to choose from for the science fair. Read through the general descriptions, and go to the corresponding categories for more specific ideas. Remember, these ideas are only suggestions to help you guide your research and formulate a hypothesis.

Topic Areas:

(1) Behavioral Science: the study of behavior in humans and animals related to learning, motivation, personality, perception, cognition and emotion.

(2) Biochemistry: the study of chemistry related to living organisms and their components such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes, blood, urine, vitamins, hormones, poisons, and drugs. The chemistry of absorption, digestion, and metabolism is also included in this category.

(3) Botany:  The study of plants. Topics may include the structure, reproduction, function, growth, classification, disease, and behavior of plants.

(4) Earth Science: The study of the origin, structure, composition, and physical features of Earth, such as geological processes, soil composition and properties of lakes, streams and rivers.

(5) Health Science: The study of the human body, especially in relation to freedom from defect or disease. Topics in this category are mental and physical illnesses, proper diet, and care of the body.

(6) Microbiology: The study of microorganisms. Topics included in this category are the structure and physiology of bacteria, viruses, yeasts, fungi, protozoa, and cellular or tissue cultures.

(7) Zoology: The study of animals. Topics may include the structure, functions, development, genetics, evolution, and classification of animals.

Behavioral Science:

The study of humans and other animals by means of an observable response and the interpretation of the same as offered by the social sciences, sociology, psychology, and other sciences. Some topics within this category are the effect of stimuli on animals and their responses, learning, culture, motivation, emotion, perception, thinking, individuality, personality, and adjustment

Possible Research Ideas/topics:  Design an experiment to test ways that people or animals learn.  These experiments can involve studying, memory, and testing. For example, you might look at ability to take a test under certain conditions that stress memory. Or, create a study to to determine the effect of emotion on learning or perception.  

Biochemistry

The study of chemistry relating to the processes and physical properties of living organisms. Topics within this category include the properties and reactions of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes, blood, urine, vitamins, hormones, poisons, and drugs. The chemistry of absorption, digestion, and metabolism is also included in this category.

Possible research ideas/topics:

Enzymes: Design a study to investigate a specific enzymatic reaction and variables that influence it.

Blood: The effects of changes in pH, tonicity, temperature on other essential blood components (glucose, bicarbonate, sodium, potassium).

Urine: How the composition of urine is related to its chemical properties

Vitamins and Minerals:  Measure levels of vitamins in a solution and how changing certain factors (pH, temperature) can influence the composition/concentration/activity of those vitamins.

Hormones: How hormone composition is affected by manipulating certain factors, such as addition of hormone precursors, enzymes, different hormones, etc.

Poisons: Use microorganisms and plants as a biological assay to measure activity of poisons; compare methods of poison neutralization.

Botany

The study of plants. Topics may include the structure, reproduction, function, growth, classification, disease, and behavior of plants.

Possible research ideas/Topics:

Structure:  Study the effect of hormones, nutrients, toxins, or other factors on plant growth and development.  

Growth/Function:  Examine how tropisms (gravity, light, temperature, water, touch) affect plants. Examine how different colors of light affect the rate of photosynthesis.

Disease:  Study the effects of parasites (fungi, invertebrates) on plants.

Earth Science

The study of the origin, structure, composition, and physical features of Earth. Topics included in this category are geology (earth composition, rock formation, fossils, minerals, and fossil fuel); geography (land forms, soils, classification of streams, erosion, and sedimentation); oceanography (ocean waves, ocean currents, composition of ocean water, and coastal zone management); seismology; geophysics; and meteorology.

Possible research ideas/topics:

Soil Studies: How do factors such as mineral composition, pH and temperature of the soil affect living organisms in the soil? How does soil chemistry determine the type of plant life that is supported? What are soil differences between urban areas and more vegetated areas? Water studies: How does the composition of nutrients and chemicals in the water differ in areas near factories (or other polluting sites) versus more pristine water sources?

Health Science

The study of the human body, especially in relation to freedom from defect or disease. The study is concerned with the education and inspection of public health work. Topics in this category are mental and physical illnesses, proper diet, care of the body, and psychiatric studies.

Possible research ideas/topics:

Mental and physical illnesses: The ways in which navigation of the environment might be improved for individuals with mental/physical disabilities.

Public Health Work: Study how slogans and advertisements, as well as peer/family interactions  influence the behaviors of shopping for and consuming certain foods. Compare levels of various pathogens in meat samples from factories, restaurants, markets.

Proper Diet: Assess the benefits of organic v non-organic foods, determine whether fruit and vegetable color correlate with amount of nutrients present.

Care of Body: Comparisons of the following in athletic v. sedentary individuals:  The effect of aerobic and non-aerobic exercise on heart rate, how CO2 output changes during aerobic/non-aerobic  exercise, body temperature during aerobic/non-aerobic exercise.

Microbiology

The study of that branch of biology concerned with microorganisms. Topics included in this category are the structure and physiology of bacteria, viruses, yeasts, fungi, protozoa, and cellular or tissue cultures.

Possible research ideas/topics:

What are the effects of various nutrients and antibiotics on bacterial/fungal growth? What are differences in micro-organism species composition in locations with varying environmental characteristics (light, pH, salinity, nutrient composition)? How do yeast phenotypes and genotypes change across generations? How do different bacteria digest various “foods” such as cellulose, lactose? What are the conditions required for optimal survival of various micro-organisms?

Zoology

The study of animals. Topics may include the structure, functions, development, genetics, evolution, and classification of animals.

Possible research ideas/topics:

Organisms: Termites, Daphnia, Earthworms

Structure and function: How different environments affect the morphology of related species

Development: How might different factors such as temperature, excessive movement and egg position affect chick development for the first 18 days.

Genetics: Assessing what factors attribute to the persistence or absence of a phenotype in a species; ex: fruit fly

You may want to do additional research in order to select your topic. Websites such as may help you narrow down your topic.

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