Recommended for high school students! A collection of easy one-day science project ideas
High school students who are struggling to choose a topic for their summer vacation independent research project, this is for you.
If you’re looking for an easy project—like “an experiment that can be done in a short time” or “a research project that looks impressive”—good news! This article introduces independent research ideas packed with the fun of science, focusing on experiments and hands-on builds.
From steam engines to planetariums, these are all projects that will make viewers exclaim, “Wow!” And surprisingly, many are easier to tackle than you’d think.
Find a wonderful project that will become a lasting summer memory!
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Recommended for high school students! A collection of simple one-day science project ideas (31–40)
Make carryable water
Did you know you can hold water? Mix sodium alginate into water thoroughly.
Then just drop that water into a calcium lactate solution.
That’s all it takes to make “edible” spheres of water you can hold.
It’s a fun experiment with a jiggly appearance.
Why does this “holdable water” form? It would be great to write a report explaining the mechanism.
Recommended for students who enjoy science experiments.
Static electricity experiment
Speaking of static electricity, it’s that sharp little zap you get in winter, but you may also remember creating static in elementary school by rubbing a plastic sheet on your hair or rubbing a straw with a tissue.
When you do that, your hair sticks to the sheet, or the tissue sticks to the straw, right? You might not have understood how it worked back then, but as a high school student, you should be able to grasp and explain the mechanism clearly.
Try summarizing it in your notebook, and then actually rub various materials together to compare how static electricity occurs and organize the differences you observe.
Make insect repellent spray
Summer is the season of bugs like mosquitoes.
They’re a concern when you go to the sea, the mountains, or the river, right? So how about making your own insect repellent spray? All you have to do is mix suitable amounts of peppermint oil, purified water, and rubbing alcohol.
It’s very simple.
Try it yourself to see how effective it is, then write up a report and submit it.
It might be even better to test it with several people so you can collect some statistics!
elephant toothpaste
Let’s make elephant’s toothpaste using potassium iodide, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and food coloring! That said, we’re not actually making a special toothpaste for elephants.
That’s just what we call the chemical reaction caused by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
Be careful when handling hydrogen peroxide, as it can cause burns.
You’ll be amazed at how much change you can see with just a small amount of chemicals!
Snow globe making
When you move a bottle filled with liquid, it looks just like snowfall.
How about making a snow globe using materials you can get at a budget-friendly 100-yen shop? The steps are all simple, so it won’t take much time.
How cute you can make it look is where your skills really shine.
With that in mind, you’ll want to be particular about what you put inside the jar.
Recommended for high school students! A collection of easy one-day independent research ideas (41–50)
Primary colors of light
When it comes to the three primary colors of pigments, we have cyan, magenta, and yellow—essentially blue, red, and yellow—but for light, the three primaries are red, green, and blue.
When you mix all the pigment primaries, you get black, whereas mixing all the light primaries yields white! It’s quite mysterious… Let’s try experimenting with glowing liquids.
There must be a reason why mixing equal amounts of the three primary-color liquids of light doesn’t produce white.
Let’s analyze the experimental results and summarize why this happens! It seems there are experiment kits available, so it should be easy to try.
Making cotton ball lights
Make a ball by hardening cotton thread and put a light inside… that’s all it takes to complete a cotton ball light.
You can get all the materials at a 100-yen shop, so it’s easy and budget-friendly! Once you’ve turned it in as your homework project, you can use it as room decor—two birds with one stone.
You can keep it simple, or use small accessories to decorate it cutely.
It’s a great independent research idea, especially recommended for girls.