The goal of this experiment is to determine how surface roughness affects a snail's average speed. This project works well for busy families because the list of materials needed is small and the entire project can be completed in one day. Buy a handful of snails at a local pet store store and gather several items with different textures, such as a leaf, wax paper, sandpaper and a piece of wood. Set a snail at one end of an object and once the snail starts to move, use a timer to see how long it takes the snail to get to the other end. Calculate average snail speed for each surface and then complete the same trials with wet surfaces and compare the results.
Do different concentrations of salt and sugar solutions affect water evaporation rate? This question can be answered by mixing different concentrations of salt and sugar with pure water. Pour each solution in a clear glass, mark the water level with a permanent marker and place all of the glasses together in a well-ventilated place. Check the water levels daily and record the amount of evaporation. The experiment is done once one of the glasses is empty. It is important to have one glass full of plain water so the comparison between salt and sugar solutions can be made.
Calcium propionate is a food preservative found in bread that inhibits the growth of mold. Breads are made with different kinds of flour, so an experiment could be conducted to find out what effect the type of flour has on the ability of calcium propionate to inhibit bread mold. Use white bread as a control and cut other pieces of bread into equal pieces. Examples include wheat bread, rye bread and cornbread. Place a wet paper towel in a plastic sandwich bag with each type of bread and check the pieces every day. If the type of flour affects calcium propionate, certain pieces should mold faster or grow more mold than the others.
The goal of this experiment is to determine if certain stain removers are more effective than others. A different variation could be to determine if a stain remover works better on a certain type of fabric. This experiment is relatively inexpensive since most of the materials needed can be found in your closet and refrigerator. Find old clothes in different fabrics and collect an assortment of condiments, food and art supplies. Make duplicate stains on each piece of fabric, allow them to sit for a day and then apply the different stain removers. Wash the items without detergent to determine if one stain remover is more effective than the others.