Shopping for project ideas: here's how to turn anything that interests you into a science project. Plus 20 sports-science experiments you can do right now! - design an experiment - Special Issue: Science Project Success Guide

Science World, Sept 20, 1996 by Chana Freiman Stiefel

Are you still stuck in the dugout when it comes to finding a science-project idea? Then here's some help to get you into the game! Just head for the SportsScience Megastore - where experiment ideas are flying off the shelves. Our salespeople can give you the "mental equipment" to come up with a home-run science project of your very own.

In any sporting-goods store you'll find shelves and shelves of gear that can be turned into a science project: sneakers, footballs, bathing caps, baseball bats, goggles, helmets, skateboards, sports drinks, racquets. . . . See anything that interests you? That's the first step: Always research something you like. That way, doing the experiment will be more fun. And choose materials (the stuff you need to do your experiment) you can afford (e.g., sweat socks, not snowmobiles).

Say you're an active athlete and you love to wear sweatbands (just humor us). As you head for the characteristics of those elastic bands. These characteristics are variables, things you might want to experiment with. For example, sweatbands, colors, thickness, and sizes. They get stretched out, moist and smelly. They contain different materials like cotton, polyester, Lycra, and nylon.

Jot down a "lineup" of as many variables as you can think of. Then pick two variables for your experiment: The first variable should be one you can change (e.g., sweatband material).

That's your independent or manipulated variable - the one you change on purpose. The second variable you pick should be one you can measure (e.g., absorbency) to see if it changes as you manipulate the independent variable is called your dependent or responding variable.

ANY QUESTIONS?

With a little strategy, you can turn your two variables into a research question, a question that asks about the effect of the independent variable (sweatband material) on the dependent variable (absorbency). So here's your first science-project idea: 1. What is the effect of sweat-band material on absorbing sweat? In other words, does one material absorb more sweat (or other moisture, like water) than the others?

The next step: Come up with a hypothesis, or guess, about what you think the answer will be. For example: "Cotton sweatbands will be more absorbent than any other kind." Then design an experiment to find out if you're right (see p. 10).

Of course, there are other variables that might affect absorvency - like sweat-band shape, size, the amount of moisture you apply, and the time you allow for each sweatband to absorb moisture. So when you start experimenting, be sure to keep these other variables unchanged, or constant. If you don't, you won't be comparing the sweat-bands under identical conditions and your experiment results will be meaningless.

Now that you're geared up with all this science-project information and equipment, you're ready to hit the field with an experiment of your very own. Remember, we're always warmed up and eager to help at the SportsScience Megastore. You really don't have to thank us. . . . It's no sweat!