Category Archives: Science fair ideas

UFOs and IFOs by Gardner Soule

UFOsAndIFOsI recall checking out the book shown here, UFOs and IFOs: A Factual Report on Flying Saucers, by Gardner Soule, from the library in my elementary school. Looking at the reviews on Amazon, it looks like this particular tome made its way into a lot of elementary school libraries. In any event, it was a scholarly look at the UFO phenomenon, and since it was presumably vetted by the school librarian, it must have been real science.

The author was a fairly prolific writer about topics that we might today call the paranormal. He specialized in cryptozoology, and according to Wikipedia, his most famous work was Maybe Monsters.  (But in my opinion, UFOs and IFOs was the most popular.)  He specialized in books for young readers, and his works appeared in Boys’ Life and Popular Science.

The main thing I remember from this book, though, was his advice as to preparing for encountering a UFO. If you happened to be in a position to observe a UFO, then it was more or less an obligation that you would use the opportunity to gather data for use by the scientific community. I believe that one item he recommended that you carry with you at all times was a small compass, so that you could report back to the scientists any magnetic activity from the UFO. But the specific recommendation that I remember was that you carry with you at all times a diffraction grating. Armed with this, you would be able to determine the spectrum of light from the craft. Scientists would then be able to use this information to ascertain the materials used in the craft.

I forget whether I took to carrying a compass with me, but I never did figure out how to get my hands on a diffraction grating for my everyday carry. Thankfully, kids (and adults) today have Amazon, and you can get everything at Amazon, including diffraction gratings.

If you see a UFO, and don’t have a diffraction grating in your pocket, you’re going to feel embarrassed, especially since we gave you this reminder. The scientists won’t be happy. Therefore, we recommend that you order one immediately:



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after using the link.

1973 National Scout Jamboree Arts & Sciences Competition

1973MarBLI remember seeing this notice (or possibly one like it from another source) fifty years ago in the March 1973 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

As an aspiring scientist and Tenderfoot Scout, I was, of course interested in this opportunity to showcase my scientific knowledge before a national audience. The quadrennial National Scout Jamboree was to take place that year, and I was going. Normally, mere 12-year-old Tenderfoots did not participate in this event, but 1973 was an exception. That year, the Jamboree was being held at two separate locations, in Pennsylvania and Idaho. 1973 was the only year it was split that way. And 1973 also had the distinction of being open to regular troops. Normally, individual scouts sign up and are assigned to a provisional Jamboree troop. But in 1973 the BSA made the good decision, never repeated unfortunately, to open it up to all scouts to attend along with their normal troop and leaders. (Among the other events was the “wide game”, about which I’ve previously written.)

By March of that year, we were already signed up, and this announcement showed another opportunity.  The Jamboree was to host an “Arts and Sciences” competition–a science fair combined with an art exposition.  I don’t even remember the art part of the event, but I did sign up right away for the science fair.  My exhibit was Atomic Energy, and I cobbled together a few interesting objects to put on display on my assigned 2-1/2 by 4 foot table.  I remember borrowing a Geiger counter from the county civil defense department, and I had an illustrated brochure from the Monticello nuclear power plant.  It was set up in a tent somewhere on the Jamboree grounds.  After setting it up, I did visit a couple of times, although there wasn’t a lot of traffic.

I didn’t come home with a blue ribbon, but I did earn a red ribbon.  In retrospect, it was probably a participation trophy, but it’s still a prized possession.  Interestingly, this was before I got my ham license, and I never did run into KJ7BSA, the Jamboree’s special event station.



Science Fair Ideas: Fun With a Homemade Galvanometer

1942DecPS4Eighty years ago, there was a war going on, but that didn’t stop young scientists on the home front from conducting experiments with the items available. If Junior’s science fair project is due tomorrow, he can take a cue, and whip together a great project from these ideas in the December 1942 issue of Popular Science.

Both experiments involve a galvanometer, and the magazine presupposes that young scientists know how to make one, because the instructions merely state to use “your homemade galvanometer.” But in case Junior doesn’t know, it’s easy enough. You just take a compass (a toy one from the dollar store will work just fine) and wrap a few turns of wire around it. The smallest of electric currents will cause the compass to move.  If there’s a little extra time before the science fair, we’ve previously shown how to make a deluxe galvanometer.

In the first experiment, shown above, Junior can demonstrate that water, contrary to popular opinion, is an insulator. It’s only when a little bit of salt is added to the water that it starts to conduct electricity, and the compass moves. To accentuate the effect, we recommend starting with distilled water.  And don’t worry about not being able to find the old-fashioned dry cell batteries.  These experiments will work just as well with modern alkaline D cells, especially if you purchase battery holders for them.

The second experiment, shown below, shows how to make a thermocouple. Two pieces of wire–copper and iron (or steel)–are twisted together. When the twisted wires are put into a flame of a candle, the dissimilar metals produce an electric current, as shown by a movement of the compass.  And as we always remind parents about experiments involving flames, don’t forget to give Junior a box of matches!

As with many of our projects, Junior is almost guaranteed to take home the blue ribbon, and the teacher won’t have a clue that the project was put off until the last minute.

1942DecPS3



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after using the link.

1937 Disco Ball

1937DecPSWhat we know as the “disco ball” has a long heritage, as shown by this depiction 85 years ago in the December 1937 issue of Popular Science. The magazine featured a number of ideas on what to do with a broken mirror, and assured readers that it needn’t signify seven years of bad luck.

1937DecPS2The magazine noted that one use was to provide spectacular color effects for parties and dances. This was done by focusing colored spotlights on a mirror-covered globe. This was made by cementing small squares of mirror on a large ball or toy globe. This was attached to a spindle which could be spun by hand or with a small geared-down motor.

According to Wikipedia, what is now known as the disco ball dates back to 1917.

If you have a piece of mirror left over after making your disco ball, you can mystify your friends with the magic trick shown below:

1937DecPS3



Science Fair Ideas: 1937 Electric Motor

OnPaste.20221114-100337If Junior wants to impress the judges at the science fair with attention to detail, skill with hand tools, and a generally spectacular project, then this 1985 project is sure to fit the bill. It’s a small electric motor, capable of providing some motive power to other projects.

The diagram shows old-fashioned dry cells, but modern alkaline D cells will work just as well, especially if you get battery holders to keep them in place.

The November 1937 issue of Popular Science shows the complete blueprints for the motor, but without too many verbose instructions. So as long as Junior can read a set a blueprints, the blue ribbon is pretty much assured.

Screenshot 2022-11-14 10.17.35 AM

 



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a puchase after using the link.

Science Fair Idea: Gravity Furnace

1942NovPSIf Junior is looking for a spectacular science fair project, they can’t go wrong with this project from 80 years ago, from the November 1942 issue of Popular Science.

Octopus furnace. Wikipedia image.

Octopus furnace. Wikipedia image.

It demonstrates how an old-fashioned “gravity” furnace works.  These are often affectionately known as an octopus furnace, since they had tentacles going from the furnace to each room. As shown clearly by this experiment, the air in the furnace heats up and rises. Then, when it gets to the room, it cools and returns through the lower set of pipes.

Such furnaces are out of favor, and I doubt if they are still manufactured. But there’s really nothing that can go wrong, so they still exist in some older houses. They are not as efficient as modern furnaces, but they have some advantages. Unless some electronic controls have been retrofitted, they don’t require any electricity to operate. In the event of a winter power outage (see our earlier post for more thoughts), modern furnaces would be useless, even if they burn gas or oil, since they need electric power to run the blower. But the old gravity furnace will keep the house toasty warm, even with no electricity. Back in the day, the homeowner would shovel coal to keep it going, although most were converted to gas or oil.

To put the experiment together, in addition to the items found around the house, Junior might need to purchase the following items. You can find them locally, but as with everything, you can also find them on Amazon, at the links below:

As with many of our science fair projects, don’t forget to give Junior a box of matches!

 



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after using the link.

1937 Precision Sundial

1937OctPSaIf Junior decides to make a sundial for the Science Fair project, he or she could just order a kit from Amazon, slap it together, and hope for the best, undoubtedly a participation ribbon.

But if they have some basic mechanical aptitude, they can’t go wrong by putting together the advanced model shown here, from the October 1937 issue of Popular Science. This sundial will be able to read the correct time to within about a minute. It’s a bit more complicated to operate, but it’s quite easy once you get the hang of it.

The dial is fixed in place, with the axis pointed at the North Star. This means that the dial is mounted at an angle the same as your latitude, pointing due north. To read the time, you move the upper part of the dial so that the pointer P is casting a shadow on the figure-8 (known as the analemma.)

Once that shadow is positioned, then the time is read directly from the pointer T, which is pointing at the time. The article explains how to calibrate the dial, which has markings every five minutes. With these, you should be able to interpolate the time to within one minute. As an added bonus, the shadow on the analemma shows the approximate date.

Parts are all readily available.  The dial itself is a cake pan.



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after following the link.

Science Fair Idea: More Conductive Flames

1937OctPSWe’ve previously shown a science fair project showing that a flame conducts electricity.  (And if you follow that link, you’ll see links to even more spectacular projects involving electricity and flames.)  But the one shown above, from Popular Science, October 1937, is even simpler.  Junior will undoubtedly amaze the teacher with the simple elegance, and very little preparation is needed.

Because the area around the open flame is conductive, the two strips of paper will quickly discharge in its presence.  But when the experiment is repeated with a screen between the paper and the flame, there will be no effect.

All you need is a candle, a couple scraps of paper, and an old piece of screen.  And, of course, don’t forget to give your young pyromaniac a box of matches.



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after following the link.

Science Fair Idea: Lens Made of Air

1937AprPS1For the student looking for a simple science fair project that will mystify the teacher, you’ve come to the right place. When the teacher asks what scientific question(s) your project will demonstrate, you can propose the following:

Is it possible to construct a convex lens that will have a magnification factor of less than one? Is it possible to construct a concave lens that will have a magnification factor of more than one?

ConvexConcaveTo put it another way, a convex lens (such as the one on the left) makes things look bigger, and a concave lens (shown on the right) makes things look smaller. But your simple experiment will show that it’s possible to make a convex lens that makes things look smaller, and a concave lens that makes them look smaller.

A lens is usually made out of a substance such as glass, which is denser than air. This means that light waves travel more slowly through the lens. But there’s no reason why you have to use glass and air. In your case, you will use air for the lens, and water instead of the air. This means that the speed of light is faster through the lens, rather than slower, as we usually think of lenses.

The layout for the lens is quite simple, as you can see from the illustrations. You need a small1937AprPS3 can, covered on each side with a piece of cellophane. Any type of clear flexible plastic should work fine. The easiest option is probably cling wrap. You’ll need to cut a hole in the side of the can, and insert a flexible rubber or plastic tube. The connection needs to be air tight. There are probably other ways to make the connection, but the easiest would probably be to use a small brass tube, and solder it to the can.  (You’ll need a soldering iron, which probably costs a lot less than you would expect.)  Slide the plastic tube over the brass, and make sure the connection is water tight.  The construction details are shown at the right.

1937AprPS2If you blow into the tube, as shown in the illustration above, then the can becomes a convex lens, made out of air. And if you suck air out of the tube, as shown at the left, it becomes a concave lens. Place it in a container of water, and you can watch how a black stripe at the bottom of the container is magnified or made smaller, but the opposite of how it would work with a glass lens in air.

Your teacher will have to concede that there’s nothing in the definition of “lens” that requires it to be made out of glass. He or she will have little choice but to award you the blue ribbon for answering your questions in the affirmative.

The project appeared 85 years ago this month in the April 1937 issue of Popular Science.



Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking the link.

Science Fair Idea: Re-orienting Your Globe

1972MarEE

Fifty years ago this month, the March 1972 issue of Elementary Electronics showed this idea to improve the utility of the globe in your radio room. Normally, the globe is mounted so that it spins just like the Earth–along its axis. But you’re not required to spin the globe, and it becomes more useful if you orient it so that it can turn along an axis through your location and your antipode–the point furthest away from you.  If you’re in North America, that would be somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

The advantage of doing this is that it quickly lets you see the direction and distance to any other point.  The thing holding the globe in place (known as the semi-meridian) is usually marked in degrees.  But you can tape a scale in miles to it, and if you rotate any point on the globe toward that line, you’ll instantly see the number of miles.

All you need to do is remove the globe from its mounting, which is usually just a matter of slipping it out.  You then drill a new hole at your location and at the opposite side, and remount it.

The student desiring to bring home the blue ribbon at the science fair will quickly realize that this simple project will answer the question of “how to convert a globe into a distance measuring instrument.”



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking the link.