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BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders found in children. ADHD and the impact of poor concentration in school is very important because if you don't concentrate you won't learn the materials needed in later life. Fidgets can be used for self-regulation in the classroom to help students achieve academically. There are many things that can affect concentration in ADHD/anxiety students. The use of fidgets has increased to help students self-regulate. The purpose of this project is to determine if it is helpful or harmful for students with ADHD and its impact on anxiety. I think that using a fidget might negatively affect the concentration of people with ADHD.
Procedure: Subjects used a concentration test at total brain.com to measure their concentration level with and without a fidget. Before and after each concentration test, the subject did a self-report on their anxiety level.
Results: Using fidgets lowers concentration of subjects without ADHD 5.41%, with ADHD lowered concentration 1.9%. Fidgets lessen anxiety in all subjects and lowered anxiety in 8 of 22 subjects.
Conclusion: Using a fidget worsened concentration in subject with and without ADHD but it hinders the subject with ADHD less than the subjects without ADHD. This suggests that the fidgets benefit of lessening anxiety may play a role in students' concentration. future studies can help figure out how anxiety and concentration are connected more accurately with correct diagnosis.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
The purpose of this experiment was to discover how cup materials would affect the perceived sweetness of sugar water. To set up the experiment, I took a plastic, glass, metal, paper, and wood cup, and poured in ¼ cup of sugar water. The sugar water mixture ratio was 6 cups of water to every 1 cup of sugar. Each drink was labeled A, B, C, D, or E. Participants were brough in and asked to rank all the drinks in order from least sweet to most sweet, even though they all had the same amount of sugar in them. If the cup was ranked most sweet, it was given five points, if it was ranked second most sweet, it was given four points, etc. The final point count: glass cup, 43 points, plastic cup, 42 points, wood cup, 37 points, metal cup, 34 points, and paper cup, 27 points. The results show that most people perceived the drink in the glass cup to be the sweetest, and the drink in the paper cup to be the least sweet.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
In 1935, John Ridley Stroop brought attention to the Stroop Effect, an interference in your mind between two conflicting sources of information. The Stroop Effect is a test where participants are shown color words (red, green, purple, etc.) written in different colors than what they say. The effect makes it hard for people to focus on just the color so in our experiment, we wanted to prove that it is possible to minimize this distraction in day-to-day life. We started by showing participants four different texts that were the control test, and two with factors that we thought would block the Stroop Effect. We timed our participants to see how long it took for them to correctly identify each color and analyzed our results. The results showed that the minimizing factors were insignificant and our hypothesis was proven true, but only to an extent. Our projects show that you cannot multitask and it is best to focus on one thing at a time.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
This project looked at whether people can tell the difference between real photos of human faces and AI-generated images. It was hypothesized that people would be able to identify the AI-generated images 85% of the time because they might notice small details that seem unreal.
To test this, a survey was created with images from different AI image generators mixed with real photos. Each question showed three real photos and one AI-generated image. Participants had to determine which one was made by AI.
The results showed that people were able to spot the AI images 73% of the time, which was lower than expected. Many participants said they could tell an image was AI-generated because of details like strange clothing textures, weird lighting, perfect-looking skin, unnatural smiles, and odd-looking hair.
These results show that AI-generated images are getting more realistic and harder to spot. This is important because as AI improves, people need to be more careful about what they see online. It could affect things like fake news, online security, and whether we can trust images on the internet.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
My STEM Fair project, "The Impact of Texting on Driving Performance," will test how texting affects driving using a simulator. Five participants will drive in two conditions: one without distractions and one while texting. To compare the results, I will measure reaction time, lane drifting, and braking efficiency. I expect texting to worsen driving by slowing reactions and causing more mistakes. The data will help show why texting while driving is dangerous. I will present my findings with graphs and a display to raise awareness about distracted driving.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
This study investigates whether guinea pigs get through a bigger maze faster after practicing with a smaller maze. In the early 20th-century, Willard Stanton Small and Edward Chace Tolman explored rodent intelligence and latent learning. Our experiment examined the potential benefits of maze training. Small started the concept of maze tests to study rodent behavior, while Tolman created the idea of latent learning, demonstrating that rodents can improve how they get through a maze with motivation and prior exposure.
The experiment involved two guinea pigs navigating a larger maze before and after completing a smaller maze as practice. Each guinea pig’s performance was timed and averaged across multiple trials to determine how much the prior practice helped. The data suggested that guinea pigs use memory and to get through the maze better. But, social status, such as leadership, significantly changed the results. One guinea pig showed improvement, while the other showed stress-related problems, possibly due to its reliance on the dominant guinea pig.
Prior maze training can help their maze-solving abilities but can be changed based on individual and social factors. The hypothesis was supported for one guinea pig, but social levels impacted the results. In the future my studies would control these by using guinea pigs with similar leadership roles to make less changes in the data. This research shows the importance of having a well-known environment and motivation in learning, helping to show a better understanding of the guinea pig’s understanding of knowledge and behavior.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
My project is to see if my dogs have a favorite color. In order to test my hypothesis I used colored paper, my dogs, and dog treats to see what colors my dogs prefer. After many trials, Bear's favorite color is orange and Leo's is blue.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
My project explored brand bias when it comes to diet cola choices. I hypothesized that people choose diet cola based on its flavor rather than brand name. I conducted a blind taste test at home with 24 volunteer subjects. I presented six equal samples in clear plastic cups at the same refrigerated temperature without ice. The soda samples included Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Coke Zero, Pepsi Zero, Sam's Diet Cola and Caffeine-free Diet Coke. Each participant filled out a form that I created to collect data to analyze. I looked at several factors including what people preferred by flavor, their guesses on what was in each cup, what they buy to drink at home and asked whether they are choosing based on taste vs. brand. Six participants admitted to having a brand bias but most picked based on flavor including people who do not normally drink diet cola. The numbers were almost identical to ranking of sales around the world. I was excited to see that my hypothesis was correct! It was interesting that both the regular and caffeine-free versions of Diet Coke were the top two favorites in my study.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
My project was about nature's sounds and the different types and how they can affect heart rate. I had this question since I struggle a lot with anxiety and stress, and I wanted to see if there was an easier way to calm myself down in certain stressful scenarios. I tested three natural sounds (Ocean, Birds Chirping, White Noise) for 30 seconds to see which one would produce the lowest heart rate after testing 4 people. My hypothesis being after my research that Ocean noises would produce the most effective results. My first time testing I found that White noise produced the lowest heart rate on average. Then after deciding on my follow up to expand the time from 30 seconds to a minute I found that my hypothesis was supported and ocean noises produced the lowest heart rate when played over a longer period of time.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
What I did for my science project was test if the human mind could recognize the difference between AI generated images and real images. How I did this was by making a google form and testing people on a quiz I made that had an AI image and a real image. And when I got back the results I made a conclusion showing that my hypothesis was proven correct.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Our Project is: Are Socialized Dogs more likely to be Adopted?
Group members: Mackenzie, Lucy, And Bryan
Are Socialized Dogs More Likely to Be Adopted?
Our project, done by Mackenzie, Lucy, and Bryan, is about whether socializing with unsocialized dogs helps them get adopted. A lot of dogs in shelters are scared because they’ve been treated badly, which makes it hard for them to make friends with people. We wanted to see if we could help them feel happier and more comfortable.
To do this, we teamed up with a local animal shelter and found some shy dogs that didn’t want to interact with anyone. We played games like fetch and took them outside to help them learn to trust us and enjoy being around people. After some time, we noticed that they started to become more playful and friendly.
Our results were amazing! Most of the dogs we worked with were adopted in just a week, which showed us that our plan worked. When the dogs were happy and wanted to play, people were more interested in adopting them.
We discovered that socializing dogs is incredibly important! It can truly transform their behavior and help them find loving homes. We’re excited to share our project with others so they can understand just how vital it is to treat dogs with kindness. Ultimately, our project demonstrated that with a little love and guidance, timid dogs can blossom into amazing pets and quickly find their forever families!
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
I tested whether conversation before affects memory. For example if you see an image after talking or hearing a conversation about dogs will you remember more dog related items from the image? I think that the conversation beforehand will affect how you remember the image. I had 4 groups and 3 topics: Harry Potter, Dogs, Music, and in the control group I would have a conversation not related to the 3 topics.
To test this, I would talk to the person for 3 minutes about a predetermined topic. I made a coding project where it would show the image for 20 seconds and then disappear. I would then give them the 20 question quiz, and calculate the results. I recorded the number of correct answers for the dog questions, music questions, Harry Potter questions, and number of unrelated questions, and total score.
My research showed that human memory can be manipulated, and I found out that it does affect your memory by a lot, on average, people who got talked to about a topic got 5-10 percent better of a score per topic. Which means scores for each topic increased from the control group. This data proved my hypothesis correct.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
This experiment was designed to help prove or disprove the general belief that all forms of social media cause everyone harm. To begin this experiment, we connected three test subjects and tested their heartrates for five minutes each time. We did one round of tests without any social media, one round with short videos, and one with picture and text media. We also sanitized their hands and the monitor between each 5-minute test. Changes of heart rate were noted in our data. We tracked the change every five seconds and created a graph to help us compare. We found that everyone’s heartrate reacted differently and some even had opposite results. Our data proves to us that different people react to things differently and there is no one type fits all answer for how different social media types affect people.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
The purpose of my project was to find out if dogs have a favorite paw they like to use when doing simple tasks. I wanted to see if most dogs tend to use their right paw or their left paw more often. I chose this project because I love dogs and have had them my whole life. During this project I asked the dogs to complete 2 tasks. I had them shake with both their right and left paws, giving the command 3 times with each paw. Second, I put a treat under a bucket to witness what paw they would use to retrieve the treat, I did this 3 different times with a little break in between each time. I found that most dogs do have a paw preference, and are right pawed just like most humans are right handed. I learned a lot about dogs from this project, and I hope you can too!
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
In the essential stage of adolescence, identity formation and realization of core beliefs is vital to the creation of a strong sense of self in later years. One of the biggest ways this comes through in teenage years, however, is by what a person may wear and how they choose to express themselves. But can this affect their impressions of who they meet and how they maybe treated by the general society? Of course. But it may be a bit more complicated than that.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
The purpose of this project was to see which strategy game uses the most spatial reasoning. I wanted to see if a person had more spatial reasoning or not depending on what type of strategy
game they played. I tested 4 different people of the same age and academic level to see how the results were. I used someone who played chess, someone who played with Rubik's cubes, someone who does puzzles, and someone who plays no strategy games. For my testing, I decided that I was going to have those 4 people individually create a cube using 32 Lego blocks to see who could do it the fastest. In my experiment, I provided a 2D photo of a cube to have them use their ability to see and create it in 3D. After coming up with my hypothesis and actually doing the experiment, I had my answer. I discovered that the person who uses Rubik's cubes has the most spatial reasoning compared to the other 3 people. I also discovered that the person who uses puzzles has the least amount of spatial reasoning. The mean time for the person who uses Rubik's cubes was 55.53 seconds and the person who uses puzzles had a mean time of 110.68 seconds. This showed me that the person that uses Rubik's cubes has the most amount of spatial reasoning and the person that uses puzzles has the least amount of spatial reasoning.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
I did my project to see if the brain will respond the same way to the Stroop effect if the words are misspelled rather than correctly spelled.
My hypothesis was to test if misspelling overrides the Stroop Effect and the three tests. 1: The test was both correctly spelled and the colors matched. 2: The words were correctly spelled but the colors didn’t match. 3: The words were misspelled and the colors did not match, then the third test’s results will be faster and more accurate. I thought this would be true because the subjects would be focusing on the color of the word only, therefore by misspelling the word, it would take out the extra confusing step. I then named the colors of the three tests separately and kept track of the time and mistakes made. Once I did this with all my subjects, I turned my data into a graph to better understand it and saw that my hypothesis was proven wrong. The mistakes and time were more because instead of removing the obstacle it made it even bigger because people were trying to figure out the word before naming the color.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Each of us has a limited amount of minutes each day. It is a human characteristic to make the most out of each moment. This includes the limited amount of time we have to read. This experiment is designed to see if on a whole, readers are more efficient in the morning or in the evening. It will examine some specific characteristics of those in the experiment and that impact on reading efficiency for specific times of day. This experiment was done with human participants, books, and a data tracker. To get enough data in the project I started with 30 candidates. I was able to gain usable data from a select subgroup for 15 participants. All 15 of these participants are 30-50 years old. What the participants did was read for a month, 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night. They would track both their words read as well as a comprehension score on a data tracker. After a month of data collection the trackers were turned into me for observation. Overall, I discovered that participants would read faster and had better comprehension during the night than the morning. The hypothesis is supported because a large majority of the participants had better fluency during the night than morning. The data was specifically interesting in that the only people who read faster in the morning where also the only two people who work from home.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, several states implemented school-based mental health service laws. This study examined the impact of these laws on adolescent mental health outcomes.
Data: The study analyzed data from the nationally representative 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS), focusing on adolescents in grades 9 to 12. Information on states that implemented school-based mental health service laws was obtained from a national policy database and merged with YRBSS data for analysis.
Outcomes: Three mental health outcomes were assessed: 1) Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness for ≥2 weeks (Yes/No), 2) Poor mental health (Yes/No), and 3) Consideration of attempting suicide in the past 12 months (Yes/No).
Study Design and Statistical Approach: This retrospective study employed logistic regression to examine associations between school-based mental health service laws and the three binary outcomes.
Results: Among the 20,103 students included in the analysis, 46.5% (n = 9,342) lived in states with school-based mental health service laws, while 53.5% (n = 10,761) lived in states without such laws. Adolescents in states with school-based mental health service laws had a 36% higher risk of mental health issues (OR = 1.36, p < 0.01). No significant differences were found in suicide consideration (p = 0.94) or persistent sadness (p = 0.66) between the groups.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the complexity of mental health policy effectiveness and suggest that simply enacting school-based mental health laws may not be sufficient to improve adolescent mental health outcomes.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
In terms of speed and accuracy, does music help with productivity? My hypothesis is that music may positively influence speed and accuracy. My protocol was to split it up testing into two parts. In the first part, I passed out the tests. Next, I started my playlist, and a 5 minute stopwatch, giving the subject 5 minutes to work. If the subject finished before the 5 minutes, they would raise their hand and I’d write the time that they finished, and have them answer whether they could focus with music. If they didn’t finish after 5 minutes, I’d take the test from them, considering unfinished answers wrong. In the second part, I’d run the same procedures as the first test, with no music.
When looking at the results, people who prefer music, did slightly better (3.5%) with music than without; however, they took longer to finish. People who did not like music finished faster and more accurately (8%) with no music. People who had no preference took longer without music and scored better with no music, doing slightly better (2%) on the second test. Taking this all in, my data could’ve been a lot more diverse if I had more subjects than the 20 I had, and my data could have been more accurate to my hypothesis. I still think my hypothesis would be supported, but I cannot say that my experiment showed this.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
The purpose of my project was to find out how accurate eyewitness reports are and if they are trustworthy enough to use in court and other places. I hypothesize that people's memory is sometimes inaccurate. Testing this with two scenarios, one with an unfamiliar guest and one with a familiar guest, the majority of the class should have inaccurate reports for both guests, but have better reports for one of the guests than the other. For my project, I arranged for a person that the class was familiar with and someone who the class was unfamiliar with to come into class and hand the teacher some papers. The papers had a description of the guests written down so that I could use it later to grade the questionnaires of the class. After each person came in and gave the teacher the papers, I handed out questionnaires to the class so that each person could report what they observed. After I had collected and graded all of the questionnaires, I found the average, median, and standard deviation of the results. My hypothesis was supported because the majority of the class got inaccurate reports, but was disproved because not one person got more accurate reports than the other. In the results of both the unknown person and the known person, 9 out of 14 people scored 2 and above, showing that it doesn’t matter whether they know the person or not, they remember the same amount of details.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
I did my project on how senses affect balance. I wanted to see if overwhelming peoples senses would cause them to lose their balance more easily. Last year, I tested how taking away senses affect balance. My hypothesis this year was that watching a short film (sight) or playing with a fidget toy (touch) would be the most distracting. I tested 15 subjects, while timing them for one minute while they balanced on one leg, watched a short film, played with a fidget toy, listened to some music, or sucked on some candy. They did each of these things separately. I found that playing with the fidget toy was the most distracting. My conclusion is that, out of all the senses, touch is the most distracting. However, it is only slightly more distracting. In my previous project, my conclusion was that no sight was the most distracting. Therefore, my final conclusion is that the compared results of the two projects shows that taking away senses is more impactful to balance than overwhelming the senses.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
This project is about music and how it affects the brain. What I did in this experiment was playing faster or slower music and seeing if the participant eats faster or slower according to the music playing.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
I tested to see the effects of social media on 8th grade students: Social media use in correlation to their GPA, sleep and missing assignments.
I found that increase use of social use enables lower GPA, lesser hours of sleep and more missing assignments.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
The purpose of our project was to help inform students and teachers about the benefits of recess. We wanted to test and see if recess can help improve students' test scores and help them focus. Our experiment was very straightforward. First, we created a test for 4th graders compiled with questions they should know. Then we tested one group of those students before recess and another group after recess. We recorded the test scores and calculated the average of the scores. We noticed that we could have some flaws, such as one class may have already learned the topic while the other class hadn’t, thus, changing the results of the test. Our research showed that the class that had recess before the test had a better score by about ten percent. This showed that we can create a conclusion that the students who had recess before the test had better scores because they had a chance to get their jitters out, enabling their ability to focus! Our project showed that recess helps students get their jitters out, and helps the students focus more on their work.
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
My project is about how different types of music can affect dogs heart rate and behaviors. I play different types of music for seeral test dogs and check before and after heart rates. I also observe their behavior during these times and record data to see if they are affected by music.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
This project involved sampling areas from around Our Lady of Lourdes school for bacteria. The goal of the project is to keep me and my classmates mindful of germs and bacteria around our school.
The problem question of the project is: “Where are the dirtiest areas in Our Lady of Lourdes school?” The independent variables are the areas that will be swabbed and tested. The dependent variables are the amounts of bacteria in the swabbed places. The control is an agar plate that has not been opened or swabbed. The dirtiest area in the school was either Mrs. McCormick’s door handle or the drinking fountain. Mrs. McCormick’s door handle possibly contained staphylococcus and a couple of small cocci. The drinking fountain contained many small clusters and colonies of cocci, with over one hundred cocci. This project achieved its intent of creating awareness of contaminated surfaces and surroundings around my school.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Our project is, ‘Are Fingerprints Inherited.’ We chose this project because siblings often share common physical features such as eyes, hair, and body features. It would be interesting if they shared fingerprints as well. There are two different types of fingerprints visible and latent; visible is where you can see the fingerprint and latent is where you cannot see the fingerprint. There are also three different types of fingerprints patterns, arch, loop, and whorl. Francis Galton was the first to do this experiment, he was a eugenicist and worked with a man named Henry Fauld who was an artist. Francis Galton discovered that it would be 1 in 64 billion percent that fingerprints are inherited. Fingerprints have been around for a long time, the Babylon's used fingerprints for business transactions, identifying children, and investigating crime. With the information we had gathered from Francis Galton, we hypothesized that fingerprints would not be inherited. We used items such as pencil, paper, science notebook, 15 pairs of siblings, and 15 pairs of unrelated siblings and a towelette for wiping the excess pencil markings for our project. We took our pencil and rubbed it until dark on a piece of paper. Then we took an individual finger and rubbed it on the piece of paper with the pencil marking. After, we put the data in our notebook and studied it to classify if it was an arch, loop, or whorl. In our first graph, there were 5 out of 15 pairs matched, and in our second graph, 6 out of 15 pairs matched.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate if water, soap, hand sanitizer, or sanitizing wipes would kill the most bacteria when applied to human hands for twenty seconds. In the experiment, two bottles of agar nutrient were heated for five minutes in a microwave, then poured on the bottom of fifteen petri dishes. First, the hands were washed with one pump of soap and water for twenty seconds before starting every experiment. Second, the hands touched a doorknob, a locker door, a water fountain, a chair, a backpack, and a table. Third, the cleaning product would be applied to the hands for twenty seconds (water, soap and water, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, or no cleaning). This would be done three times for every variable that would be tested. Lastly, the hands would be swabbed onto the petri dishes and incubated.
In this experiment, the control (or no cleaning) grew the most bacteria with an average of 85.3 colonies. The sanitizing wipes killed the most bacteria and grew the least amount of bacteria with an average of 9.3 colonies.
People can use sanitizing wipes when they are at a public place because they are easy and fast to use. They also kill the most bacteria out of all of the cleaning products that were tested in this experiment.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
For my project I tested different carpets in my school. The carpets in which tested were Daycare, Preschool, 1st, and 8th. I tested to see if we should continue using carpets or if we should start using washable rugs to wash once or twice a week.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
The intricate and uncontrolled branching patterns of cancer vasculature, which sustain tumor growth and enable metastasis, bear a striking resemblance to the structures formed by the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. This study investigates whether slime mold can serve as a simple yet effective model for cancer vascularization by quantitatively comparing the complexity of three groups: slime mold networks, breast cancer vasculature, and pancreatic cancer vasculature.
Using fractal dimension analysis, a mathematical method for measuring structural complexity, images from each group were analyzed with custom Python code implementing the box-counting method. Statistical differences were assessed using one-way ANOVA. The results revealed that slime mold networks exhibited the highest complexity (mean fractal dimension = 1.89), closely followed by pancreatic cancer vasculature (1.86). Breast cancer vasculature displayed a lower fractal dimension (1.78), reflecting less intricate branching patterns. The differences between groups were statistically significant.
These findings suggest that slime mold networks closely mimic the structural complexity of pancreatic cancer vasculature, highlighting its potential as an accessible, ethical, and cost-effective model for studying tumor vascularization. This research demonstrates how nature’s recurring patterns across scales can provide valuable insights into complex biological systems. By leveraging slime mold’s simplicity and structural parallels to cancer vasculature, this study opens new avenues for early-stage drug testing and understanding vascular development in aggressive diseases like cancer.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Biofilm can grow on various surfaces, including pipes, river rocks, shower tiles, pet water bowls, and even inside the human mouth. Biofilm is a layer of microorganisms that adhere to surfaces and form protective colonies. In 2023, the FDA issued over 25 reports concerning biofilm contamination in eye drops sold at major retailers. These contaminated products led to 81 reported eye infections and four deaths. Biofilm presents a significant health risk, making it crucial to determine the most effective disinfection methods.
This experiment aimed to identify the most effective process for removing biofilm from stainless steel surfaces. To do this, a biofilm was grown onto stainless steel discs. Then, a solution of either 70% isopropyl alcohol, 2% bleach, or boiling water was applied for 10 minutes. It was hypothesized that bleach would work best due to its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, which disrupts bacterial proteins, depriving bacteria of nutrients and causing irreversible death. The results supported this hypothesis. Bleach left an average of 216 CFU (colony-forming units), compared to 280 CFU for hot water and 616 CFU for alcohol.
Although bleach was the most effective, it did not eliminate all biofilm, demonstrating its resilience. A combination of bleach and hot water may improve removal, as heat can weaken the biofilm structure and enhance bleach’s chemical action. Scientists in medical and industrial microbiology continue to research better methods for eliminating biofilm, as complete removal remains a challenge. Understanding how to effectively remove biofilm is essential in preventing contamination and protecting public health.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Heavy metals are common and dangerous pollutants in drinking water. The risk is even more imminent to Salt Lake Valley residents as their water could be exposed to mountain minerals, and sediments from the Great Salt Lake. People are victims to thousands of liters of metal water pollution in their lives without knowing it or preventing it. This study was to test the safety of water containing different heavy metal pollutants using Vibrio fischeri, a bioluminescent bacterium. Copper was included as a positive control, pure water as a negative control, and cadmium and lead as experimental groups. The hypothesis was that copper would be the strongest inhibitor of bioluminescence, followed by cadmium and lead; increases of heavy metal concentration would lead to decreases of the bioluminescence. Water samples containing different concentrations of metals were applied to Vibrio fischeri cultures, and photos of the culture plates were taken in the dark then quantified using mean gray values analyzed with ImageJ software. Results supported the hypothesis: copper was the strongest inhibitor, followed by cadmium, then lead. Additionally, even FDA-approved "safe" concentrations of cadmium and lead reduced bioluminescence, proving the sensitivity of Vibrio fischeri and need for better water pollution control. This study demonstrates Vibrio fishery’s practicality in measuring the safety of heavy metals in water pollution. Future work could include more precise measurements using a luminometer and testing real water samples from local sources, such as household taps or the Great Salt Lake, to further assess water safety and protect public health.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Comparing the probiotic content of homemade and store-bought yogurt is essential for evaluating the quality of their manufacturing processes. This experiment analyzed the probiotic levels in three types of store-bought yogurt and three samples of homemade yogurt using the serial dilution method.
The experiment was conducted twice. In the initial attempt, a small oversight during the homemade yogurt preparation led to incorrect probiotic counts for the homemade samples. After addressing this issue, the experiment was repeated with all steps properly followed, yielding accurate results.
The findings showed that homemade yogurt contained more probiotics than store-bought varieties. Among the store-bought brands tested—Yoplait, Tillamook, and Activia—Tillamook had the highest probiotic count, while Activia had the lowest. This result was unexpected, given Activia's extensive advertising of its probiotic benefits. The experiment highlights healthier yogurt options and underscores the need to critically assess advertising claims.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
for my project i tested to see if scent affects heart rate. I used 5 different scents; Lavender, peppermint ,vinegar, vanilla, and black pepper. Each test subject would place a heart rate monitor on their pointer finger, and smell each scent. I would write down their heart rate before and after smelling all 5. I tested 20 people. After collecting all my data, I was able to see that scent does affect heart rate.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Physicochemical saline wastewater treatment and desalination systems possess disadvantages such as high energy consumption, cost, and membrane fouling over time. This research analyzes the effectiveness of halotolerant freshwater species Chlorella vulgaris and marine species Dunaliella salina for emerging biodesalination technologies and identifies the salinity concentrations that maximize ion sorption, nutrient uptake, growth, and flocculation. Utilization of these biological processes for sea and brackish water desalination pretreatment and reject brine post treatment would significantly reduce the cost, energy consumption, and negative environmental impacts of desalination cycles by being energy-passive, removing membrane fouling pollutants by utilizing them for growth, and offsetting implementation costs with valuable byproducts of the biomass, including biofuels and fertilizer production. The algae samples were cultivated in modified saltwater media ranging from 0 to 65,000 ppm initial salinity over a period of 7 days, with total dissolved solids, salinity, nitrate, phosphate, growth, and flocculation efficiency parameters. The results showed 50,000 ppm for D. salina, and 5,000 ppm for C. vulgaris have the most percentage of salt, nutrient, TDS sorption, and growth. C. vulgaris at 20,000 ppm brackish water was more effective than D. salina, while the opposite was observed at 35,000 ppm seawater. Nitrate removal increased in C. vulgaris with salinity until 20,000 ppm; the opposite was found for phosphate; the removal was generally proportional to growth.To address the need of energy-efficient biomass harvesting in this cycle, chitosan, a potent biodegradable flocculant, combined with moderate pH from the modified media, was used to largely decrease turbidity in all groups.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Utah is due for an earthquake in the next 50 years. It will likely disrupt the water system and people will need to get water in other ways. People will probably turn to water from their roofs for drinking and other daily needs. This is unhealthy because there are many kinds of bacteria, chemicals and viruses that can harm the human body contaminating the water. It would be good to know what common household materials can filter water and make it safe/safer to drink.
My experiment showed that sand was the best household material to filter bacteria and viruses. I think this is because I observed it took longer for the water to go through sand versus the other household materials, and more bacteria and virus were filtered out of the water. Wood shavings filtered out chemicals the best. I think this is because the wood shavings are porous and soaked up the fluorescein better than the other filter materials.
In the future I would like to test multiple materials layered together to find out which one filters RHRW the best. I am currently testing filters with multiple materials on RHRW from my house. The unfiltered and filtered water will be sent to a lab that tests water quality and I will compare the results. I would eventually like to share this information with the people of Utah, so that they can use the information to build RHRW filters in case of an earthquake.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Mold is known to cause bad sickness in people and can even be fatal. If people know what kind of bread grows mold the slowest, people can buy that and have their bread last longer and avoid sicknesses. My question in this experiment is what is the effect of sugar and preservatives on the rate of mold growth on bread? My hypothesis is that the bread with the fewest preservatives and the most sugar will grow mold faster than the other breads. The main materials used were Wonder Bread, Smith’s Bakery white cottage bread, Grandma Sycamore white bread, Aspen Mills white bread, plates, squirt bottles, and two humidifiers. The basic method was putting the bread on a plate and then recording the data in the morning and at night until mold grows. The results show that the hypothesis was supported because Aspen Mills bread, which has the most sugar and no preservatives, grew mold the fastest. Wonder Bread and Smith’s Bakery tied for second probably because the preservatives and sugar canceled each other out. Grandma Sycamore bread grew mold the slowest probably because it had more amounts of preservatives then sugar even though it only had one type of preservative.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Enzymes are used everywhere from medicine to the food industry making them an important part of our environment. The objective of this experiment was to discover at which temperatures enzymes have the most activity. The temperatures tested were 40 F, 80 F, and 100 F. It was hypothesized that if the enzyme solution is at a warm temperature(80 F), then there will be the most enzyme activity because the molecules move faster, which helps the enzyme and substrate interact better. The enzymes were created by putting potatoes into hydrogen peroxide and waiting for about 10 minutes. Then, a scale was used to measure the reaction size by placing all the enzymes from the reaction onto it. The results showed that as predicted, the enzymes did indeed have the most reaction at 80 F and 40 F had the least reaction. This proves that enzymes do indeed work best at an optimal temperature.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
DNA plasmids are used in genetic engineering and can be designed to express certain traits. In this study, the DNA plasmid used was designed to make K12 bacteria resistant to common antibiotics (selection marker gene) and to produce a colored pigment (trait gene). By adding IPTG to the cellular environment, the trait gene (colored pigmentation) was expected to be more pronounced due to changes in gene expression. However, this result was not achieved. It was likely that there was an insufficient sample of engineered K12 bacteria to achieve the desired result. Notwithstanding, this study did prove genetic engineering is possible and can influence gene expression. There are countless factors that can alter gene expression. Environmental factors, such as chemical exposure, can also alter gene expression. Altered gene expression can lead to serious health consequences, such as cancer, dementia and other chronic and debilitating diseases. Further research on gene expression and modification to prevent such diseases, as well as to increase public health awareness, is needed.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
What solution for enzymatic browning (fruits turning brown) will work best in slowing the browning process being showed by weight loss and looks? Understanding this could help people by providing a method to preserve fruit longer without using any preservatives or chemicals. This is important because some artificial preservatives can cause negative effects to some people by risking disease and developing allergies.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
Oranges are one of the most popular fruits globally, loved for their sweet taste and high vitamin C content. However, fruit storage has become an increasing problem as 40% of all grown oranges are wasted. This study researched the influence of coating materials (sugar, vinegar, yeast) on Naval Oranges in different temperatures (room temperature, refrigerator) over a 5 day time frame. Changes in the pH level of the oranges were recorded daily. Results indicated that fruit storage temperature and time significantly affected the pH and fermentation. Some examples include oranges kept at room temperature with yeast added, which had decreasing pH levels over time ranging from 5 to 3.5. This showed increased fermentation levels compared to the control. On the other hand, oranges kept at low temperature with vinegar stayed around the same pH level, ranging from 4 to 4.5. Generally, pH levels decreased throughout all 4 samples. The knowledge I gained will help me better understand effective approaches (such as coating materials) for food storage.
BIOLOGY & MICROBIOLOGY
This project investigates the factors that affect the photosynthesis process in the plants. I used the “floating leaf” method to investigate photosynthesis. In this method air trapped in the surface of the leaf (which causes the leaf to float) removed by suction is replaced when the photosynthesis process happens in the leaf, which helps the leaf to float again. My hypothesis is that if the rate of leaf floating changes with CO2, light intensity, and color, which then confirms that the oxygen is produced much quicker. For this experiment I made a concentrated solution of baking soda (the source of CO2) and using hole punch cut several leaf discs from spinach leaves. I then mixed the baking soda solution with 100ml water and poured it into a large plastic syringe along with leaf discs. Then pulling the plunger several times while holding the open end of the syringe I closed it with my thumb, I sucked the oxygen out of the leaves. After that I put the leaves and the solution into a container under light and monitored the time taken for the first 7 leaf discs to float. I repeated this experiment with different light colors, intensities, and amounts of CO2. In conclusion, I figured out that the light intensity and the CO2 levels are the most important factors that drive photosynthesis. Color of the light did not show much impact on the photosynthesis, probably because of the lower intensity of the colored light used for the experiment.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Ooblek is a non-newtonian liquid, it's sort of odd due to it turning into a solid when suddenly hit hard. Potholes are a large issue in the US, but some research shows that we could fill them with Ooblek to fix them. It could also be used to fill body armour which would help certain jobs have less injuries. However Ooblek hardens over time which could be an issue, unless it's mixed with something to make it last longer, such as other liquids or materials. This could solve this particular issue if we choose to pursue Ooblek research.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
My question was what metal corrodes the fastest in different circumstances. I wanted to know this because corrosion causes trillions of revenue loss each year, and I knew there was a way to learn how to prevent it. My hypothesis was that if more pure metals are at a greater risk of corrosion and higher acidic materials cause a faster corrosion, and I test 4 different metals (iron, copper, zinc, and tin) in 4 different environments (water, salt water, vinegar, and lime juice), then I predict that the iron in the vinegar will corrode the fastest. My procedures started by gathering all the materials needed, then I filled up the first 12 containers with ⅛ of a cup of water and 1 tablespoon of water. Then I filled the next 12 containers with salt water, then the next with vinegar, and finally the last with lime juice. I placed 12 iron equally through all the containers, 12 copper, 12 zinc, and 12 tin. I predicted that the iron in the vinegar would corrode the fastest. I was not correct though because the zinc actually corroded faster in salt water at an average of 5.67 days. Even though zinc corroded the fastest in salt water, the metals in the vinegar all corroded faster and had interesting effects. From this, I can conclude that the salt water corroded the zinc the fastest because of the salt that is in the water causing it to have a faster reaction to the metal.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
The purpose of this experiment is to find the best egg replacer in sugar cookies. I used four egg replacers: Applesauce, Banana, Flaxseed, and Baking Powder. My hypothesis was that applesauce would be the best replacement because it is sweet and soft, which are great traits in a cookie. This experiment was completed after preparing all cookies using the same recipe except for substituting egg replacers. Each cookie type was placed on a paper labeled #1, #2, #3, and #4. To avoid bias voting for or against ingredients, the replacers remained secret. The subjects would first look at the cookies and vote for the best in appearance. Then, the subject would eat the cookies and vote for which had the best texture and taste. The results are as follows: applesauce earned best in appearance with five votes, banana earned best in texture with six votes, and baking powder earned best in taste with six votes. Because taste is the most significant trait in a cookie, baking soda won the experiment. Voting showed that my hypothesis was correct in the aspect of appearance; however, my hypothesis was not correct in other categories. This experiment shows there are varying votes on finding the best egg replacer. Some problems during experimenting included crowd control and keeping testers from sampling before testing. Those who can benefit from this experiment include beginner to expert bakers wishing to find popular substitutes and combine those elements to make better cookies for people with egg allergies.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
The experiment asked what temperature yeast grew the most in. It was predicted that if the bread dough is in a high temperature of heat, then it would grow the most. This is because the type of yeast used can thrive in high heat. The experiment used three balls of bread and a stick with six-inch increments on it. Each of the three bread dough balls were put in bowls and kept at different temperatures (hot, cold, room temp). The dough was measured with the stick and measuring tape every 15 min for 90 min total. Heat made the bread rise faster, and proved the hypotheses correct. the dough that grew the least was the dough kept in the cold.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Elephant toothpaste is an entertaining experiment that can teach you about chemistry! Elephant toothpaste is a chemical reaction where you can see the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide caused by yeast. Hydrogen peroxide decomposes on its own when exposed to sunlight, but this can be sped up using yeast or iodide. Normally it would just bubble, but when you add dish soap it traps the bubbles and turns the reaction into foam. This may end up looking like toothpaste big enough for an elephant! We wanted to see if changing the amounts of yeast would affect the size of the reaction, and we believed that it would make it bigger. We did the experiment three times, only changing the amounts of yeast each time. What we observed was that when we only used ½ packet of yeast the explosion only went up 14.5 cm. Where as when we used 1 ½ packets of yeast it caused a 16 cm high explosion. This shows that when more yeast, or catalyst, is added, it increases the reaction time, height, and amount of foam produced in the experiment. We learned a lot about chemical reactions in this experiment!
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
I always get impatient when waiting for my cookies to get soft in milk and sink to the bottom so I can eat them. I noticed that my grandpa warmed his milk when he ate his cookies and milk. I wanted to see if warmer milk would change its buoyancy and make my cookie soft and sink faster than in cold milk. I started with milk that was fridge temperature at 44 degrees, and put it in 3 different cups with 1 cookie in each. I timed it for 30 seconds and documented its buoyancy at the end. I took milk and heated it on the stove and measured its temperature with a digital thermometer while stirring the milk. I did the experiment with the milk at 60 degrees. I then increased the temperature of the milk by 10 degrees each time until I reached 170 degrees. My final experiment was with boiling milk at 190 degrees. I put all of my documented results in a graph and noticed the cookies sank the fastest at 100 degrees and then they became more buoyant. I think that was due to the warm bubbles forming from the heat, which made the cookies more buoyant. I decided I could do this project again using the same cookie, but using different kinds of milk like 1%, whole, or chocolate milk. I could also keep the milk the same, but try different kinds of cookies.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
We chose this experiment because we wanted to find the best eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to synthetic dyes like Red-40. The dyes we made were extracted from common plants and the extraction process causes minimal pollution.
In this experiment, we extracted dye from natural sources and soaked cotton fabric (which we treated with an alum bath) and colored those with the dyes. We then ranked the dyed squares based on their vibrancy. The blueberry dye came in first place with a rich purple hue, followed by the red beetroot dye with a salmon pink color but later became a beige after drying. Finally, the radicchio dye which turned grey then green as it dried. We believe the radicchio dye turned green because when we were extracting the dye we accidentally burnt the radicchio and had to press it onto the fabric. After the vibrancy trial we did a washing machine trial where the colored fabric squares were washed with white fabrics separately. In first place was the radicchio which hardly changed at all, followed by the blueberry dye which did not bleed but turned cornflower blue. In third place was the red beetroot dye which did bleed onto the fabric. By this time the red beetroot dye had turned beige. After ranking the dyes in both trials we rewarded each dye points and tallied them up. In the final rankings, blueberry dye won, followed by the radicchio dye, and in third place was the red beetroot dye.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
My experiment was about the types of crystallization patterns in chocolate. I am doing this experiment to see if tempered chocolate is really better than untempered chocolate. I concluded that people preferred tempered chocolate over untempered chocolate when it comes to snap and sheen, but people leaned slightly toward untempered chocolate for Smoothness and texture. Materials I used were molds, a pot, a bowl, a spatula, a printer, paper, pencils, a stove, and milk chocolate. I observed that the data was very mixed for smoothness and texture, but very direct for snap and sheen. When it came to texture and smoothness, some people were saying Untempered got a 1 and Tempered got a 4, and others were saying Untempered got a 4, and Tempered got a 1. With Sheen and Snap, tempered constantly received better ratings than untempered. I realized that after testing the chocolate myself, there was not much difference, so I began researching why. I found out that the chocolate I used, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate contained soy lecithin, which I think could have made it easier to temper to lower crystallization patterns, and harder to get higher crystallization patterns. I tested this out with some dark chocolate chips and tempered those. To my surprise, it was so much more shiny and had a very loud snap! Although tempered won in some categories and untempered won in some too, when comparing untempered chocolate with tempered chocolate without soy lecithin, there was a much larger difference.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Our primary focus this trimester in science has been studying the scientific method and proving or disproving our hypotheses with clear evidence. I have read about reverse spherification and wanted to see for myself if it actually worked. Using a sodium alginate solution, calcium, and Greek yogurt, I watched the gelatinous shells form around the yogurt spheres. I hypothesized that the yogurt spheres with the most calcium would end up weighing the most in grams. After nine hours of measuring the weight every three hours, I was shocked at the results. The yogurt spheres with the least amount of calcium actually grew larger shells! I completely disproved my hypothesis. It was really interesting to watch the chemical reaction happen over time and to see that the yogurt spheres really did form a gelatin shell! I went out to prove my hypothesis and came out disproving it, which made the project that much more fun and interesting. One of the most fascinating aspects of this project was watching the liquid yogurt transform into a semi-solid sphere that grew a clear shell around the outside.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Many hand warmers use the crystallization process of sodium acetate to emit heat. Sodium acetate can be made from vinegar and baking soda. Since the crystallization process of the sodium acetate is an exothermic reaction, it is hypothesized that the more sodium bicarbonate added to a known amount of vinegar, the more sodium acetate is produced, and therefore the more heat is emitted during the crystallization process. White vinegar was combined with different amounts of sodium bicarbonate, boiled and cooled to create a supersaturated solution. A thermometer was then inserted into the solution to disturb the solution and activate the crystallization process, and the temperature rise was measured. Despite multiple experimental groups failing to crystallize, those that fully crystallized showed a temperature increase when more sodium bicarbonate was used.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
The objective of this experiment was to remove tetrahydrofuran (THF) present in either isoprene or diethyl ether (ether) using cheap, safe, and readily available chemicals. This research was necessary because Cleanjoule Corporation wants to find a way to remove THF from both ether and isoprene to save money. The hypothesis was that magnesium chloride (MgCl2) or magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), both known to absorb water from organic liquids, could also absorb THF from organic liquids (like ether and isoprene) in the same way. Stock solutions of ether and isoprene were spiked with THF; these solutions (15 mL) were exposed to varying amounts of MgCl2 (1, 2, 4, and 8 g), MgSO4 (1, 2, 4, and 8 g) for the ether-THF solution and MgCl2 (1 and 2 g) for the isoprene-THF solution. The solutions were monitored by gas chromatography (GC) over time. The results of the experiment show that the MgCl2 works, while MgSO4 does not, and that more MgCl2 reduced the THF present more quickly.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Plastic sometimes can’t be recycled and instead goes to landfill where it can harm the environment. Unlike normal plastic, which can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose, bioplastics can decompose faster and they impact the environment less. Normal plastic takes so long to decompose because it is not natural and its polymers are very strong, so the decomposing microorganisms don’t know how to break down these bonds and they take time. Polymers are large molecules made of smaller molecules (monomers) to make a chain. They are found in most everyday items and the strength of those items depends on the strength of the bonds, a phone is much stronger than a piece of cloth. The objective of this project was to make a bioplastic that can replace a normal plastic. To do this the bioplastic was tested in the Tensile (pulling) test, the Torsional (twisting) test, and the water resistance test. The bioplastics were made of cornstarch, potato starch, cassava starch, and the control group was gelatin. Gelatin was chosen because it is stronger than most bioplastics and it comes from remains of the meat industry, while starch needs to be harvested. It was hypothesized that potato starch will be the strongest in the tensile strength test. Potato starch has a higher amylose content so that means the bonds of the bioplastic will be stronger. Cornstarch will be the best in the water resistance test. When glycerin is added, it is harder for water molecules to come in. Cassava starch will be the strongest in the torsional test. More amylopectin can make the bioplastic more flexible. The hypothesis was supported.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
getting pennies to corrode and break down
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
When people swim in a pool repeatedly with the same swimsuit the suit can fade and become transparent. Different pool chemicals affect swimsuits differently. So if the type of pool chemical changes the amount of fading and transparency to the swimsuit will change. I tested which pool chemical affects a swimsuit the most and the least. This experiment proves the hypothesis stated above.
The fade of a swimsuit is caused by the harsh qualities in the chemicals used in pools. I tested which one affects swimwear the least by having three water samples: one with chlorine, one with saltwater, and one with filtered drinking water. Then I put one piece of the same swimsuit in each of the water samples. After three days I took pictures of them looking for the amount of fading and transparency.
The results of this project were not perfect. The difference between samples of swimsuits was not as drastic as I had predicted. The swimsuit that soaked in the chlorine water sample appeared to broken down and fade the swimsuit the most. The saltwater affected the fabric the second most. And the filtered drinking water affected it the least.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
My 8th grade science project was based on what substance melts ice the fastest. I tested 3 different substances on 3 ice cubes in the refrigerator for 4 hours measuring each hour the amount of ice melt for each substance. I would also be having a control group that I would not add anything to it to see if there would have any effect to it. To prove that my hypothesis would be right my experiment would have to go through freezing point depression. In the end my experiment did prove my hypothesis would be correct and that salt would be the one that would melt the most amount of ice.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Homeowners worldwide spend thousands of dollars on their countertops, as they are important parts of houses when regarding style and convenience. One of the most loved countertops is marble, but it can stain easily. This means it is important to know how to keep marble free of marks. Numerous studies have been conducted showing how to clean marble, but few show what common kitchen substances stain marble the most. This information is important, as the best way to dispose of harmful stains is to avoid the liquids that will cause the worst marks. Proving which common kitchen substance stains the most was done by staining slabs of marble with different liquids and measuring the color difference each one caused, which accurately concluded which liquid stained the most. The liquids used were Diet Coke, mustard, pasta sauce, cooking wine, and olive oil. After researching these, it was hypothesized that Diet Coke would cause the worst stain because it is both acidic and dark pigments. After doing the experiment, it turned out that the hypothesis was not supported, and the worst staining agent turned out to be the one thought to stain the least: olive oil. Research specifically targeting olive oil showed that the oils were the suspect for staining since they break down marble’s protective seal, and an additional experiment proved olive oil to stain the most and in the largest area. In conclusion, by accounting this data and research, homeowners can avoid stains on their countertops and keep them clean.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
The purpose of my project was to find out which types of fat, and how much fat is in the foods we eat. For my project I did an experiment using solvent extraction, with acetone as the solvent, on three different foods, potato chips, chocolate chips, and almonds. Before doing the experiment I did some research, and came up with the hypothesis that the potato chips would be the most unhealthy for you, having the most fat with a higher percent of it being saturated. During my experiment I rinsed each food in the acetone for two sets of two minutes. After extracting the fats from the food, I found out that the almonds had the highest amount of fat, and the chocolate chips had the highest percent of saturated fat therefore invalidating my hypothesis.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Did you know that bubbles are air with a thin layer of liquid around them? And anti-bubbles are bubbles with water in them and then a thin layer of air around them. And anti-bubbles can be used to transport medicine and other medical liquids because they can be safely in an anti-bubble. Also anti-bubbles can be very interesting to look at, because they look a little different from normal bubbles. They are fun to make and if you add sugar then it'll make the bubbles last longer without popping because they will go to the bottom instead of floating to the top and popping.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are an important class of chemical compounds that easily evaporate at room temperature. They are produced in both environmental sources and biological processes in the human body. VOCs play a huge role in human health; specifically, in cancer detection. VOCs are an VOCs are produced as byproducts of metabolism, and since cancerous cells go through metabolic processes that differ from those of healthy cells, they produce distinct VOCs, allowing them to be vital in cancer detection. My project aims to model VOC emissions in the human body by simulation their accumulation and dispersion in sealed jars with nail hardener containing formaldehyde to act as a source for VOC release. It explores how environmental factors such as temperature, ventilation, and humidity have an effect on VOC emissions and concentrations in the human body. VOC profiling is a method for non-invasive cancer detection that has been developed in recent years, and this study shows how body conditions, such as fever, breathing rate, and hydration levels influence VOC presence, which has the potential to impact the accuracy of diagnoses.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Which type of milk produces the hardest plastic? Five different types of milk were used to make plastic. Skim, 1%, 2%, Whole, and cream. My hypothesis was that the cream would make the hardest plastic due to the fat content. Milk produces curds when you add vinegar to heated milk. The curds are then pressed to get rid of excess moisture and formed. I formed them into cubes and let them dry. After the cubes were dried, I measured up 30.5 cm from the floor and made a mark with tape on the wall. I placed each plastic cube on the floor under the mark and then held a hammer at the mark. I dropped the hammer on each milk cube over and over until the cube broke. I recorded the number of times I dropped the hammer on each cube. The 1% milk plastic turned out to be the hardest. The cream didn't even make plastic.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
My science project was about the Mpemba Effect, I investigated the effect and attempted to replicate it. I tested seven different temperatures, with 212°F being the hottest and 41°F being the coldest. However, my hypothesis was proven wrong as the cold water ended up freezing faster than the hot water. As a result of that, I was unable to replicate the Mpemba Effect. Although my hypothesis was proven wrong, I have learned alot about the phenomenon. There's several different ways that could explain how the phenomenon could work, but these are the main ones: Supercooling, nucleation, evaporation, and pressure.
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Hair bleaching, if used indiscriminately can be hazardous to both animal and human health when used continuously on human hair. Yet, people still use bleach on their hair and clothes for excessive periods of time and repeated sessions, usually without knowing the full extent of its hazardous properties. The objective of this experiment was to observe how extensive periods of chemically lightening virgin hair can affect its structural strength, water retention, and elasticity. The time allotted slots for the hair to be in the lightening solution were 0 minutes, 45 minutes, 90 minutes, and 135 minutes. It was hypothesized that the hair in the lightening solution for 135 minutes would retain the most humidity, yet structurally be the weakest and least elastic due to the key points in the hair that sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide in the lightening solution attack. After lightening the hair for the predetermined amounts of time, each hair sample was tested for its water retention using a hygrometer, its elasticity using a simple tape measure, and its strength using a spring scale. The results showed that the 135-minute sample retained the most water; meaning it is the most affected by humidity changes. Surprisingly, the 90-minute group had the least structural strength and the 0-minute group has the least elasticity rate. Overall, it can be concluded that hair bleaching has a negative effect on people’s hair and scalp, and should not be used unless in slight moderation.
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
I love taking care of my plants and currently have succulents, spider plants, and a happy aloe vera plant in my room. These plants all have varying water requirements. Last year, I built a soil moisture sensor that used sensors to measure the moisture levels of the soil in a potted plant, activating an LED light when the moisture level was considered low. This year's goal was to activate a smart watering system when sensors detected low moisture levels. Instead of activating an LED light, my code would activate a relay that could power the motors for the smart watering system. I believe smart watering systems are the future for both plant enthusiasts like myself, but also on a larger scale for farms and ranches. Agriculture is slowly moving towards smart watering systems. Benefits of smarting watering include using fewer resources like water and increasing profits for farmers and ranchers. Additionally, smart watering is environmentally friendly because it reduces water runoff, keeping our natural water supplies cleaner of pesticides and chemicals. I wanted to build a small scale smart watering system to better understand the challenges involved with this kind of technology that is still under-utilized in the the United States.
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Microplastics are pieces of plastic that are less than 5mm in size. They have serious effects on humans such as asthma or death and also kill many sea creatures if they digest them. The objective of the project was to make a Machine Learning model that would detect microplastics in water and to discover which amount of Aluminum Sulphate added would clean out the most amount of microplastics. The amounts tested were 0 grams, 1 gram, 1.5 grams, 2 grams, and 2.5 grams. The hypothesis was that 2.5 grams of Aluminum Sulphate would remove the most microplastics from the microplastic-water solution. This is because more Aluminum Sulphate strengthens the coagulation by providing more Sulphate for the microplastics to attach to. Coagulation is a process in which the Aluminum Sulphate and the microplastics stick to each other which leaves an easily removable clump. If the coagulation is stronger, the microplastics will easily be attracted to the Aluminum Sulphate leading to more being removed. This was tested by adding microplastics to water and adding the different amounts of Aluminum Sulphate. This then formed easily removable clumps. To detect the microplastics, a Convolutional Neural Network was created in Python that would accept an image of water, and would return whether the image contained microplastics or not. The trials with 2.5 grams of Aluminum Sulphate cleaned up the most amount of microplastic from the water, likely because more Aluminum Sulphate led to more coagulation between it and the microplastics leading to more being removed.
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Whether from other states’ wildfires or local inversion, Utah suffers from bad air quality year-round. PM1.0s, PM2.5s, PM10s, TVOCs, and formaldehyde are all particles present in smoke that negatively impact health. HEPA filter air purifiers are heavily advocated for as a possible method of cleaning contaminated air. Yet, HEPAs are seldom used without a pre-filter that helps extend their lifespan, save money, and improve overall efficiency. Yet, which pre-filter is the most efficient? This experiment investigates the effect of various types of pre-filters on the air flow rate (determining the energy needed to push air through) and the removal of smoke particles, including an analysis of the average price on online sellers.
It was originally hypothesized that the activated carbon pre-filter, due to its high adsorbence, would be the most efficient pre-filter, as it would be effective in filtering out particles but would be able to maintain a lower PPI, allowing for a higher air flow rate. To test this, an anemometer was used to measure air flow (generated by a hair dryer) through each filter, and a particle counter to measure particle count after smoke was pushed through each filter. Five trials were conducted for each filter (activated carbon, electrostatic, fabric, and polyurethane) and a control with no filter.
After experimentation (and calculation for efficiency), it was found that the hypothesis was not supported as the polyurethane pre-filter was most efficient, likely due to its higher air flow rate, electrostatic charge, and activated carbon’s low adsorbence of PM10s.
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Roughly 32,000 homes in the United States flood each year. Even in the desert of Utah, local floods occur each spring. We wanted to continue our project from last year to improve our filter design and its reliability. We both suffered from flooding two years ago and wanted harness the flood waters to filter for use in areas lacking water. Our goal is to create a sandbag that can efficiently generate and store clean water. This would be helpful in dry areas, or areas that have frequent droughts. A sandbag/filter system could be helpful in places most affected by global warming, where weather patterns are unpredictable and extreme.
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
The DaVinci Bridge is a bridge designed by Leanardo DaVinci that is able to hold any weight without the use of screws or bolts. I built my bridge out of pencils. The bridge is built in a way where the pencils lean on each other, so the inertia and friction work together to hold it up. I wanted to see how much weight the bridge could hold before it broke, the last weight being me. My hypothesis was, no, it wouldn't be able to hold me up.
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Ensuring good farmland health is essential for food/water security and sustainable agriculture. My project explores a computational approach to analyzing farmland conditions using histogram color analysis techniques. By converting farmland images to the HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) color space, I was able to identify trends in the healthy plants. Healthy vegetation had a higher hue (showing more green tones), saturation (reflecting vibrant plant colors), and value (being brighter). I compared histograms of farmland in various conditions, and found clear differences in color distribution. I used these key trends to develop a computational model which highlighted unhealthy areas and areas of concern of a landscape on a heatmap based off of HSV trends. Farmers and agricultural scientists can use this method to quickly assess plant health. The overall project was able to demonstrate the potential of computational image analysis to monitor farmland/landscape health in an efficient and sustainable way, and it can help with agricultural management, environmental sustainability, and more!
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
We are proposing a simpler way to recycle solar panels, making the use of solar panels more environmentally friendly. Solar panels contain harmful chemicals that have very specific recycling requirements. Our project would provide neighborhood recycle boxes where PV cells from the solar panels can be placed for proper recycling.
The program would fund itself because of the precious metals found in PV cells that can be be melted down into bars and sold. Our recycle box has a grid pattern in it to accommodate all sizes of PV cells, yet is small enough to fit into the back of an average pick up truck. This will make the recycling process easy and convenient and ensure proper disposal of PV cells.
COMPUTER SCIENCE & APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL METHODS
For my project I am comparing AI generated answers with 8th grade answers (from all core subjects) by writing a computer program. To do this I came up with 20 questions for 8th graders and I asked those questions to ChatGPT. I compared all its answers and came up with a list of characteristics it had frequently in its answers. I then asked my science teacher to approve my request and sign the Safety Form for Human Subjects. Once I got the permission, I asked my 8th grade science class to answer a different list of 8 questions. I then collected their answers anonymously and typed their responses in my Research Journal. Once I had all the data collection, I wrote my computer program. To write the computer program, I went through the list of characteristics that ChatGPT used in its answers and found a way to code them. For example, for calculating the number of words, my program would read the input I gave and count the number of spaces, added one to that number, and it then printed the number of words. Another example is, to count the number of equations, my program read the input and counted the number of equal signs used and printed the total number of equations. I recorded the results for ChatGPT. I then did the same for my classmates' answers.
COMPUTER SCIENCE & APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL METHODS
The Problem:
Things that seem recyclable but aren't actually, often get put into the recycling bin. This can be anything from food waste to “wish-cycling” items that people hope are recyclable.
According to the EPA “Putting items in the recycling bin that can't be recycled can contaminate the recycling stream. After these nonrecyclable items arrive at recycling centers, they can cause costly damage to the equipment. Additionally, after arriving at the recycling centers they must be sorted out and then sent to landfills, which raises costs for the facility. That is why it is important to check what your recycling provider will accept before placing them into a bin.”
“Sometimes, unsorted contaminated recycling materials can end up being sent to landfills instead of recycled or processed” -transtech.co.za
“Contaminants turn your recycling into nothing more than trash.” -rubicon.com
“Utah has a 30 percent contamination rate compared to the national average of 17 percent.” - -draperjournal.com
My solution:
My solution is the Recyclotron. A machine that is meant to prevent contaminants from getting into the recycling bin. Using python code, I imported an open source computer vision model called yolo v5 where I custom trained the model with images that I took for my recyclable and nonrecyclable objects. I annotated those images one by one, and then using the code, I made it analyze a camera stream. The model returns what object the AI recognizes that item as with a confidence rating. With a high enough confidence rating of whether it’s recyclable or not, I programmed the servo motor to tilt 90 degrees forward for recycling or 90 degrees backwards for garbage.
COMPUTER SCIENCE & APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL METHODS
Suicide claims nearly 700,000 lives worldwide each year (WHO, 2023). In 2022, over 49,000 people in the U.S. died by suicide, with a rate of 14.21 per 100,000, particularly affecting individuals aged 15-29. Too often, the warning signs go unnoticed—many struggling individuals don’t express their distress, and loved ones fail to recognize the subtle indicators.
This tragic reality became personal when I lost a close friend to suicide. It left me questioning: Why didn’t anyone see the signs? Could we have done something?
LifeLine is an AI-driven early warning system that detects physiological signs of emotional distress backed by research (PhysioNet, 2023). Using real-time health data from wearable devices and Raspberry Pi sensors, LifeLine monitors heart rate variability, stress levels, and environmental factors to identify concerning trends. When high-risk patterns emerge, an automated alert message is sent to a designated caregiver phone, enabling timely intervention before a crisis occurs.
Unlike traditional mental health approaches that rely on self-reporting, LifeLine proactively detects distress, ensuring no one struggles unseen. With further development, this technology could revolutionize psychological health monitoring, providing a safety net for those at risk and peace of mind for caregivers.
LifeLine transforms silent struggles into life-saving action. This project is not just about technology it’s about saving lives.
COMPUTER SCIENCE & APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL METHODS
This project is about creating Think Buddy, a GPT-based study helper that supports students with their schoolwork, lectures, and time management. The main idea is to build a helpful and interactive AI that explains school subjects step by step without just giving answers. This way, students can think through problems and learn better on their own.
To do this, the GPT was set up to break down difficult ideas into simple, easy-to-understand explanations while keeping a friendly and encouraging tone. It also helps students stay organized by giving study tips, scheduling help, and reminders to keep up with their work. Instead of just telling students the right answers, Think Buddy guides them through learning in a way that makes it easier to remember and apply what they study.
This project is important because it gives students a new way to get help with school while improving their problem-solving and study habits. This system helps students stay involved in their learning, making it a great resource for education. In the future, it could be improved by adding more personal features and working with school tools to help students manage their schoolwork even better.
COMPUTER SCIENCE & APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL METHODS
My topic is Can A Human Detect A.I. Generated Paragraphs? From my research I found out that A.I is a computer program that lets you interact with it and it is designed to act like a human. I also learned that Artificial intelligence is getting better and is more easily blending in with human writing. Based on my research, I created this hypothesis, If I change the A.I. generated text to human written text then the results given from the subjects should show that they can not tell the difference between text written by an A.I. or text that is written by a human. For my experiment, I used a Google Form and put each of the human and A.I. generated texts into it. There are 5 human written and 5 A.I. generated paragraphs. I sent each participant the Google Form. My results show that a human can find the difference between A.I. generated text, and human written text. 75.12% of subjects were able to correctly find the A.I. generated text, and 80.1% could find the human written text. I found out that a human can currently recognize A.I. text and although Artificial Intelligence is designed to trick a human it is not good enough yet.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
The project is on what type of soil can go a plant fastest and the hypothesis is that loamy soil would grow the fastest. It started out with my mom getting pea seeds from her co-worker the last day before school is back we get my soil from Moonlight Gardens we walk in to meet a very nice man named Russel. He showed us which soil to get and how to make others.
After the soil is brought home they are planted but do not grow in time. So they were switched to micro greens which grew in 2 days which was a relief. Every morning the growth is measured and wrote down in a notebook. The seed are placed in a big window so all the plants can get the same amount of sunlight. The first day had no growth, the second day the sandy and silty soil had sprouted and the sandy was the tallest. The third day had little sprout in the potting but were too small to measure same with my loamy. My dandy grew super tall and my silty was catching up. The fourth I had lots of growth all a round that was the last day I took data.
Do overall the hypothesis was proven wrong and sandy won. This occurred because sandy soil is very drained. This was very fun to learn and be able to show how to keep my plants alive.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Question and Hypothesis
After growing up hearing about climate change and pollution, I started to research climate change and watched some videos about it. I was well informed, but they never said the thing I wanted to know: What can I do about it? So I started looking at some things, and something got me really interested, which was suburban monocultures. The question that I came up with for my project was, “What is the Visual Biodiversity of my neighborhood?” After researching Biodiversity, My hypothesis came out to be: The Majority of observed residential landscapes in my neighborhood will be over 50 percent Biologically Uniform
Experimental Procedures
After debating terms for what to call things, how to define Biodiversity, etc., I came up with a sheet of questions to analyze my neighborhood with. These were Level and type of Biological Uniformity, and what type of Features were on each yard. My assumption was that the number of features would probably correlate with the Biological Uniformity being lower or higher.
Results and Conclusions
After testing the areas, as expected, almost no houses were even remotely Biodiverse. An overwhelming 40 out of 50 houses had >50% Biological Uniformity, and even of those 10, most were still not biodiverse. Only 4% of all the houses we tested, or two houses, were Biodiverse. If we were able to change this to 40 houses being biodiverse, and did that in all suburbs, this could really help the planet.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
How much radiation do you recieve on an international flight? If I am on an international flight, and subjected to radiation, then I predict that the radiation will be higher than when exposed to an x-ray machine. I took 2 international flights to and from Amsterdam, with the Geiger counters, and recorded the radiation levels. Then I collected all of the data and put it into an Excel spreadsheet. The data shows that the higher the altitude the higher the radiation levels.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
In this project, I carried out an experiment to see what is the best way to improve the air quality in your home after exercising. I tested to see which of the following: opening a window, running a fan, placing a plant, turning on an air purifier, or running the HVAC system, will have a greater positive impact on the air quality in a room in my house, measured in carbon dioxide in ppm. I measured the amount of carbon dioxide using an air quality monitor and tested the air quality every thirty minutes over a course of three hours for each independent variable. After I had data points for all of the independent variables, I repeated this process two more times to get enough data to average it out for each variable, then putting the data points into a line graph. I found out that opening a window is the best way to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in your home, even though I predicted running the HVAC system worked the best. I learned from this project that it is a good idea to open a window in your home while you are exercising to make sure that carbon dioxide molecules don't build up in your house, a problem that could cause people with respiratory conditions get really sick.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Several studies have shown that global warming is getting worse. The purpose of this experiment is to model what will happen to the planet if the greenhouse effect continues and the future of our planet. This experiment required a lot of research and careful measurements. There were several materials needed. It is so important to research our planets future. From this experiment people can learn what will most likely happen to the planet.
Global warming is a result of many effects. These causes such as burning fossil fuels leads to the greenhouse effect which then leads to global warming. Buring fossil fuels releases a big amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the CO2 is creating a layer under the ozone trapping the sun's warmth. The process of this is called the greenhouse effect, but there is still more to know because global warming also has its effects. For example, the lakes will dry out within time, ocean levels will rise because glaciers are melting, and plants could die. Although, these things could happen or are happening people can slow down or stop the process by reducing the amount of pollution and burning less fossil fuels. These are something people should really think about.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Have you ever wondered what the CO2 levels in Salt Lake County are, and how it could be impacting cities around the area? In the project we researched how CO2 affects areas using a CO2, humidity, and air temperature detector to determine the CO2 levels in Salt Lake County and if industry is affecting it. We drew the conclusion that CO2 levels are higher in higher industrial areas, and we found factors that may be getting affected by the CO2. In our project we analyze different factors based on our data and findings on the CO2 levels and how we can relate it to other areas too.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
The objective of this invention was to create a simple carbon footprint calculator that estimates the user’s approximate carbon emissions. A carbon footprint represents the total amount of carbon emissions produced by a household. Many people are unaware of their carbon emissions and may contribute more than the average American, who emits approximately 16 tons of CO2 per year—one of the highest per capita emissions in the world.
This easy-to-use interface calculates a household’s carbon footprint, compares it to the average, and provides effective ways to reduce it, helping raise awareness about greenhouse gases. The Simple Carbon Footprint Calculator addresses the growing problem of climate change, which is becoming more frequent and urgent, though its significance remains constant.
With the recommendations provided by the calculator, users can become more informed about their annual carbon emissions and start taking steps to reduce them based on the tips given. The software for this invention was coded in Python, ensuring an efficient and accurate tool for users.
The result is a user-friendly carbon footprint calculator that asks simple questions and does not require revealing personal information. The program was tested on a variety of households with different practices, and its accuracy was verified through testing and hand calculations. The program showed satisfactory results, with fair accuracy.
Future improvements could focus on enhancing the user’s understanding of their carbon footprint and further refining the program’s educational value.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Coal is the current main power source for the world. This is a problem because it releases lots of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and it is not a renewable energy source. So, we are wondering if kelp can produce enough energy to power the world. Kelp is a viable replacement for coal for a few reasons: It is a renewable energy source as it is a plant; It is not just any plant not just any plant one of the fastest growing plants in the world up to 18 inches a day; Kelp is one of the best plants at absorbing carbon out of the ocean.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
The purpose of this experiment was to test the water quality in different places to see if anything changed, and to test for heavy metals, which can be incredibly dangerous to the human body. My hypothesis was that there wasn't going to be heavy metals in the water. To do this I bought a water test kit from called 'Verify' that tested 16 things. (pH, Water Hardness, Hydrogen Sulfide, Iron, Copper, Lead, Manganese, Total Chlorine, Mercury, Nitrate, Nitrite, Sulfate, Zinc, Floride, Sodium Chloride, and Total Alkalinity) The kit has test strips you dip in water for two seconds and compare to the chart on the bottle. As for the water I wanted to test, I tested the filtered water at my house, the unfiltered water at my house, and the drinking fountains at school. I completed the filtered/unfiltered tests and did the school drinking fountain test a few days later. Regarding the results, I noticed nothing much changed, except total alkalinity and water hardness. Alkalinity in water is the water's ability to neutralize acidity in itself, and water hardness is total calcium and magnesium ion concentration in a water sample. The main objective of this experiment was to see if there were heavy metals in the water people in my area drink. Heavy metals (Chromium, Mercury, Lead, Nickel, Cadmium, Arsenic, Thallium, Copper, Zinc, Selenium, and Cobalt) are incredibly dangerous to ingest, so I wasn't surprised when there weren't heavy metals in the water my community is drinking. If there was, then people would be getting sick constantly, and mortality rates would be much higher in my area. The data collected from this experiment shows that water isn't dangerous in the Salt Lake City area.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
I tested to see what the effect of plants were on slowing erosion. I did this by creating 3 different soil samples: one just regular dirt, one mulch, and one with plants. I then poured water that ran through the different soils and evaluated the amount of soil that eroded with the water.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
I tested biodegradable hydrogels to see if they can help store water in the soil. The hydrogels did indeed conserve water, and it was much better than without using them, the hydrogels did indeed that worked the best was the one made with Xanthan gum. The control did the worst. My hypothesis was supported, and all of the pots with hydrogels in them preformed way better than the one without hydrogels.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
My project, Fueling the Future, is an experiment that tests what biomass feedstock is the cleanest for the environment. The question of this experiment is what id the effect of burning various biomass feedstocks on the air quality. For my project I took nine different biomass feedstocks for four trials weighing 20 grams each and burned them for a minute each in a burn box. I measured the air quality for TVOC, HCHO, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. I chose this project out of inspiration from my mother's job and how it relates with sustainability for the environment. My hypothesis was that with more carbon content in the feedstock, the worse the air quality would be. This is because when carbon containing bio feeds are burned, carbon is changed into a different form due to oxygen from the combustion process into carbon dioxide.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
This project investigated whether soil in cemeteries is more contaminated than soil from nearby areas. The hypothesis was that cemetery soil would have higher contamination due to chemicals and materials used in burials. To test this, I used Daphnia, small aquatic creatures, to observe their reactions to soil extracts, and chemical test strips to measure pH and metal presence.
I collected soil samples from cemeteries and non-cemetery areas, then tested them with Daphnia and chemical strips. The Daphnia’s survival, behavior, and movement were observed and compared to a control water sample. Chemical tests checked for pH and metals. Results showed that cemetery soil was more contaminated, affecting Daphnia's activity and survival. However, high levels of metals were not found as initially expected. This suggests that burial practices might be contributing to soil contamination, highlighting the need for more sustainable burial options to minimize environmental harm.
The study found that cemetery soil had increased contamination levels in several tests, supporting the need for environmentally friendly burial practices. While the cemetery soil showed contamination, the expected high metal levels were not present. This study points to the importance of examining cemetery practices to protect the environment.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Abstract
Water can have a different level of pH depending on how acidic or basic it is. The pH scale is how people measure the level of pH. It is also known that water is neither created or destroyed. However, the water cycle has different processes to allow water to be in different forms. One of the processes is evaporation, which is water turning into water vapor. In the following experiment different containers with different pH levels of water were tested to see which one would evaporate faster. The goal is to figure out which one evaporates the fastest in a span of 10 days. It was predicted that the container with the water at the pH level of 7 would evaporate the fastest because it has the least amount of hydrogen and hydroxide ions combined. For the experiment setup there were five containers with water, each one having a different pH level. All of the containers were lined up and left to sit and evaporate for 10 days. The data was then collected and analyzed. The data displayed that the container with the pH level of 7 evaporated the most water. Based on these findings water with a pH level of 7 evaporates the fastest.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
The increased use of electricity and the associated technology has led way to a new concern in society. What are the unforeseen dangers coming from electronic devices? As use of electronics continues to grow, so does the exposure to the byproduct of their use, electromagnetic fields (EMFs). This science project explored which electronic devices produced higher levels of potentially harmful radiation and how their proximity to your bed might increase exposure. The testing process consisted of taking measurements exactly one foot from the device, but after initial testing, the procedure was changed and the measurements were taken from directly on top of the device. Results were gathered from four different common devices and from two types of radiation. In this project, an iPhone, Airpods, an Apple Laptop, and an iPad were all tested. It was determined that when measuring the electric field strength, the iPhone and laptop were the highest, and when testing magnetic field strength, the iPhone was the highest. The hypothesis was supported that devices using two or more connections will produce more radiation than those with only one. This project was helpful in showing that charging devices at least a foot away from a bed is not emitting harmful levels of radiation, keeping them closer may lead to unfavorable exposure.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
I made a hypothesis surrounding mealworms and their ability to eat plastics.
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
My project is to determine the PH balance in drinking water. I have tested four different types of water to determine the PH balance and potiential existence of possible chlorine. Referencing the PH Scale to determine the best possible rating.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
The Hybrid AC/DC house uses solar panels and grid to power a home sustainably. AC and DC buses are accommodated with the AC bus connected to the grid and the DC bus to solar energy. Household electricity is categorized into DC circuits for DC enabled devices and AC circuits for AC appliances.
The objective is to decrease grid energy dependence and prioritize renewable energy. The engineering goal is to design a system that uses renewable energy as primary energy source and automatically switches to a grid-powered battery for DC lighting loads when renewable energy is insufficient. This project demonstrates how an automatic switchover between a solar battery and a grid powered battery can optimize power usage based on the load demand, ensuring efficient energy management and preventing battery depletion.
A 12V voltage source simulates solar panel output with all circuit components selected accordingly. The procedure involved designing and wiring an electric circuit incorporating two DC sources—one representing a battery charged by solar power and the other by the grid, a voltage comparator, transistors and SPDT relay connected to the lighting load. The output voltage of the solar battery is varied to simulate its overload conditions or insufficient charging of solar cells. Automatic switching between the solar and grid batteries to light the load LED
successfully occurred based on their voltage variations with respect to a predetermined level.
Hybrid AC/DC house with battery backup reduces grid dependency by automatically switching between grid and solar batteries during outages or overloads.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
The purpose of this project was to develop a model that generates electricity from sound energy using piezoelectric materials. The goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of lighting a small LED bulb with the generated electricity. The experiment involved using two piezoelectric plates connected to a bridge rectifier to convert sound-induced mechanical energy into direct current (DC) electricity. Voltage outputs were measured using a multimeter under varying sound intensities. Results showed that two small piezoelectric plates produced approximately 0.5-1.5 volts DC after passing through a full bridge rectifier. When exposed to sound levels exceeding 86 dB, the generated voltage was sufficient to power a small LED light bulb. The project faced several challenges. Achieving a reasonable high-decibel intensity sound was difficult and required careful setup. Furthermore, the small size of the piezoelectric plates made capturing vibrations difficult, requiring that the plates be positioned very close to the speaker for effective energy transfer. If larger and more efficient piezoelectric plates were available, the experiment could be conducted with greater accuracy and efficiency, potentially generating higher voltages and expanding its practical applications. Despite these limitations, the findings support the hypothesis that sound energy can be harvested and converted into electricity. This project highlights the potential of sound energy harvesting as a sustainable energy source and offers insights for future advancements in this innovative field.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
The goal of this project was to prevent dogs from overheating in outdoor doghouses. Another objective was to utilize solar power instead of electricity to operate the fans, promoting environmental sustainability and expanding usability. The project involved installing a solar panel, a thermatic temperature switch, a 12V battery, and fans on the doghouse. Each component was wired together and tested for functionality.
The hypothesis stated: If a fan is designed to be solar-powered and temperature-activated, then it can cool down a doghouse and help prevent dogs from overheating because the fan will automatically turn on when the temperature exceeds 80°F.
The experiment showed that the temperature inside the doghouse decreased more rapidly when the initial temperature was higher. Specifically, after 90 seconds of the fan being activated, the temperature inside the doghouse was, on average, 13.8°F cooler than its starting temperature. Additionally, the fans automatically turned off when the temperature inside or outside the doghouse dropped below 80°F.
The hypothesis was supported by the results: the fans consistently activated when the temperature rose above 80°F and turned off when it fell below this. This resulted in a cooler interior for the doghouse after the fans turned on.
This project offers a solution for pet owners with outdoor doghouses, particularly in hot climates or remote areas without access to electricity. By utilizing solar power, the design not only reduces reliance on conventional electricity but also provides an eco-friendly and practical option for keeping pets safe and comfortable in extreme heat.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
The Researcher’s objective was to determine what effect increasing the number of secondary coil loops has on the output voltage of a Step-up Transformer. Curious to how a Step-up Transformer takes low voltage and turns it into higher voltage, the Researcher sought to validate experimentally what is proven mathematically.
Based on research, transmitting AC power through a wire coil will create a magnetic field. Even further, if two coils are placed in proximity, a current can be induced from one coil into another according to Faraday’s Law of Induction, the Law of Electromagnetism, Ohm’s Law, Ampère’s Law, Watt’s Law, and Lenz’s Law.
The hypothesis tested was if the number of windings is increased in the Secondary Circuit in respect to the Primary circuit, then voltage in the Secondary Circuit would increase proportionally to the ratio of the two circuits. To test this, a Step-up Transformer was constructed using an AC power supply, an iron core, and enameled copper wire. With the Primary Circuit coil set at 10-wounds, four coils with 10, 20, 30 and 40-wounds were made and tested. Two Multimeters and Ammeter were used to record voltage and amperage readings in both circuits for each trial.
As predicted, the voltage increased proportionally based on the loop ratio matching the mathematical formula. Furthermore, in accordance with the Law of Conservation of Energy, the Researcher determined that Power was conserved between the two circuits. Possible improvements to the experiment could be to use a round donut core to improved coil shape.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
During a project in my science class, I discovered a renewable form of energy called an ocean wave energy generator, which works by channeling the power of waves to generate electricity. However, after learning that it was extremely inefficient and harmful to the environment, two reasons that the U.S. refuses to implement them, I wanted to create a whole different model that doesn’t meet this criteria. I researched, created design goals, and, after building an original design, I tested it by placing the model underwater with real waves. Then, after a lot of tests, I managed to get my final design. My model works using the movement of magnets through copper wire to generate electricity, which is connected to a water wheel like object at the top.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
I tested power density on our daily devices. I tested each device with a meter. We tested each device 3 times to get accurate answer. Once I did all my research about the spectrum I decided to see the answer to my question. The WiFi router gave off the most power density.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
Abstract:
Will an electric motor run for longer if I charge a supercapacitor using a solar panel exposed to sunlight for greater lengths of time? If I charge a supercapacitor using a solar panel exposed to sunlight for longer lengths of time, then I expect it will allow the supercapacitor to store more energy to allow an electric motor to run for longer. I used a solar cell and connected it to a supercapacitor and an electric motor. I then exposed the apparatus to direct sunlight for different lengths of time (5, 10, 20, and 30 seconds) and recorded how long it took for the motor to stop running after it was moved into the shade.
Average results across three trials for each time interval: 5 seconds made the motor run for an average of 7.74 seconds, 10 seconds made the motor run for an average of 11.43 seconds, 20 seconds made the motor run for an average of 15.88 seconds, and 30 seconds made the motor run for 19.11 seconds.
What my data demonstrated was that when the solar panel was exposed to sunlight for longer lengths of time, allowing the supercapacitor to store increasing amounts of energy, it powered the electric motor for longer lengths of time.
In conclusion, my hypothesis was that the longer the solar cell was exposed to sunlight the more energy the supercapacitor would store and the longer the electric motor would run after the solar panel is no longer exposed to sunlight. My hypothesis was proven correct.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
Abstract: My problem question is How Does the Design of a Soccer Ball Affect Force? My Hypothesis was that the soccer ball with higher quality materials will result in a higher force.
One of the first things I did for my experimental procedure was to connect the force plate to a heavy box so it would stay in place. Next you need to pump up all of the balls to the same PSI, and measure 9 feet from the plate so all test subjects kick from the same distance. Each test subject gets 3 practice shots, and 4 shots with each of the 8 balls. I collected data using 10 subjects.
My result was that the Nike soccer ball that is made with Polyurethane,four layers of cotton and polyester, and a very thick bladder, had the greatest average force. The ball that had the lowest average force was made with polyvinyl chloride, and a very thin bladder. My hypothesis was proven correct because the Nike ball is made from higher quality materials.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
The main purpose of this project was to find out how to maximize the conductivity of earth batteries by changing the electrolyte. We wanted to do this because because earth batteries are really useful in emergency situations, but they don't generate much voltage, so trying to maximize that would always be helpful. My hypothesis for the experiment was that if seeding mix is the most commonly used electrolyte in earth batteries, then they must have the must conductivity because they are trusted. We did this experiment by getting a 12-cell ice tray and placing the electrolyte in each of the twelve cells. We would then make it conductive by adding galvanized bolts and copper wire. We would then get a multimeter to measure voltage within the cells. We repeated this for all of the electrolytes. In the end, my hypothesis was supported because seeding mix had the highest voltage. This most likely occurred due to seeding mix having a cornucopia of conductive and electrically compatible ingredients that the other electrolytes simply did not have.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
Latent Heat Storage is a process by which thermal energy is stored and released during the phase change of a material. This experiment aimed to see whether changing the application of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) affects the temperature regulation of electronic devices exposed to heat such as Sunlight, potentially slowing down the process of overheating.
We used an iPhone with different coverings on it. In this experiment, the coverings would include no silicon bag, an empty silicon bag, and a silicon bag with a PCM. With the different coverings, the trials were recorded in seconds. The trials conducted with no silicon is the control group. Trials with the silicon bag without the PCM and with the PCM are the experimental groups.
The hypothesis was if the application of PCMs is added then the temperature regulation of electronic devices exposed to heat such as Sunlight would be increased, so if PCMs were added that means it would take a longer time to show the heat warning. The hypothesis was fully supported. That means the highest has an average of 425 seconds which is greater than all the others.
Further Research may include testing different types of PCMs and their effectiveness.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
This study investigates how molecular structure affects thermal conductivity at room temperature by analyzing heat transfer mechanisms in metals and non-metals. Thermal conduction occurs through two primary mechanisms: electron conduction, where free electrons transfer heat in metals, and phonon conduction, where lattice vibrations facilitate heat transfer in both metals and non-metals. We hypothesized that thermal conductivity correlates with electrical conductivity in metals, while in non-metals, strong lattice structures enable efficient phonon conduction.
To test this, we examined the thermal conductivities of copper, aluminum, titanium, and graphite by placing 1-inch cubic samples on a hot plate set 10°C above room temperature and measuring the time required to reach thermal equilibrium. Copper and aluminum followed the Drude model, showing a proportional relationship between electrical and thermal conductivity. However, graphite exhibited unexpectedly high thermal conductivity despite its low electrical conductivity, likely due to its layered hexagonal lattice, which enhances phonon transport. Titanium displayed inconsistencies, with one test showing significantly longer heating times, possibly due to experimental errors or additional factors like electron scattering or alloying effects.
These results confirm that both free electron mobility and phonon interactions contribute to heat transfer. The findings have practical implications in materials science, particularly in optimizing thermal management materials for applications such as heat sinks, energy-efficient building materials, and advanced electronics. Future research should employ transient measurement methods for improved accuracy and explore a wider range of materials to refine thermal conductivity models.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
To research on renewable energy - wind and solar and compare the benefits and drawbacks in Utah. Also, research on the ways to use the stored energy. For the experiment, we made a models for Solar power - a Solar fan, a solar LED bulb, and for Wind - 2 types of mini windmills and tested their energy output under various circumstances. We then combined our data from the experiment and our research to support our hypothesis and made a conclusion.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
The objective of our project was, to first, change peoples opinion of nuclear power through education, and secondly push for further use of nuclear power in America.
We hypothesized and observed if we educate students about the benefits of nuclear power then they will support it more than people who were not educated because they will understand the safety and benefits of nuclear power.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
This experiment is meant to determine what amount of borax in a homemade bouncy ball. Borax, glue, and water are combined to form a chemical structure of elasticity. The hypothesis is that if more borax is added to a bouncy ball recipe, the higher it will bounce. Bouncy balls with varying amounts of borax were made and tested. The results of the experiment proved the hypothesis that more borax helps a bouncy ball bounce higher.
ENERGY: CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL
This project’s purpose was to compare fuel cycles of thorium and uranium nuclear fission reactors. As the world’s energy crisis continues to get worse, scientists are looking for new ways to support the world. The only possible energy source is nuclear. To explain the difference between the two reactors I engineered a fuel cycle using python that could compare waste and the isotope levels. By separating the fission and fertile isotopes we can see how much waste is takes to produce nuclear energy.
The fuel cycle was successful with both types of reactors producing some sort of energy as well as waste. By tracking the isotopes, we can also get a general idea of the successfulness of the fissile to fertile conversion. In the end, the thorium reactor was proven to have better waste management and isotope conversion rates.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
The purpose of this project is to find out which type of boat shape (triangle, square, or oval) will hold the most amount of pennies. My hypothesis is that if I test which boat shape (triangle, square, or oval) will hold the most amount of pennies while staying afloat, then I predict that the oval shaped boat will hold the most amount of pennies. For my procedures, the first thing I did was build all of the boats out of aluminum foil. Second, I put the boat in a large bowl full of water. Third, I put pennies in the boat one at a time. Fourth, I recorded the information on a piece of paper. Lastly, I repeated steps 2-4 eight more times. After all of the results came in, the triangle shaped boat had the mean of 35, the square shaped boat had the mean of 44, and the oval shaped boat had the mean of 54. This means that the oval shaped boat held the most amount of pennies.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Violins have been designed with f-holes on the front to optimally allow the sound to resonate out of the instrument. This project aims to find if covering the f-holes partially or completely affects the volume of the sound emitted when played.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
A. Question/ Problem:
What is the best way to 3D print a hollow square to make it as strong as possible? A hollow square was chosen because weight can be attached to it and tested. The strength will be evaluated by printing the hollow square horizontally and vertically. Then, the amount of weight or tension each can hold will be measured.
B. Hypothesis:
If a hollow square is printed on a 3D printer, then the strongest way to print it is horizontally, at 60 mm/s speed and an extruder temperature of 200°C and a nozzle temperature of 60°C because the layers of PLA, filament will be in horizontal, parallel layers.
C. Procedures:
Design the shape and size of the hollow squares to print and print 3 horizontally and 3 vertically. Settings should be a nozzle temperature of 200℃ and the bed temperature at 60℃. Next test the strength by adding 5 pounds to each square and increasing weight by 5 pounds until each one breaks and record the results.
D. Results and Claim:
The horizontally printed 3D square will be stronger than the vertically printed 3D square. The test results confirmed the claim.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
The purpose of this experiment was to design a model roller coaster. Design goals of the roller coaster were to reach a top speed of 10 mph, be 4 feet in height, go inverted 3 times, have a beyond vertical drop, last 15 seconds, and not exceed 4 g’s. The results showed that the maximum g force was 0.13 g forces going through the dive loop, the minimum g forces ended up being -1.08 g’s going up the top hat, and the average g force for the entire roller coaster being -0.2 g’s. According to the data, the average smoothness ended up being a 5/10, and the average stability ended up being 8/10. The Design goals were partially complete because the g forces did not go over under the maximum or minimum g force, there was a beyond vertical drop, a top speed of 25 mph, a height of 4 feet, it inverted 3 times, but it only lasted 5 seconds, not 15.The data showed low g forces. This is because it is a toy and made of light materials. Also the tests showed that the coaster was only 4-5 seconds long, and this is because the coaster is relatively small. To expand on this experiment, the coaster could have used more time in construction, as well as more time in testing. The results would have been more thorough and more data would have been better.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
When eating a cheeseball with crackers it is annoying when your cracker breaks too easily when scooping up a part of the cheeseball. It caused me to wonder which cracker would be the strongest. So, I developed a test to check the strength of a cracker. I chose five crackers that I like to eat. This test was not all inclusive as there may be a stronger cracker out there, but as stated, the test was limited to five for financial reasons (my mom would only buy me 5 boxes). My hypothesis was that the Triscuit cracker would be the strongest. The data confirmed my hypothesis was correct. The Triscuit was the strongest cracker of the five.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
The purpose of this experiment was to determine what bridge design holds the most weight. For this experiment I prepared nine bridges, three of each design. The first design had no supports, the second had three vertical supports, and the third had six right triangle shaped supports. I put each bridge, one at a time, over two tables, hung a bucket on them, and put plastic water bottles in the bucket until the bridges snapped. The amount of weight each bridge was able to hold was charted and the average for each design noted. The first design had an average weight capacity of about 4.4 pounds, the second design held about 16.7 pounds on average, and the third design held an average of 20 pounds. My data showed that Bridge #3, the bridge with triangle supports, held the most weight. This is likely due to the fact that the triangle is the strongest shape in nature as when any of the vertices are pressed, the triangle holds its shape.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Since the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, rock climbing has been steadily growing in popularity. Unlike more popular sports, climbing is difficult to practice on the go. As a result, the growing number of climbers traditionally must go to gyms or specified outdoor climbing areas. As the need for methods of portable practice techniques increases, I decided to create a solution that allows one to practice their grip and strength on both real and simulated rock climbing holds. I researched the current solutions, designed a more effective product, and then created a final prototype after testing multiple versions. A simple system that uses dovetail cut pieces of wood with climbing holds on them allows the user to mix and match the desired hold types and ultimately enables one to use infinite shapes of holds. The device can be stored in a backpack and be hung using a rope from a bar or beam when in use. A series of two locking mechanisms and a hinge also allows the climber to have the choice of hanging from the front, back, or sides. I plan to introduce the final product to the rock climbing community and continue to refine the product for eventual large-scale production.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
The Automatic Pill-Box is designed to help people remember to take their medications. The Pill-Box has a timer and will beep until the user has pressed the button to stop the beeping. The led light will light up and beep on the day that you need to take the pills. This provides a solution for the problem that people regularly forget to take their medications.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
The purpose of the project is to make a pillbox that reminds people to take their pills. It is meant for the old and young who have trouble remembering through the commotion in their lives. In this project all materials used were stepper motor 28BYJ-48, arduino UNO, wires, wire jumpers,TPU filament, Free-Cad software, and crunch lab battery (5 volts) version CBD/HO3, buttons and steel 6-32 x 1-12 nuts and bolts. The motor was lined up with the door to make it open and close. The first version could only move up and down by hand. This showed it would not work. The second had a motor and code to move it up and down on a schedule as well as shelves to separate pills but the main problems were no buzzer to hear or button to close the door. The 3rd version at the end worked perfectly with a buzzer and button making the box buzz and the door to close. The only flaw was if left on the seventh shelf for a day the pill boxes time would be off because the loop does not repeat unless the button is pushed. So in the end the problem of people forgetting to take their pills was solved by this mechanical pillbox.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
This engineering project seeks to program a robust night time sensor that detects motion and heat. The alarm module is designed to specifically protect infants and children. I conducted a series of tests by programming Raspberry Pi to go off as an alarm and joining it with a motion sensor. By adjusting the programming and sensitivity of the sensor, the initial programming was tested by hand indications, approaching the sensor several times, in both a light and dark environment, and angle efficiency. There were several problems regarding the motion sensor and wire placements, however, it was resolved through several problem shooting methods and thorough research. I collected the data on how accurately the sensor worked in a night time and day time area, the optical Lux rating in each condition, and the angle environment operation. The results demonstrated a success in darker surroundings, an economically ethical product, and proved to benefit the modern security system.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
To improve upon previous fluidized bed designs by engineering a large fluidized bed area that can be used in the children's entertainment industry in which many kids at once can play in the bed similar to either a trampoline park or pool. It is significant because it provides a non-electronic form of entertainment for children, which could contribute to improving kids health. Children are on electronics way too much, which is why helping reduce this dependency is very relevant to today's society. The main utility of this product is the kids entertainment industry, but there are many other possible applications I would love to explore in the future in fields like health or industrial.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Last year, I built a completely wooden pinball machine for my STEM Fair project. This year I decided to revisit the project and make it electrical! My problem was that the old pinball machine was broken and not very fun to play (yet). This needed fixing. So I created new criteria: to repair the pinball machine by fixing and replacing parts, make sure it was reusable and not going to break, and make sure it was super fun! I started with getting rid of the old wooden mechanisms and all of the old obstacles. I then used electrical wiring and other electrical components to assemble a 3D-printed flipper mechanism. I then decided to move on to the obstacle portion of the project. I 3D-printed many designs due to trial and error, but eventually made a marble wire ramp. I made sure it all fit nicely and worked well, then moved on to my other main obstacle: the marble cave. It was also 3D-printed, and the idea is when you hit the marble into the mouth of the cave, more marbles will roll out into the playing field (which is super cool). I then made small adjustments like adding push pins in places where the marble used to get stuck. I made some standard bumpers with screws and elastic bands. I made sure all of the wiring still worked and hooked it up to my battery. In the end, everything met my criteria, so mission success!
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
The purpose of the project we made is to help small children and people with disabilities such as arthritis. We aim to help these communities by making a solution for how tough opening chip bags is.
We tested our prototype by hot gluing a hook on our seal we made by sealing right below the original seal and putting a slit in it on which we progressively added weights until the bag opened all while the bag was hanging from a shelf from a clamp.
We collected our data in a bar graph using the four tests that we did.
Our testing proved that the solution that we made is a lot easier to open than the original seal and also doesn't allow any air to come in keeping the chips fresh. Our solution is helpful for people who have trouble opening chip bags.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
I chose my project because I wanted to show that the Mammoths did not only die in the Ice Age but also due to the technological advancement of the Atlatl and because I am a big fan of survival and making models. For this project, I will make models of Atlatls and spears and throw them by hand and by Atlatl to see the speed and distance. With this information, I can see if the Atlatl was all that great and if it was a contributing factor to the mammoth's extinction. I will also learn about the mammoth and its gestation period, height, weight, and the thickness of its hide. I also need to learn facts about the Atlatl, like how long the spears were, if they were commonly used, the strength they could reach, and any liabilities. Ultimately, I will have all the knowledge I need and see if my Hypothesis is correct.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
The purpose of my project was to design a solution to make keeping track of socks in the laundry more efficient. Using Tinkercad, I created an original design that attaches to the side of a standard laundry basket and holds delicate bags. I established criteria and constraints to evaluate the design during testing which were cost of filament, fit to the basket, baby-proofing, durability, and size. I ranked constraints and criteria a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best
Durability was evaluated on whether the design could stay upright and securely attached to the basket without drooping. Then it’s ability to hold the delicate bag, and finally whether it could support the bag with socks while remaining stable.
I found that the initial design lacked sufficient support, so I added additional hooks to better secure the bag. I also discovered the design projected farther out than necessary and included sharp edges, which I smoothed in later iterations. Additionally, the second iteration was not properly scaled, leading to adjustments in the third. In the end, the third iteration proved to be the most effective, as the fourth was slightly oversized.
In conclusion, this project proved to be effective. As for real world applications this product functioned exactly how it was intended and reduced the amount of lost socks in one household from 15 socks lost annually by one person to 1-2 socks annually.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
This project addresses the problem of maintaining a clean workspace, particularly for busy individuals, by developing an automated robotic cleaner. Traditional cleaning methods are often time-consuming and inefficient, and existing robotic cleaners are primarily designed for floors. This desk-cleaning robot aims to automate the removal of dust, crumbs, and debris from raised surfaces like desks and tables.
The robot utilizes an ELEGOO Uno R3 microcontroller, an ultrasonic sensor, and a gyroscope sensor for navigation and edge detection. This robot also has four motors with wheels for movement. A microfiber cloth attached to the robot's underside serves as the cleaning mechanism. The robot's functionality is programmed by custom Arduino code in Arduino IDE (this is a variation of C++), which processes sensor data to guide movement and ensure complete cleaning coverage.
Testing focused on evaluating the robot's cleaning effectiveness by using paper napkin pieces as debris. Trials demonstrated a progressive improvement in the number of pieces collected. The results included that the robot achieved over 90% debris removal in the final iteration. This highlights the effectiveness of design refinements and the positive impact of incorporating a gyroscope sensor for enhanced cleaning efficiency. Further testing will involve different debris types and surface materials to fully assess the robot's capabilities and identify areas for future development. This project offers a promising solution for automated workspace cleaning, improved hygiene, the protection of electronics from dust, and the boosting of productivity.
MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Our experiment's purpose is to show how batteries can be affected in different types of temperatures. We selected this test because we were curious about how a battery's life decreased in cold climates. We performed this experiment by taking a battery and freezing it, then we took another battery and heated it. Then, we left one battery at room temperature. After the batteries were frozen and heated we timed their run time with the stopwatch app. After our experiments, we found that in cold climates the run time can be dramatically decreased. We found when the batteries are warmer, the longer the run time is. A difficulty we had during testing was we wanted to heat the battery, but not so hot that it would explode. This can relate to the real world through electric cars because they have batteries. And they can be affected by different climate temperatures.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Abstract
My question for this project was “ What is the most effective eye makeup remover on mascara? ” My hypothesis was “ If I compare 6 different makeup removers and see how well they all remove mascara then the cleansing balm will remove the most mascara.” What I did to do the experiment was I put on Bad Gal Bang mascara by Tarte for an hour everyday for about 2 weeks. After an hour of wearing the mascara I removed the mascara. I used one fourth teaspoon of the eye makeup remover on a cotton pad. I gently swiped my eye four times on my eyelid and then rinsed and pat dry. Then I rated the results on a scale of one to five. Five being the best and one being not removed at all. The best remover was the sephora eye makeup remover with a mean of 3.5. The worst being baby shampoo with a mean of 2. In conclusion the sephora eye makeup remover was the best remover and my hypothesis was incorrect.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Painting your nails can be a fun but time consuming process. I find myself painting my nails then getting too impatient to let the polish fully dry. I tested which of five different nail polishes dried the fastest. My independent variable is the nail polish while my dependent variable is the dry time. Every minute you must poke the nail with a toothpick to check the consistency and residue. My hypothesis was the Insta-dri nail polish would dry the fastest. My results supported my hypothesis with the Insta-dri being the fastest. The results also showed the Sally Hansen nail polishes were faster than other polish companies.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
When blood clots, there are tiny discs-like cell fragments in the blood, called platelets, that help staunch bleeding by sticking together. Some natural substances such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, and Chinese cinnamon have natural anticoagulants in them that impair hemostasis—the body’s normal reaction to an injury—and therefore stops clotting. The objective of this experiment was to discover the effect of different natural substances on the clotting of blood. A real-world application of this experiment is that taking natural substances can reduce your risk of getting a blood clot and conditions that follow after. It is predicted that if the herbs contain enough anticoagulants, then the blood won’t clot. To test this hypothesis, three drops of blood were mixed with the soluble forms of turmeric, garlic, ginger, and Chinese cinnamon and the control groups were Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), which prevents clotting, and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), which will clot. Results were that only the Chinese cinnamon tube and the EDTA tube didn’t clot while the other three did. Some improvements for this experiment could be to increase the dosage for any of the herbs to work effectively in stopping blood clots. Challenges overcome were that at first, one blood drop was added but none of the tubes clotted so three were needed. Further research would be using different animal bloods to see if the reaction is the same. Mouse blood was used because it is most human and easiest to get.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
What we eat correlates with our risk of developing diseases. Some foods will increase disease risk, but do people know which ones to avoid? To find out, I created a survey and put a flyer in the Taylorsville Recreation Center and a cafeteria at HCI (Huntsman Cancer Institute). I got 31 responses and found that most people don't understand the correlation between diet and disease risk. With proper information people will make better choices regarding their diet.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Antibiotics are types of medicines that are utilized to kill or hinder bacteria’s growth. They are used to treat bacterial infections that need antibiotics to heal them. Antibiotics are vital to treat these infections. Without antibiotics, scientists would not have the tools to develop more treatments for different types of sicknesses and to stop the spread of bacteria. Over time and repeated exposure, bacteria can develop resistance, reducing antibiotic effectiveness. If this situation occurs, it can: 1. increase the difficulty of treating bacterial infections, 2. It can cause longer hospital stays. 3. This creates a threat to public health as infections become harder to control. This experiment aimed to discover the effect of the repeated exposure of a bacterial population to bactericidal agents. It was hypothesized that if a bacterial population is subjected to repeated exposure to a consistent concentration of an antibiotic across successive generations, then the diameter of the inhibition zone surrounding the antibiotic will progressively decrease. To test this the experimenter would prepare the nutrient agar, pour it into two Petri dishes, and then inoculate the plates with bacteria. For one plate apply the bacteria but leave it out for one so it can act as a control group, guaranteeing no other factors are affecting the results. After three trials of this, it was shown that the inhibition zone did in fact decrease over time, supporting the hypothesis.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
The experiment aimed to identify common migraine triggers in teens and assess whether lifestyle changes, such as increased water intake, could reduce migraine frequency and severity. Inspired by the researcher's mother and the prevalence of migraines among teens, the study involved 20+ participants tracking their migraines, triggers, and water intake in daily diaries.
Results showed that teens who drank more than one liter of water experienced fewer and less severe migraines. The initial average of five headaches in two weeks dropped significantly among those who increased their water intake. Challenges included low participation, which the researcher plans to address in future studies. A follow-up experiment replaced water intake with social media usage as the independent variable.
The findings support the hypothesis that proper hydration reduces migraines, as dehydration causes brain shrinkage, leading to headaches. Drinking adequate water helps rehydrate the brain, alleviating pain.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
My experiment is about how food impacts your blood glucose levels. My question for my experiment is: “How do different meals impact your blood sugar?” The reason I wanted to do this experiment is because my older sister has diabetes and I wanted to know what kind of meals impact her blood sugar the most. My hypothesis for this experiment is: “If different meals impact your blood sugar, and I measure my blood sugar levels at various times before and after eating three different types of meals -a high protein, high carbohydrate, and a balanced meal- then I predict that the high carbohydrate meal will result in the highest blood sugar levels over the longest period of time.”What you need to do for this experiment is to buy a blood glucose monitor kit that should come with a glucose monitor, glucose strips, and a lancing device. Then you will have to make the meal that you are eating before your test. The types of meals I selected for this experiment are: high protein meal [steak and egg], high carbohydrate meal [potato soup bread bowl], and a balanced meal [taco salad]. Then I will test and compare my blood sugar level three separate times for each meal type over a set period of time to determine which meal type increases my blood sugar level over the longest period of time. The results of my data show that the high carbohydrate meal spiked my blood sugar level the most and for the longest period of time.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
The question we wanted to investigate was “does eating spicy food raise your mouth’s temperature?” For our experiment we tested (ate) various levels of spicy hot sauces, foods, and chili peppers and then recorded the temperature in our mouths to see if there was an effect on the temperature.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
In July 2023, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a lifelong condition in which the body fails to produce enough insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. This diagnosis prompted me to investigate how different foods and drinks—particularly sugars—affect my blood glucose levels.
This project examines how various sugars and sugar substitutes influence blood sugar levels in individuals with diabetes. Using continuous glucose monitors, the blood sugar levels of five participants with diabetes were tracked after they consumed different sugar substitutes on separate days throughout the experiment. The study tested natural substitutes (honey, agave nectar), a plant-based sweetener (stevia), and artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin), with regular sugar as the control. Each day, the participants' blood sugar levels were measured before consuming any sugar substitutes. Their blood sugar levels were then measured again at 15, 30, 60, and 120-minute intervals after consumption, tracking how their blood sugar levels changed over time.
The results showed that aspartame caused the smallest increase in blood sugar (9.7%), followed by saccharin (16.5%) and stevia (25.9%). Honey and agave nectar caused moderate increases (29%), while regular sugar led to the highest increase (78.8%). These findings suggest that artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin have the least impact on blood sugar levels, making them potentially better choices for managing diabetes. This research provides valuable insights into sugar substitutes, helping individuals with diabetes make more informed dietary decisions.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Purpose: To study different methods to decrease perchlorate ( CIO-4) and lead (Pb) toxins in baby’s food and formulas.
Method: Random infant formulas and baby’s food were purchased and tested for perchlorate and lead using mass spectroscopy and inductively couples mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Reverse osmosis, ion exchange membranes and ion exchange resins were all investigated for potential solution. Spiked concentration of perchlorate ( 50 ppb) in water was filtered with RO and anion exchange resin. Enfamil Neuro Pro ( with highest level of Pb) was filtered with cation and anion exchange resin. All samples were retested in the same lab for comparison.
Results:. Reverse osmosis and anion exchange resin both decreased levels of perchlorate. Anion exchange resin had superior effect. Cation exchange resin was capable of removing the lead from the Enfamily Neuro Pro formula
Conclusion: Anion and cation exchange resins is a simple and economic solution for all infant formulas and food.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
I used granulated limestone (representing teeth) and different types of soda ( diet and regular versions) to see if the soda would break down the limestone. I measured the pH of each soda before starting. I then measured 50g of limestone into coffee filters, tied them closed with twine and soaked each on in the soda at room temperature for 24 hours. After 24 hours, I opened the filters and allowed them to fully dry. After they were dry, I weighed each limestone sample and subtracted what was remaining from the starting amount (50g) to determine how much limestone had been broken down. In all but one case the diet soda broke down more limestone than the regular version. The rootbeer sample was opposite in that the regular version broke down more than the diet version.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Horse flies can be very dangerous to horses and humans. Flies can carry diseases, some of them even deadly for the horse. The commercially available fly sprays only work until they dry, and some of the ingredients are harmful and can even be deadly to smaller animals found at horse barns, like cats. In my project, I placed seven natural scents through a series of tests and trials to find the most effective scents to keep flies away from horses.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
In this study I tested four different types of sun protection and their ability to block out harmful UV rays. The four types of sun protection that were used were chemical, mineral, spray and a sun shirt. This study is important because the sun’s UV rays can be harmful to people by causing cancer, premature aging and inflammation. There are some benefits to being in the sun such as vitamin D synthesis, decrease in depression and improvement of mood, because it is beneficial we need a good way to protect our skin from the harmful UV rays. In summary the four different types of sun protection were spread on a bag and then placed under a light with UV rays and then a UV detector logged the readings after the rays passed through the sun protection. It was found that the chemical sunblock and the sunshirt had zero UV rays that passed through. It is suggested that for the most protection against the harmful UV rays is to wear a sun shirt because it has low user error and it is easy to wear. In future studies it would be interesting to see this experiment using the summer natural sunlight and using different types of SPF and using a waterproof option as well.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
The purpose of this test is to discern if box breathing lowers CB after exercise. I gathered my friends and had them do 2 sets of 10 reps of 30lb bench press. Then using a heart rate (HR) sensitive blood pressure (BP) monitor I measured their biometrics. Before the second set I had them follow a box breathing pattern twice. The data I gathered showed a reversed effect of the study by Hopper et. al. (2019) with a gain in instead of a loss in CB. I believe that my test was conducted with a too small, specific, and excited group to produce accurate results.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
My science project was on heart rate recovery times. The reason I chose this project is because at my school we do the pacer test for part of the fitness test. I was wondering how people do so well on it and how I could do better on it. So, I decided to conduct an experiment. I had athletes and non-athletes run for two minutes straight and timed how long it took for their heart rate to return to its regular resting heart rate. After doing the project I found that the athletes have faster heart recovery times. This is due to the Cardiovascular system adapting to exercise. Because the athletes have their heart rate going up when they exercise during this time, the cardiovascular system is learning to recover from doing it. So the athletes have faster recovery times, due to their cardiovascular endurance.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
How do your genetics influence drug effectiveness and safety? The integration of genomics into pharmaceutical sciences has revolutionized the development and admission of drugs, which is opening up our pathway to more personalized medicine. This study mainly explores the pathways of pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Pharmacogenomics investigate how different genetic variants affect drug metabolism and response; whereas pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics provide the base for understanding drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and general interactions. Through a comprehensive analysis, my research highlights the critical role of genomic practices being standardized into pharmaceutical practices. My key findings demonstrate the impact of genetic polymorphisms like CYP450 enzymes, on drug metabolism and receptor interactions. In conclusion, my results underscore the importance of standardizing genomic studies into pharmaceutical practices; making personalized medicine more widely available and common.
Keywords: pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmaceutical
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
A human heart beats more than 2.5 billion times over an average life span. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and habits help keep a heart healthy. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that the heart rate be between 50 and 85 percent of the maximum age-appropriate heart rate while exercising. This is the target heart rate zone.
This science project will observe and measure how heart rate changes with different exercises. The objective is to determine which exercise maximizes heart rate. The method is to record the heartbeat after five different intensive exercises, review and understand the results, and draw a conclusion regarding the hypothesis.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Examination of whether ExerGames (video game exercises) could be as effective as traditional exercises.
Studies have indicated that alternative means of obtaining daily exercise, including video game-based options, can help promote greater levels of physical fitness.
Experiment tests the hypothesis that exercise using ExerGames is just as effective as comparable traditional exercise. Comparison of heart rates after 5 minutes of ExerGames to heart rates from 5 minutes of the same type of traditional exercise used to assess comparability of cardiovascular exertion (exercise effectiveness).
Popular exercise video game (Wii Fit Plus) platform used in comparison with a standard treadmill (NordicTrack C600). Heart rate measurements obtained through a heart rate monitor (Apple Watch Ultra). Calibration of pace governed via visual and audible metronome cues (Metronome iPhone App). Four human subjects evaluated.
Base heart rate obtained for each subject, and compared to peak exercise heart rates for each exercise type.
Outcome: Heart rate results from both exercise options were very similar.
Overall, the data suggest that the heart rate results (increase over baseline & percentage increase) from both types of exercise, on average, are nearly identical.
Concluded that both types of exercises have approximately the same level of effectiveness. Likely explanation is that the same basic physical movements are made in both exercises, at about the same speed and intensity.
Demonstrates that there may be options for effective cardiovascular exercise outside of what is considered traditional forms of exercise.
Merits additional experimentation to validate consistency at increased intensity levels.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
My science fair engineering project was to make a healthy chocolate bar. I decided to let 4th and 5th graders compare my chocolate bar and a store bought chocolate bar and at the end tell me which one they liked more. In my project i would compare my ingredients to the store bought candy bar to show how much healthier it is for you. my candy bar has a total or 4 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein per serving, while the store bought chocolate bar had 20 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein per serving. A reason I wanted to do this project was because with all this sugar and chemicals and even metals in these store candy bars it can be really bad for your health and can cause many things like obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease, etc. I wanted to lower the chances of that happening significantly and with my healthy chocolate bar i think it'll do just as what i hoped it to do.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
High School drug use has been reported to have been growing steadily. While many high schools offer a drug education class or program, it is not clear whether this education is effective. This project examined the impact of drug education on substance use among high schoolers by using secondary data analysis with national representative data of High School seniors (N=1274; Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 2023). I compared 2 groups of students (whether they had any drug education in the past or not) in their use of various drugs/substance in the last 30 days. I then repeated the group comparison for students with friends who used drugs, and for students that had friends who didn’t use drugs. Findings showed that drug education experiences overall were not significantly associated with substance use. However, when I separately examined students with drug-using friends and students with no drug-using friends, the impact of drug education varied across groups. From the analysis using students with no drug-using friends, there was a significant difference in substance use, depending on the experience of drug education, where drug education experiences are associated with lower frequency of drug use. For the students with drug-using friends, drug education made no change in their substance use. Results suggest that drug education may be designed as more targeted, focusing on behavior changes and social interactions, rather than as a general informational class.
MEDICINE, HEALTH SCIENCES, & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
This science fair project investigates the effects that sugar & caffeine have on the heart. The experiment was to measure blood pressure & heart rate levels on people of all ages & see the changes of numbers before & after drinking a sugary drink.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
This project investigates whether soft, lower-compression golf balls fly straighter and farther than harder, higher-compression golf balls for amateur players. The research focused on how the materials and design of golf balls influence performance, including energy transfer, aerodynamics, and spin. Using a golf simulator, data was collected on distance, launch angle, and flight consistency for both types of balls under controlled conditions.
Results showed that harder, higher-compression golf balls outperformed softer, lower-compression balls in both distance and straightness. On average, harder balls traveled about 30 yards farther and exhibited less deviation from center. These findings suggest that amateur players may benefit from using harder golf balls, regardless of skill level, due to their more consistent performance.
This study highlights the importance of golf ball design in optimizing performance and provides insights that could help players select the best equipment based on their swing speed and experience level.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
we calculate the volocity of a potato fired out of a high speed spud convyer using three different methods.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
The purpose of this project is to attempt to optimize swim speed by experimenting with the amount of drag put on the swimmer. I hypothesize that if drag has an effect on swim speed, and I swim 23 yards while wearing a swim shirt and 23 yards without, then I predict that swimming without a swim shirt will produce the fastest time. I followed several simple steps, which were going to the rec center, timing the time it took to swim a lap, and recording it. I repeated this process eight times both with a shirt and without it. Eight times specifically to gather the most data possible to make the results more reliable. The results were that the time it took to swim without a was faster than wearing a shirt by 1.1075 seconds. This is because of the cross cutting concept of cause and effect. The more drag on an object, the slower it will go. Dragging an anvil will be slower than dragging a pool noodle because it has less mass.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
Wires of different diameters have many uses in our lives ranging from charging cords to power lines because of their varying levels of resistance. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effect of wire diameter on the amount of resistance in the wire. Resistance is the opposition to the flow of electric current. The hypothesis was that, as wire diameter increases, resistance would decrease. This is because electricity has less room to travel through a thinner wire; hence, there would be more opposition to the electricity traveling through the wire. Resistance is calculated using the formula R=⍴L/A or R=4⍴L/πd^2, where ⍴ is the the wire material’s resistivity, L is the wire’s length, and d is the wire’s diameter. Hence, when wire diameter increases, resistance decreases. A circuit consisting of a bench power supply and wires of varying diameters acting as resistors was built to calculate resistance using Ohm’s Law (V=IR). The current was set to 1A (V=R). To test the hypothesis, a multimeter was used to measure the voltage on either side of the 3m long test wire across the circuit. The diameters of the wires varied from 0.812mm to 3.26mm. The hypothesis was supported, because, as wire diameter increased, the resistance in each circuit increased. The 0.812mm group had the largest average resistance (0.10781Ω), while the 3.26mm group had the lowest average resistance (0.00667Ω).
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
This experiment is about how planets start to act with black holes according to the gravitational field. The question is that if a planet and star encounter a black hole will the planet and star gravity field change. The hypothesis is that if a star with a small mass encounters a black hole then its acceleration will increase in comparison to a star with a larger mass. We do this experiment by using a gravity well, we use sec to measure this experiment. The result is about the time it took the steel ball to go to the center of the gravity well. This experiment shows how would black will affect other planets’ and other stars' gravitational field.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
The question of my project was if a tennis ball would bounce differently depending on the different temperatures it is at. My hypothesis was, If a molecules' energy is higher when it is at a higher temperature and I bounce 10 tennis balls each at different temperatures and I measure how high each of them bounce, then the tennis ball will bounce higher when it is at a higher temperature. I put some tennis balls outside, inside, inside the freezer, and heated some up and then I measured the temperature of each ball right before I bounced the ball for each of my trials. While bouncing the ball, I had my phone camera in slow motion so I could accurately see how much each ball bounced in height. I found out that a tennis ball at a higher temperature will bounce higher than a tennis ball at a lower temperature. Lastly, my claim is that a ball will bounce higher at a higher temperature.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
How does the height of water react with thermal expansion? If thermal expansion affects the volume of liquid and the temperature of the surroundings of the liquid is changed, then the height of the water in the straw will increase from higher temperatures or decrease from lower temperatures. First, pour water into a glass flask. Then, fit a rubber stopper into the flask and stick a straw into the stopper. Draw a line where the water is in the straw and fill the bowl with hot water. Then, use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water in the bowl. Place the flask into the bowl with hot water and wait for the height of the water to increase in the straw. After waiting, draw a line where the water is in the straw now. Collect data in a table with 5 trials of each temperature. Repeat with multiple temperatures of water and do the same steps but with ice for the lower temperatures. After collecting quantitative data from the experiment, it has been concluded that the hypothesis was supported. In the hypothesis it was mentioned that if thermal expansion affected the volume of water, then the height of the water in the straw would increase and when the surroundings were hot the height of the water would decrease. This is supported by the data collected from the experiment. When the temperature of the surroundings were 13C, the average amount of millimeters dropped was -31.4mm which shows that a cooler surrounding would lower the height. When the temperature of the surroundings was 36C, the average amount of millimeters risen was 35.2mm. This evidence shows that the hypothesis was supported because the height difference between the original height and the new height is quite significant.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
The purpose for this experiment is because I have always wondered why metal produces such a loud noise when it is dropped. My question was what material causes metal to produce the highest decibel level. My hypothesis was that grass would produce the lowest decibel level when metal is dropped on it. For my procedure I had someone lift the spoon over their head, and drop it on whatever material I was currently testing. Wood produced the loudest sound at 77.43 dB, and grass had the quietest sound at 51.2 dB. My hypothesis was correct, and grass did produce the lowest decibel level.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
The purpose of this experiment is to see if a
NASCAR or IndyCar is more aerodynamic. To
prepare this I built a wind tunnel using wood,
plexiglass and a fan. I also 3D printed a NASCAR
and IndyCar model to use in my experiment. The
cars were attached to the fan in the wind tunnel and
the fan was turned on. The cars moved back, and I
measured how far they moved. The amount the cars
moved back was noted. The NASCAR model moved
back ½ inch and the IndyCar model moved back ¼
inch. My data showed that the IndyCar moved less
and is therefore more aerodynamic than the
NASCAR.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
I wanted to explore and model what caused the gargantuan Lake Bonneville Flood dating to 17,400 BP. We always hear about the “Bonneville Shoreline Trail,” the 1550 meter shoreline level of ancient Lake Bonneville visible throughout the Salt Lake Valley. After the Lake Bonneville Flood the shoreline dropped to 150 meters to about 1400 meters. I thought this was caused by glacial melt resulting from the Milankovitch Cycle (planetary obliquity, eccentricity), but after downloading Earth’s obliquity and eccentricity data we found that the Lake Bonneville region was experiencing a cooling trend; so glacial melt was not the answer. After discussing and researching the cause of the Bonneville Flood with geologists, I learned that the Bear River was rerouted due to a volcanic eruption in 55,000 BP. At that time, it began pouring into Lake Bonneville. By 17,400 BP the Lake level had risen to the point that it breached the natural dam at Red Rock Pass (Idaho), washed out this alluvial section resulting in the catastrophic Lake Bonneville Flood.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
My science project was about aluminum VS composite softball bat. The question I asked was how do the qualities and materials of a bat affect the performance of it. When doing my project I found out that the composite bat hit better than the aluminum. When I was hitting with the aluminum there were a lot more vibrations going to my hand making more uncomfortable to hit. I kinda already knew that the composite bat hit batter but I wanted to see if I could disprove or prove this project. Next time I would probably make this into a two day project so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed and rush myself.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
This project,how much bounce, was an experiment about a basket ball's bounce with different air pressure. In this experiment I was trying to see how the air preasure in a ball would change the high of the bounce.I did this by getting a ball and setting its air pressure to either 6psi,7psi,8psi,9psi,or 10psi. I then put a camera down to record the experiment . Then I brought the ball up five feet then I dropped it making sure not to spin it. then I would repeat that 5 times. I then repeated that with all the psis.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
Our experiment investigate which paper airplane design would fly the furthest distance. Using a 3d printed launcher to ensure consistent takeoffs, we tests five different paper airplane designs, launching each one five times, and measuring their travel distances. Through our careful observations and data collections, we discovered that the more streamlined designs consistently flew further than the bulkier designs. The streamlined planes with their sleek shapes and pointed noses, encountered encountered less air resistance during flight, allowing them to glide through the air more efficiently. This pattern appeared consistently throughout our multiple test launches, supporting out finding that an airplanes aerodynamic design directly affects its flight distance. Our experiment demonstrated that the it comes to the paper airplane flight distance, a streamlined design is key to achieving maxim distance.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
The purpose of this experiment was to determine if differing voltage affects the pitch of a plasma arc. When the project began a Tesla coil was set up and plugged into a voltage adjustment dial. Next a microphone was set up and connected to a computer with sound software analysis. The results showed up in sound waves on the computer. Then sound waves created were analyzed placed in a graph, the voltage was the independent variable and the Average Hertz/Average Pitch was the dependent variable. The results were that as the voltage increased the Average hertz stayed constant. Until test 7 when it increased significantly. This was due to it being a resonant frequency. The prediction made was incorrect, the higher voltage did not create a higher pitch. The pitch remained constant until a resonant frequency appeared.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
Terminal Velocity is an interesting property. It’s a barrier that stops an object's acceleration. It's frequently mentioned with skydivers, but what about jumping into water, rockets splash landing, and objects traveling through water? Should they care? Does the temperature of the water matter?
We tested if the density of a medium affects terminal velocity and discovered more than intended. By dropping a small metal ball into water with different temperatures and measuring the terminal velocity with a high-speed camera, we found the liquid's density impacts the terminal velocity.
Denser (colder) water resists gravity more, while less dense (warmer) water lets the ball pass faster. Like walking through mud versus water you move differently. We were initially confused by the data, but after further investigation another factor was revealed. The lengths of bubbles which trailed the ball changed the velocity. The temperature of the water also affected the bubble formation. Results without bubbles reached terminal velocity, but surprisingly, the longer the bubble the faster the terminal velocity. Data with similar bubble lengths supported our hypothesis.
This matters beyond small metal balls in vases - scientists studying underwater vehicles, airplane design, and ocean currents can use this to understand movement through liquid densities.
Our experiment supported our hypothesis: If density of a medium is increased then terminal velocity will decrease because there is more resistance opposing the force of gravity and revealed other factors affecting terminal velocity. Who knew falling could be so complicated?
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
The leading type of cancer deaths worldwide is lung cancer, and over 85 percent of fatal lung cancer cases are NSCLC, or non-small cell lung cancer. NSCLC can be fatal due to a multitude of reasons, including its aggressive nature, low prognosis, ability to metastasize, and low treatment success. In this project, I use something I love, math, to help optimize treatment for NSCLC tumor growth. Differential equations are widely used in virtually every field today because of its usefulness in analyzing change over time, something that pertains almost perfectly to cancer. The Gompertz Model is a unique differential model used to graph biological tumor growth over time. The ability to take something so unpredictable like cancer and quantify it using math is fascinating and has tremendous real world applications. Using average patient data and researching different treatment options for NSCLC, I came up with my data analysis using the Gompertz Model. My results helped prove how to optimize treatment of NSCLC from among the available options such as chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapy as well as predict future tumor growth as well.
PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY & MATH
The angle of a Remote Control Car’s ramp for a jump is an important variable for good distance and height on the jump. The objective of this experiment is to see which ramp angle will make an RC(Remote Control) car go the furthest distance. My hypothesis was: If the ramp angle increases, then the distance the RC car’s jump will increase. I tested this by setting up a sheet of wood on 1, 2, or 3 blocks and measuring the angle. The experiment had three main angles: a low angle (11 degrees), a medium angle (25 degrees), and a high angle (40 degrees). Then I would then drive the vehicle off the ramp at full speed and measure where its landing place was. I found out that the higher the ramp angle, the shorter the jump distance. This meant that my hypothesis was incorrect. The low angle was an average distance of 13.69ft. The medium angle’s average was 13.22ft. Finally, the high angle’s distance average was 10.25ft. Therefore the best angle to jump an RC car is at 11 degrees of slant.
PLANT SCIENCES
Photosynthesis happens in the leaves of plants. The leaves contain tiny pores called “stomata” that take in carbon dioxide. This project is testing what types of plants consume carbon dioxide the fastest. My prediction for this experiment was that fruit plants, such as strawberries would consume carbon dioxide the fastest because they need energy to grow their fruit. The procedure involved taking different types of plants, (a control without a plant, chrysanthemum, strawberry, succulent, pine tree) and testing how fast the raised carbon dioxide level went down to the baseline level (around 410 ppm). The carbon dioxide level was recorded every 15 minutes. Then, the carbon dioxide levels were used to calculate the average rate of decrease of the CO2 level for each plant tested. This data was then made into graphs to show the rate of decrease of the carbon dioxide level, and then all of the average rates of decrease were put on one graph to compare the plants. After collecting data, it was seen that the strawberry and pine tree plants had the fastest rate of decrease. They were the fastest because they had the largest total surface area on their leaves. For future experiments, a larger variety of plants could be tested. This experiment can help the real world because it shows what types of plants people should start growing to make the atmosphere healthier.
PLANT SCIENCES
For my project I am testing if the amount of light affects plant growth. I set up three plants and they each have different amounts of light. One has high light, 100%, one medium 50%, and the other low light 25%. Plants require different amounts of light each stage. Light energy is used in photosynthesis, the plant’s most basic metabolic process. When determining the effect of light on plant growth there are three areas to consider: intensity, duration and quality.
A plant that gets very bright light tends to be shorter, better branches, and have longer, and darker leaves. Plants with very little light are pale yellow, green and then eventually drop off. When I watered my plants I watered them each the same amount so they each got the same amount of water.
The plants all came up at about the same time ( 2 day difference)but they all look different. For plants light is food. The energy of the light is captured by chloroplast sparing multiple metabolic reactions, one of these being creating sugars for plants. Sugars fuel plant growth, so the more light a plant is exposed to, the more energy it will create, and the faster it will grow.
PLANT SCIENCES
The purpose of my experiment is to see if different soil types affect a plant’s growth. I hypothesize that seeds planted in soil with added fertilizer or Miracle-Gro will grow faster and grow a healthier plant than regular potting soil. I used four different soils: clay, sand, loamy, and Miracle-Gro.
I chose two different plants, bush beans, and wheatgrass because these plants grow fast. Both plants called for full sun, so they were put under a grow light. I took pictures of these plants and logged data each day. I kept the plants indoors.
The two plants had different results: wheatgrass grew fastest in the Miracle Gro, while bush beans grew better in sand. The experiment didn’t support the hypothesis that plants would grow better in Miracle Gro soil.
PLANT SCIENCES
Farmers can significantly reduce their alfalfa crops to stabilize the Great Salt Lake. However, farmers use alfalfa to feed livestock. Optimizing water in alfalfa production is key to helping achieve both goals, so the intent of this experiment is to find the most efficient watering system to reduce farmers’ water consumption without reducing their yield. As such, we asked what kind of watering system delivers the most moisture most efficiently to alfalfa. In Utah, irrigation is either surface, overhead, or drip. Surface irrigation dates to ancient Mesopotamia, while overhead sprinklers were developed in the 19th century. Drip irrigation was created in 1959 by Simcha Blass. In Utah, farmers use 70% of Utah’s freshwater for irrigation, with alfalfa requiring about one inch of water weekly, significantly higher than other crops.
The most important materials needed for this project are soil, alfalfa seeds, a moisture meter, water, and pots. The experiment is conducted by observing moisture levels and their effect on seed germination. We hypothesized that drip system would out perform the other methods. Our hypothesis was incorrect as the sprinkler had the highest levels of moisture and the flood had the lowest moisture levels of the three. Next time if we were to do this project, we would do the project during the summer to make it more relevant.
PLANT SCIENCES
This experiment was done for gardeners to know what soil will help their plants grow the fastest and the freshest so it can be worth your time and money. With this experiment you can use any type of soil you prefer. When I researched soils the most common and easy one to find was loam, clay, and sandy soil. In this experiment I also used nine pots, a ruler, and two different types of seeds: fenugreek and basil. To test my experiment I would measure the pots of soil every other day, after I planted them. A problem I faced in my experiment was that I would have to equally water all my plants, which I successfully accomplished by putting the water in even spots. At the beginning of the experiment the clay and loam soil worked the most effectively. The further I got in my experiment the more the results were clearer. The loam soil is overall the most effective soil that I experimented with. When I kept observing my experiment I was surprised by the results because as clay soil it's mostly my control variable and it worked the least best around the end with my plants. My hypothesis was supported because I eventually found the results I was looking for and that was that loam soil works the best. Even though this was a very long experiment it was worth it because it will help in my future of gardening.
PLANT SCIENCES
The purpose of my project is to find the right amount of water for a basil plant. My question was “How much water does a basil plant need to thrive?” My hypothesis was “If I give the plant one cup of water every week, then it will thrive more than the rest of the plants.” I planted 3 basil seeds and gave each of them a different amount of water twice a week. The pot with the least amount of water, never germinated. The pot with the right amount of water was the most green and grew the best. The pot with too much water grew, but not very well. In conclusion, ½ cup of water, twice a week is the right amount for an indoor potted basil plant and my hypothesis was correct.
PLANT SCIENCES
Can plants change the pH level of acid rain? My hypothesis was that plants can change the pH level of acid rain. At the end of the experiment, the hypothesis was proven correct. One acidic terrarium started
with a pH of 4.0 and ended with a pH of 7.2 while the other terrarium started with a pH of 5.0 and ended with a piece of 7.0. Proving that life truly finds a way.
PLANT SCIENCES
My project has been fun. This is the question that started it all: “Will the growth rate and productivity of different types of beans in a low nitrogen environment increase if I add nitrogen-fixating bacteria to the beans, using rhizobia?” First, I had to form my hypothesis: If I increase the amount of time the bean is soaked in nitro-fixating bacteria, then I predict that the bean’s soil pH level will rise. Then, I had to form a list of procedures: (1) Gather materials; (2) Set up 8 cups with soak time benchmark labels and 1 ½ cups of soil in each cup; (3) Measure the pH of the soil with the testing strips and record the data; (4) Soak beans and take them out with a spoon at each benchmark and put each bean in their assigned cup; (5) Cover each bean with another ½ cup of soil and add a ¼ cup of water to each cup. For the next 2 weeks, water each plant ¼ cup of water every day. After 2 weeks, test the bean’s soil and record the pH for each sample. Lastly, repeat this process for 2 more trials. When I finished my experiment, the results showed that as the soak time benchmark increased, the level of pH increased in a positive way by about 1.8 for the highest time soaked bean. I am happy with the results of my project.
PLANT SCIENCES
I explored whether growing basil plants in soil vs. hydroponic conditions resulted in better plant growth. My questions included: How does the way you grow plants affect them? How do hydroponic growing techniques compare to soil growing techniques? and How does the water and what is in the water affect the plants? I hypothesized that the hydroponic grown plants that received nutrient rich water would grow better than the plants that did not. I also thought that because they were growing in smaller space, the plants growing hydroponically would grow better than the soil-grown plants. The results showed that the basil plants that grew in the soil grew taller and bigger overall. The basil plants in the soil grew larger leaves and were taller than the basil plants growing hydroponically. In looking at the hydroponic-grown plants, the plants that received nutrient water grew better and larger than the plants that received plain water. Some plants grow better in soil than hydroponically. When good soil is available this may be preferred for growing certain crops. It would be important to research about which crops grow better in soil and which crops grow better hydroponically. Growing plants hydroponically could be a good option when there is not good soil available. When growing plants hydroponically it is essential to add nutrients to the water and monitor the water quality. Aquaponic gardening where plants are growing and fish are in the water providing fertilizer and nutrients to the water could be a good setup.
PLANT SCIENCES
This project asks, does music help plants grow, and if so, which genre? The hypothesis is, music will help plants grow and classical will help the plants grow the most, this is stated because frequencies have the tendency to help plants grow and more soothing frequencies, which are experienced while playing classical music, might help the plants grow more.
In this experiment, four summer night pothos plants received the same light and water. Their height and width were recorded daily in a spreadsheet. Plant 2 was exposed to classical music in a separate room while Plant 1 received no music, but equal light. After an hour Plants 1 and 2 swapped with Plant 3, and then Plant 3 with Plant 4, before they all were returned to a windowsill. This procedure was repeated daily.
The results of this experiment were clear, music does help plants grow and classical music, Plant 2, helps the plants grow the most. Plant 2 grew from 35.5 cm to 39.5 cm (at times exceeding 40 cm), a 4 cm increase. Plant 3 grew the second most, (from 33 cm to 37 cm; also a growth of 4 cm). In conclusion, we learned three things from the experiment: one, Music does help plants grow with Classical being most effective, second, Plants don't just grow in one direction, they can grow in width and height, and third, A lot of work goes into an experiment with a plant, consistent plant care is essential for plant experiments.
PLANT SCIENCES
My science experiment aims to see what other materials can be substitutes for soil and make plants grow as if they were in soil or better. Do plants grow better with soil or with an alternative? I hypothesize that if I put coconut coir instead of soil, my plant will grow more. I will be doing my project by cutting bottles and putting soil in one and coconut coir in the other after I’ll put seeds in them. After observing their growth I will measure the plants and decide if the plants in soil or coconut coir grew more. After 4 weeks of letting the plants grow, I measured the plants in millimeters and the results of the average growth turned out to be that after letting them grow, the plants in the coconut coir grew more compared to the regular soil ones. My hypothesis was supported by the results. I hypothesized that if I put coconut coir instead of soil, my plant would grow more. My hypothesis was supported by data which shows the coconut coir had a slow start (2.25 mm) compared to the soil (4 mm) and then the plants growing in the coconut coir started growing faster (16.25 mm) compared to the ones in the soil (14.5 mm). By the end of the experiment, the plants that grew in the coconut coir were bigger than the ones in the soil.
PLANT SCIENCES
Have you ever wondered what plants crave? Would the electrolytes and sugars in sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade give tomato plants a boost over regular tap water? My science fair project attempts to answer the question “What effect does watering tomato plants with Gatorade and Powerade have on their growth?”
PLANT SCIENCES
The purpose of this experiment is to find out if talking to plants really does help them grow. I placed three spider plants in glass jars with water together in the same place. I read “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost to Plant 1 every day, to Plant 2 every third day, and to Plant 3 not at all (when I read to a plant, I picked it up away from the others to do so). I tagged one leaf on each plant and measured those leaves three times, 9 days apart. I measured not the height, but the growth from the last measurement. Plant 1 grew the most at an average of 5/6 cm over 9 days, 2.5 cm in total. Plant 3 only grew 1 cm. The data showed that speech helped the plants grow. More variations of the experiment are needed for further, steadier information, but the results of this experiment conclude that talking to a plant significantly supports its growth.
PLANT SCIENCES
Could moss survive in different climates so that it could be a viable replacement for grass because most of the water in Utah is used on grass.
PLANT SCIENCES
Our project tested growing spider plants in different types of water ( tap, rain, color, salt, dirty, and mineral) without soil, using hydroponic techniques to see which one works best. Hydroponics could help people grow food when the soil is damaged or toxic.
PLANT SCIENCES
Roses are traditionally placed in tap water but I want to know if you put roses in a different type of water, will that affect its growth and health?
Roses are commonly placed in tap water to extend their life. Tap water composition varies geographically. The objective of this study is to determine what water type and pH level will promote the best looking rose.
Seven roses were placed in seven glass vases each containing a different type of water. The water types used were: alkaline, tap, distilled, purified, spring, salt and carbonated. Rose health was recorded based upon color, growth, and flimsiness/droopiness. pH levels were measured daily starting from Day 1 to Day 7.
In conclusion, From day 1 to day 7 tap water had the best appearances and the highest pH level of 7.9. As for salt water had the worst appearances and the lowest pH level of 6.2.
PLANT SCIENCES
My project is called Cheatgrass Effects on Soil Conditions and I was exploring in the west desert with my dad and we were wondering what the golden grass out there was. It turned out to be Cheatgrass, an invasive species that was seriously threatening to native plants. So, my question was how does Cheatgrass affect soil conditions in areas with different concentrations of it. Every week for eight weeks, I went to the west desert and took soil conditions and other observations. My data showed that areas with more native plants had better pH levels and higher moisture content therefore showing that areas with less amounts of Cheatgrass had better soil conditions.
PLANT SCIENCES
The experiment analyses sunlights effect on mushroom growth.
PLANT SCIENCES
A buffer is a chemical agent that helps keep the pH of a solution constant even when acids or bases are added. An example of some natural buffering agents that participate in alkalosis are bicarbonates (the intermediate form in deprotonation of a carbonic acid) like sodium bicarbonate, and calcium carbonates (inorganic salt used as an antacid) like eggshells. The objective of this experiment was to discover the effect of different natural pH buffering agents on the pH levels of acidic soil and subsequent plant germination. It was hypothesizes that if the different natural pH buffering agents are applied to acidic soil, then the pH of the soil will increase and subsequent plant germination rate will ameliorate, since the natural buffering agents would help level the acidic soil to a more alkaline level, resulting in a faster germination rate and an increase of pH levels in the soil. By mixing vinegar with the potting soil, acidic soil was used to conduct this experiment. The natural buffering agents were added and watered once every week; meanwhile, the experimenter would measure the height of the plants, and at the end of the experiment, the pH levels of the soil would be recorded. As expected, one natural buffering increased the plant’s height and pH levels, the eggshells. This experiment could be applicable into the real world, allowing farmers to grow crops faster by using different natural buffering agents to help soil in different circumstances. Overall, based on the results my hypothesis was partially supported.
PLANT SCIENCES
The world’s agricultural systems are under siege. Climate change has unleashed prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, and soaring temperatures, leaving vast stretches of farmland barren and unproductive. Soil, the very foundation of farming, is degrading at an alarming rate, while water—a precious lifeline for crops—is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity as the frequency and duration of droughts have increased by 29% since the year 2000. Climate change is threatening global food security, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where farming has always depended on resourcefulness. Innovative agricultural solutions are urgently needed to ensure sustainable agriculture production in the future.
Amid these challenges lies an intriguing opportunity: siliceous sand, often dismissed as infertile and barren. Found in deserts and coastal regions, this quartz-rich sand is plentiful where traditional soils are scarce. Yet, its poor water-holding capacity and lack of nutrients make it incapable of supporting plant life on its own. Transforming siliceous sand into a fertile medium for crop growth could unlock new frontiers in agriculture, particularly for regions plagued by soil degradation and desertification. This experiment investigates the effects of advanced soil amendments—phyllosilicates, biochar, humic compost, and hydrogels—on the physicochemical properties of siliceous sand under drought conditions. Three experimental groups with varying amendment ratios were used to assess their impact on soil aggregation, water retention, and hydraulic conductivity. The objective of the experiment was to alter the pedological properties of sand by modifying its physicochemical characteristics, including nutrient retention, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and organic matter content.
PLANT SCIENCES
This project investigates the effect of acid rain on plant growth using green onion plants. The experiment compared a control plant (water only) with two plants exposed to varying levels of acid (2 and 4 drops daily). Growth measurements showed a negative correlation between acid exposure and plant height, demonstrating the detrimental impact of acid rain on plant growth.