A model displays a large scientific phenomenon on a small scale.
Science projects are typically open-ended. However, if you wish to enter your project in a science fair and receive an award, you should follow one of the basic science project skeleton ideas. These skeleton ideas will give you the guidelines that can help you create an award-winning science project. There are four types of suitable science projects: experiment, investigation, model and collection.
Experiment
An experiment as a science project starts with a question about the relationship of two variables. The variable that you are primarily interested in is called the dependent variable. The dependent variable relies on the independent variable, the variable that you have the freedom to change. An experiment investigates how changing the independent variable affects the dependent variable. An example of an experiment science project is answering the question "How does temperature affect the amount of bubbles in cola?" by varying the temperature of cola cans, then opening them and measuring the amount of bubbles. In the end, you should find a relationship between temperature and the amount of bubbles in the cola.
Investigation
An investigation requires you to do research, but without having to create an experiment. You start by asking a question that you believe you can find the answer through reading books, watching documentaries and performing interviews. For example, perhaps you are wondering how a student's algebra grade affects her future choices of math courses. You could answer this question by interviewing teachers and students who have taken algebra. You then present your results through a report or visual aids.
Model
A model is a display or representation of something scientifically interesting. This type of project should also answer a question, but the model answers a question by showing instead of explaining. A common model science fair project is a model volcano. The model is displayed so that viewers can see on a small scale how volcanoes erupt. Since the volcano model is well-known, if your goal is to create an award-winning project, you will need to think creatively about what novel ideas you can present to people.
Collection
Collections are also means of answering scientific questions. If your question is about differences or similarities, you may consider using a collection to complete your project. The idea of a collection is to represent a variety of items from a specific topic. For example, you may be interested in the hearts of animals. By collecting their hearts and displaying them, you can show viewers the similarities and differences of animal hearts, thereby answering questions such as, "Do all hearts have two ventricles"" and "How do the aortas of different animals differ?"
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