Science Fair Topic Ideas in Electricity & Electronics

Static Electricity Science Fair Ideas

Static electricity is something everyone encounters in daily life. Some of the possible experiments include explaining what causes a static shock (as when touching a doorknob after walking in socks on carpet) or proving that arubbing a balloon on your headcan replicate that shock.

Apply the charged comb to a neutral (non-charged) item and see what happens.

The concepts of objects being charged will translate in future years to understanding electrical concepts within the human body. You should also discuss how static electricity can affect sensitive circuits and how they can be protected by using a ground wire.

Circuits and Circuit Board Science Projects

Whether he’s explaining the basics of electricity, discoveringwhat a simple circuit is,building his own simple circuit, or exploring different circuits using a Snap Circuits kit, there are plenty of possibilities for exploration in this area. The future electrician could get the parts to build his own circuit board and demonstrate how circuits conduct electricity.

Electromagnet Science Fair Experiments

Electromagnets are a great science fair topic. Kids love to make non-magnetic objects become magnetic. In researching the concept, your child could do a presentation on Professor Hans Christian Oersted. He could recreate the professor's discovery of electromagnetic fields or evenbuild his own electromagnet, with simple supplies: a battery, a nail, and some conductive wire. This is one of the easier do-it-yourself projects that kids can really get into. However, you will need to supervise your child for safety when they are using the battery and wire.

This experiment can also explain why magnets and devices that produce an electromagnetic field are not allowed around sensitive medical devices.

Conductivity Science Fair Projects

The interesting thing about electricity and electronics is that none of the electronics would work if the electricity wasn’t able to flow to power them. But what conducts electricity? This question is a great one for your child to create an experiment to answer.

A very fun way to demonstrate conductivity involves lemons. Since acidic fruits make ions or charged particles, they can act as batteries. An experiment testing which fruit best conducts electricity is a perennial favorite. The concept of conductivity will apply to electrical circuits in the human body as well as in devices.

因为这个实验涉及到electricit流动y and use of a knife to cut the fruit, you should supervise your child when she is building and practicing the experiment.