- Science Fair Projects
- Grade
- Topic
- Supplies
- All Science Fair Projects
Turn Up The Heat: Comparing the Flammability of Residential Siding Materials
Ever wonder about the fire rating of housing materials? After a wildfire nearly devastated her neighborhood, California junior-high school student, Avery Hunker, got to thinking about the various products that had been used to construct her how and how they would have fared against the blaze - specifically how the old cedar shingles on the front of her home might have compared to other siding choices. With the help of her parents, she devised an experiment to test the flammability of common residential siding materials; cedar shingles {both new and aged samples}, composite siding, stucco siding, and pine siding.
A few suggestions...
- Be sure to include the most common siding choices in your neighborhood or community {if they differ from Avery's selections}.
- Avery came to some interesting conclusions in testing both a new and aged sample of cedar shingles. To extend the project, you might consider collecting samples of each shingle type in varying stages of wear, comparing tests between samples at each benchmark - i.e. new, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, etc.
- Be sure to compare the performance of each siding sample to their published fire rating.
- If you have an interest in another type of material or want your project to be a bit more original, test the performance of a different building material!
Be sure to follow the link to Avery's project summary for inspiration in completing your own flammability tests!
Related Blog Posts
View MoreAre All Sugars The Same?
Ever wonder if table sugar is the same as sugars found in honey, fruits, etc? For middle school ...
Read MoreKeeping Drinks Hot
Whether you're a coffee, tea, or cocoa drinker, if you plan to enjoy a hot beverage, chances are ...
Read MoreRecycled Water - Does It Effect Plant Growth?
For students interested in botany, ecology, and recycling, this science fair project that studies...
Read MoreExploring the Preservative Qualities of Various...
For middle school students interested in microbiology, this is sure to be a great science fair p...
Read MoreAll That Glows - Exploring Fluorescence
Photo Source: howstuffworks.com Black lights are not only neat, they can actually be quite usef...
Read MoreKeeping Your Gadgets Going... with Solar Power!
Photo Source: adafruit.com In this age of technology, it seems as if everyone has a smart phone...
Read MoreHarnessing the Sun's Rays for Cooking
Solar energy is a low-cost technology that can be used to heat homes, power lights, and even boi...
Read MoreDoes Music Help You Study?
With the ability to access your favorite music almost everywhere, have you ever wondered if takin...
Read MoreWhat Makes Ice Melt Fastest?
Photo © 2008 Matt Seppings, Flickr The Department of Transportation (DOT) is always interested ...
Read MoreDo You Know About the Germs You're Carrying?
While many students have explored school bathrooms, doors, and other surfaces for germ content, h...
Read MoreEngineering + Physiology - Building an Articula...
Photo Source: www.instructables.com | rgraylint For students interested in engineering and phy...
Read MoreGender & The Stroop Effect
Photo Source: Eric H. Chudler, University of Washington Check out the picture above. As fast as...
Read MoreSubliminal Messaging: Is It Effective?
Photo Source: buysubliminal.com There is a lot of controversy surrounding subliminal messaging ...
Read MoreGrafting Plants with Bubble Gum!
Photo Source: www.fruitsinfo.com Grafting is a technique that botanists have used in the past t...
Read MoreMusic & Concentration
Photo © 2009 Karrie Nodalo, Flickr While listening to music as you complete an activity may not...
Read MoreDirty Mouth: Effect of Mouthwash on Bacteria
Photo © 2009 Flickr, Inha Leex Hale Mouthwash is commonly used to rid the mouth of bad odor and...
Read MoreArtificial Sweeteners Versus Cane Sugar - Which...
Photo © 2008 Steven Depolo, Flickr To test whether ants prefer natural cane sugar versus artifi...
Read MoreHow Does Tee Height Affect Driving Distance?
Any golfers out there? For those students interested in physics and sports, this science fair pr...
Read MorePhysical Activity & Academic Performance: I...
Photo © 2006 Alberto G., Flickr Not only is exercise important for keeping our bodies strong an...
Read MoreCan Tide GAIN All the Prize?
Photo © 2009 Flickr, Pixel Drip High school student, Dao Quan Lin, wondered how effective liqui...
Read MoreCell Phones & Driving
Photo © 2009 Lisa Padilla, Flickr Talking, texting, gaming, catching up with social media - the...
Read More