Research sounds so technical, but it isn’t. It is just a term used for finding out about stuff.
Research often starts with an observation.
For example, after biting into an apple, you notice that the exposed surface starts to turn brown.
Being a curious person, you wonder why and begin to search for the answer by reading as well as asking people who might know.
Facts and Questions
Facts you might find about the browning of the surface of a cut apple include:
1. Color changes are often a clue that a chemical change has occurred.
Question: How could slicing or biting into an apple cause a chemical change?
2. When an apple is sliced the part not covered by the peel is exposed to air. Air contains oxygen. Oxidation is the name of the chemical reaction when something combines with oxygen.
Question: Is there a chemical reaction between the chemicals in the apple and oxygen?
In other words, does oxidation cause the apple to turn brown?
3. Recipes for fresh fruit salad suggest that lemon juice be squeezed on the salad to keep the fruit from browning. The sour taste of a lemon is because this fruit contains citric acid.
Questions: Does citric acid prevent the browning?
These facts and questions are just examples for researching a topic you might want to develop into a science fair project.
Tips for designing a science project
