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70 Science Fair Projects for High School

70 Science Fair Projects for High School

Looking for inspiring high school science fair project ideas? You're at the right place, as we compiled this wide range of science projects for 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade and 12th grade!

Hamster Exercise Wheels and Simulated Jet Lag
1. Hamster Exercise Wheels and Simulated Jet Lag
Shift a hamster's light schedule and track how many days it takes for wheel activity to recover.
Hard
Hand-Drawn Holograms on Plastic
2. Hand-Drawn Holograms on Plastic
Scratch overlapping arcs into acrylic with a compass and watch a glowing letter float inside the plastic in sunlight.
Medium
Dog Color Vision and the Red-Green Puzzle
3. Dog Color Vision and the Red-Green Puzzle
Train five dog breeds to find treats in colored boxes and discover which colors dogs can actually tell apart.
Hard
Salt, Sugar, and Freezing Point Depression
4. Salt, Sugar, and Freezing Point Depression
Freeze eight salt and sugar solutions side by side and discover why cities choose salt over sugar for icy roads.
Medium
Mimosa Pudica and Pavlovian Conditioning
5. Mimosa Pudica and Pavlovian Conditioning
Train Mimosa pudica plants with paired light and temperature cues for six days, then remove one cue to see if the plants learned the association.
Medium
Galileo's Inclined Plane and Acceleration
6. Galileo's Inclined Plane and Acceleration
Rebuild Galileo's 1638 ramp and water clock to prove that a rolling ball speeds up as it descends.
Hard
Precision and Chaos in Iterative Math
7. Precision and Chaos in Iterative Math
Run the same equation at different rounding levels in a spreadsheet and watch a stable pattern tip into mathematical chaos.
Medium
Herschel's Infrared Light Experiment
8. Herschel's Infrared Light Experiment
Split sunlight with a prism and place a thermometer just past the red band to detect invisible infrared heat.
Medium
Rock Porosity and Water Storage
9. Rock Porosity and Water Storage
Soak different rocks in water and discover which ones hold the most liquid like underground sponges.
Medium
Casein Glue from Milk and Vinegar
10. Casein Glue from Milk and Vinegar
Milk contains a protein that turns into working glue when you add vinegar and a pinch of baking soda.
Medium
Beverage Color and Flavor Perception
11. Beverage Color and Flavor Perception
Dye four identical lime drinks different colors and see how many people taste flavors that match the color instead.
Medium
Temperature and Sweetness Perception
12. Temperature and Sweetness Perception
Serve the same sugar water at four different temperatures and discover that warmth makes people taste more sweetness.
Medium
Classical Music and Falling Asleep
13. Classical Music and Falling Asleep
Track how long ten nursery participants take to fall asleep over ten days and compare silent nap times to ones with classical music.
Medium
Tree Species and Insect Diversity
14. Tree Species and Insect Diversity
Tap tree branches over a white sheet, collect the insects that fall, and identify which tree species hosts the greatest variety.
Medium
Music Genres and Blood Pressure
15. Music Genres and Blood Pressure
Play different music genres for volunteers and measure whose blood pressure drops or rises the most after each song.
Medium
Window Glass Types and Heat Insulation
16. Window Glass Types and Heat Insulation
Place three boxes with different glass windows in the sun and track which stays coolest over one hour.
Medium
Bacteria in Water Coolers vs. Tap Water
17. Bacteria in Water Coolers vs. Tap Water
Swab water from a cooler and a tap into petri dishes and discover which source grows more bacteria.
Medium
Toothpaste Brands and Mouth Bacteria
18. Toothpaste Brands and Mouth Bacteria
Swab your teeth before and after brushing with four toothpaste brands and compare the bacteria colonies that grow in each dish.
Medium
Hexagon Fractals from Paper Templates
19. Hexagon Fractals from Paper Templates
Trace hexagons at six shrinking sizes onto graph paper and watch a single shape grow into a complex fractal design.
Easy
Barefoot Running and Forefoot Landing
20. Barefoot Running and Forefoot Landing
Film runners sprinting with and without shoes and count how dramatically their foot-strike pattern changes.
Medium
Tennis Grip Style and Muscle Fatigue
21. Tennis Grip Style and Muscle Fatigue
Serve with two different tennis grips and use a ruler drop test to see which one tires your hand more.
Medium
Tuning Fork Frequency and Temperature
22. Tuning Fork Frequency and Temperature
Freeze and heat a tuning fork from 0°C to 100°C and measure the subtle frequency shift that temperature creates.
Hard
Eyesight Conditions and Magic Eye Images
23. Eyesight Conditions and Magic Eye Images
Show a Magic Eye stereogram to people with three vision types and see how eyesight changes the 3D shape.
Medium
Double Slit Diffraction Patterns
24. Double Slit Diffraction Patterns
Shine a laser through two tiny slits and watch bright and dark bands appear as light waves interfere with each other.
Medium
Parachute Shape and Drop Speed
25. Parachute Shape and Drop Speed
Drop four parachute shapes from a balcony and discover which one floats down the slowest.
Medium
Light Color and Response Time
26. Light Color and Response Time
Flash three colored lights at 20 participants and measure which color triggers the fastest reaction.
Medium
Video Games and Exam Performance
27. Video Games and Exam Performance
Give participants an exam before and after two weeks of daily video games and see whether their scores change.
Hard
Bacteria Levels in Fresh, Frozen, and Irradiated Chicken
28. Bacteria Levels in Fresh, Frozen, and Irradiated Chicken
Swab fresh, frozen, and irradiated chicken onto agar plates and measure which processing method leaves the fewest bacteria behind.
Medium
Aluminum vs. Wooden Bats and Hit Distance
29. Aluminum vs. Wooden Bats and Hit Distance
Have ten batters hit with both an aluminum and a wooden bat to see which material sends the ball farther.
Medium
Lactose Crystals from Three Kinds of Milk
30. Lactose Crystals from Three Kinds of Milk
Extract and crystallize the sugar hidden in three types of milk, then weigh the crystals to see which milk holds the least lactose.
Hard
Temperature and Methane from Cow Manure
31. Temperature and Methane from Cow Manure
Seal cow manure in flasks at three temperatures and measure which one produces the most methane gas over five days.
Medium
Color Visibility at Ocean Depths
32. Color Visibility at Ocean Depths
Photograph red, yellow, green, and blue balls at increasing ocean depths to discover which colors vanish first.
Hard
Salt Water vs. Distilled Water in Electrolysis
33. Salt Water vs. Distilled Water in Electrolysis
Wire a light bulb through two beakers of water -- one salty, one distilled -- and watch which one lights up.
Medium
Antacid Brands and Acid Neutralization
34. Antacid Brands and Acid Neutralization
Add acid drop by drop to four antacid brands and measure which one takes the most acid before it gives up.
Hard
Peroxidase Activity Across Temperatures
35. Peroxidase Activity Across Temperatures
Count the oxygen bubbles a potato cube produces in hydrogen peroxide at eight temperatures to find the point where the enzyme shuts down.
Medium
Dog Hearing, Breed, and Age
36. Dog Hearing, Breed, and Age
Play high-frequency sounds for young and old dogs to find out how much hearing range fades with age.
Hard
Potato Catalase and Temperature
37. Potato Catalase and Temperature
Drop potato-soaked filter paper into hydrogen peroxide at different temperatures and time how fast the enzyme pushes it to the surface.
Medium
Turmeric as an Antioxidant in Daphnia
38. Turmeric as an Antioxidant in Daphnia
Watch daphnia heart rates spike from an oxidant, then add turmeric juice and see if the rate drops.
Hard
Material Density and Sound Blocking
39. Material Density and Sound Blocking
Swap one wall of a box between plywood, bakelite, glass, and marble to discover which material blocks the most sound from a siren inside.
Medium
Onion DNA Extraction with Household Items
40. Onion DNA Extraction with Household Items
Crack open onion cells with detergent and meat tenderizer. Watch white strands of DNA float up in ice-cold ethanol.
Medium
Bioluminescent Bacteria as Pollution Sensors
41. Bioluminescent Bacteria as Pollution Sensors
Transfer glowing bacteria into test tubes and watch their light fade as you add everyday pollutants like hair gel and river water.
Hard
Amylase, Iodine, and Starch Breakdown
42. Amylase, Iodine, and Starch Breakdown
Mix starch with active and boiled amylase. Then test with iodine and Benedict's solution to see which tubes turned starch into sugar.
Medium
Bacteria Growth in Reused Water Bottles
43. Bacteria Growth in Reused Water Bottles
Three days of drinking from an unwashed water bottle can multiply bacteria by thousands of times.
Hard
Betta Fish and Mirror Aggression
44. Betta Fish and Mirror Aggression
Show a betta fish its own reflection again and again to discover how quickly it stops flaring at the mirror.
Medium
Reed Switch Motor from a Cork and Magnets
45. Reed Switch Motor from a Cork and Magnets
Turn a cork and two magnets into a spinning electric motor powered by a single battery.
Medium
AI Personality and Monopoly Strategy
46. AI Personality and Monopoly Strategy
Program two AI players with opposite personalities and discover which one dominates in 300 games of Monopoly.
Hard
Luminescent Bacteria and Ocean Glow
47. Luminescent Bacteria and Ocean Glow
Draw a glowing message with real ocean bacteria and watch it light up on an agar plate in the dark.
Medium
Elastic Rebound and Tabletop Earthquakes
48. Elastic Rebound and Tabletop Earthquakes
Drag a brick with an elastic cord and watch a vibration sensor record the stop-and-go jolts that mimic earthquakes.
Hard
Air-Powered Volcano and Tephra Cones
49. Air-Powered Volcano and Tephra Cones
Shoot sand into the air with pressurized gas and a fan to build cinder cones that mimic real eruptions.
Medium
Osmosis in Eggs Without Shells
50. Osmosis in Eggs Without Shells
Soak shell-free eggs in three different solutions and watch osmosis shrink or swell each one.
Medium
Neural Networks and Connect 4 Strategy
51. Neural Networks and Connect 4 Strategy
Train a neural network to play Connect 4 and find out whether it can beat a human or only the opponent it practiced against.
Hard
Apple Sugar Content After Cold Storage
52. Apple Sugar Content After Cold Storage
Juice three apple varieties twice a week and use a refractometer to track which one gains the most sugar after leaving cold storage.
Medium
Acne Medications vs. Propionibacterium
53. Acne Medications vs. Propionibacterium
Test prescription and store-bought acne treatments against live bacteria to see which one creates the largest germ-free zone.
Hard
Chemical Tests for Nutrients in Everyday Foods
54. Chemical Tests for Nutrients in Everyday Foods
Use three chemical indicators to reveal hidden carbohydrates and lipids and proteins inside seven common foods.
Medium
Candle-Powered Magnetic Pendulum Engine
55. Candle-Powered Magnetic Pendulum Engine
Hang a magnet on a pendulum near a candle and watch heat turn its magnetism on and off.
Medium
Sun's Diameter from a Pinhole Image
56. Sun's Diameter from a Pinhole Image
Project a pinhole image of the sun onto a card and use a simple ratio to calculate its diameter.
Medium
Rubik's Cube Disorder and Repeated Move Sequences
57. Rubik's Cube Disorder and Repeated Move Sequences
Simulate a Rubik's Cube on a computer and discover that its scramble pattern follows a polynomial equation as you repeat the same moves.
Hard
Cooking Methods and Potato Quality
58. Cooking Methods and Potato Quality
Cook potatoes and carrots by five different methods and compare how each one changes flavor and texture and weight.
Medium
Foot Bacteria Growth Across Species
59. Foot Bacteria Growth Across Species
Compare bacteria from chicken feet and human feet and rabbit feet to see which grows fastest over three days.
Medium
Echoes and Measuring Sound Speed
60. Echoes and Measuring Sound Speed
Time an echo off a distant wall with a stopwatch and calculate the speed of sound from the round trip.
Medium
Vegetative Propagation Methods Compared
61. Vegetative Propagation Methods Compared
Clone a plant using leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or layering and compare which method grows new roots first.
Medium
Black Hole Evaporation and Hawking Radiation
62. Black Hole Evaporation and Hawking Radiation
Plug black hole masses into Hawking's equations and predict how bright the final burst of evaporation would be.
Hard
Fabric Insulation for Mars Temperatures
63. Fabric Insulation for Mars Temperatures
Wrap heated water bottles in three different fabric prototypes and freeze them to find which combination holds warmth best.
Medium
pGLO Plasmid Bacterial Transformation
64. pGLO Plasmid Bacterial Transformation
Introduce the pGLO plasmid into E. coli through heat shock and watch transformed colonies glow under a UV lamp.
Hard
Vital Signs During Sleep vs. Waking
65. Vital Signs During Sleep vs. Waking
Measure your vital signs during the day and during deep sleep to discover how your body changes at rest.
Medium
Fast Food Habits and Daily Nutrition
66. Fast Food Habits and Daily Nutrition
Survey 120 people about their fast food orders and compare the nutritional values to recommended daily limits.
Hard
Slow Breathing and Runner Fatigue
67. Slow Breathing and Runner Fatigue
Train half your runners in slow breathing for four weeks and find out if they hit the wall less often than the control group.
Medium
Hand Gestures and Personality Type
68. Hand Gestures and Personality Type
Interview people one-on-one and secretly track every hand gesture to compare patterns between introverts and extroverts.
Medium
Protein Digestion and pH Levels
69. Protein Digestion and pH Levels
Test how fast a protein breaks down at seven different pH levels by watching for color changes over time.
Hard
Star Colors and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
70. Star Colors and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Study how the color of a star reveals its temperature and discover what wavelengths of light tell us about the cosmos.
Hard

High School Science Fair Project FAQ

What are some easy high school science fair projects?

High school students can have a blast with science by trying out any of these easy science fair projects. These science fair projects teach important scientific concepts while making learning fun and enjoyable.

  • Growing Pineapples

  • Osmosis in Eggs

  • The Effects of Salt and Sugar on Water

  • Detecting Infrared Light

  • Solar System Scale Model on the Sidewalk

  • Temperature's Effect on Seawater

  • Decomposing Plastic Spoons

  • Color and Taste

  • Glowing in the Dark

  • Hand-Eye Coordination and Age

More details on these science fair projects right above the FAQ!

What is the best high school science project ever?

We highly recommend the Osmosis in Eggs science fair project for high school students. This experiment demonstrates how water moves through a membrane until it's balanced on both sides. By testing how different factors like salt, sugar, and temperature affect osmosis, you can learn more about this fascinating process and its real-life applications.

If you're looking for more high school science projects, check out the high school science fair projects at the top of this page! 

Check out more Best Science Fair Projects →

What are some cool high school grade science fair projects?

Get ready to be amazed by these super cool science projects for high schoolers! With just a few simple things, you can be fascinated by science and have tons of fun with these cool high school science projects!

  • Create a Hand-Drawn Hologram

  • Detecting Infrared Light

  • Growing Pineapples

  • Galileo's Inclined Plane Experiment

  • Are Dogs Color-Blind?

  • Osmosis in Eggs

  • The Effects of Salt and Sugar on Water

  • Plant Pavlovian Conditioning

  • Uncovering Chaos: Precision and Iterative Processes

  • Jet Lag in Hamsters

More details on these science fair projects right above the FAQ!

What are 5 testable questions for high school?

A testable question is a question that we can answer through a science experiment. To do this, we do a control science experiment, then we change one thing in the experiment to see how it affects what happens. This is how we can discover the answer to our question!

  • Do detergents affect plant growth?

  • Can drink and food taste different just by changing its color?

  • Does the color of light affect photosynthesis?

  • Does temperature affect seed sprouting?

  • What makes popcorn pop?

Here are more testable questions along with their science projects →

What are the top 10 science projects for high school?

These are our top 10 science projects for high school, with projects from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math. These projects can be used as science fair project ideas or as a fun experiment to explore different areas of science!

  • Jet Lag in Hamsters

  • Growing Pineapples

  • Osmosis in Eggs

  • Create a Hand-Drawn Hologram

  • Are Dogs Color-Blind?

  • The Effects of Salt and Sugar on Water

  • Plant Pavlovian Conditioning

  • Galileo's Inclined Plane Experiment

  • Uncovering Chaos: Precision and Iterative Processes

  • Detecting Infrared Light

Check out the project details right above the FAQ!

Can I do a high school science fair project in a day?

Yes! Doing quick experiments or building models are great options for science fair projects! If you're looking for some ideas to get started on your quick science fair project, we have plenty of topics to choose from.

  • The Solar System: See it in the correct scale!

Create your own solar system model to scale on the sidewalk and take a walk through space! Solar System Scale Model on the Sidewalk

  • Make Your Own Hologram!

Make a hologram with nothing more than a compass and some scraps of plexiglass! Create a Hand-Drawn Hologram

  • Finding the Invisible Light!

Have you ever wondered what kind of light we can't see? Detecting Infrared Light

What are some hands-on ways to find inspiration for my science fair project?

Science museums are great places to explore if you're looking for inspiration for your next science fair project or just want to learn more about science. Science museums, natural history museums, space museums, and discovery museums are all great places to do that! You can discover all sorts of interesting things about science and find cool project ideas for science fairs.

There may be free admission days or free passes to a science museum near you! Check your local library for free museum passes, nearby science museums for free entrance days and your credit card for offers.

Find a science museum near you and prepare to be awed by all that you can learn there! I always learn something new and am inspired whenever I go to a science museum!

How do I start a science fair project?

Science fair projects are a fun and unique way to discover science by asking a question and doing a science project. We'll help you find a science fair project idea and guide you through the process of doing and presenting your science fair project with Science Fair Coach's Science Fair Project Guide.

What should I do after I have a science fair project idea?

If you have a science fair project idea, Science Fair Coach can help you turn it into a full science fair project! Starting at Introduction to Science Fairs, we'll guide you through how to do a science fair project, from designing and conducting your experiment to collecting and analyzing your findings. Then, we'll help you showcase your results on a science fair board with our Guide to Science Fair Posters.

How do I make a science fair board?

Your science fair board is where you show off your science fair project for everyone to see and learn from. With our Guide to Science Fair Posters, you can make sure your science fair board stands out and impresses at the science fair!

What is the scientific method?

The 7 steps of the scientific method helps us understand how nature works. Learn how the scientific method is used in a science fair project example, and how it's evolved through history as scientists used different ways to learn about nature with our Guide to the Scientific Method!

What is the engineering design process?

The 6 steps of the engineering design process helps us design an effective solution to a problem. Learn how to use the engineering design process with the example of the egg drop challenge in our Guide to the Engineering Design Process!

Where can I find a science fair competition?

Science fair competitions are an excellent opportunity to explore science. One of the of the premier science advocacy organizations, the Society for Science, is associated with more than 400 science fair competitions in almost every US state, as well as over 70 other countries, regions, and territories. You can find out if there's a Society of Science affiliated science fair near you!

The www Virtual Library: Science Fairs website also has a collection of science fairs from all over the world, as well as national, state, regional, local, and virtual competitions!

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