CSEF projects, 2002–2026

Every California Science & Engineering Fair project Fairfolio holds: 17,387 entries across 24 years, with the abstract, category and awards the fair published for each one.

CSEF coverage: available historical abstracts for 2002–2019; award-listed projects only for 2021–2025, without abstracts and with explicit labels where titles were not published, except that most 2023 winners carry the abstract from CSEF's archived public showcase; public showcase abstracts for 2026. The 2020 fair was canceled.

Years

Category breakdown

Counts cover every year of this fair and use its own category labels, exactly as the source published them. Each one links to that category's CSEF projects.

Projects

17387 projects · showing 6511–6540

CSEF · 2014

Introducing Algae

Microbiology (General)

Objectives/Goals My hypothesis is that if fertilizers high in nitrogen and phosphorus are added to pond water, then the sample with the highest percentage of fertilizer will cause the most a…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating Ant Trail Pheromones

Zoology Fourth Award

Objectives/Goals I was interested in this project because my family has often had ant problems. Ants secrete pheromones to mark trails to food. I wanted to investigate how pheromones work an…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating if Aged Bovine Manure Loses Its Nutrient Levels and Effectiveness as a Plant Fertilizer

Plant Biology Second Award

Objectives/Goals The objective of my project was to investigate if bovine manure loses its nutrient levels and effectiveness as a plant fertilizer as it decomposes. Methods/Materials Three a…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating the Accuracy of the Current Method Used to Measure Growth Rate on Redwood Trees

Plant Biology

Objectives/Goals The objective of this experiment is to determine if the current method used to measure growth rate on redwood trees is accurate. I suspect that the method may be inaccurate…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating the Effect of the Initial Temperature on Hand Warmer (Sodium Acetate) Reaction

Chemistry

Objectives/Goals The objective of my project is to find the ideal initial temperature (-8, 8, 20, or 40° C) of a reusable hand warmer to produce a more efficient hand warmer (longer lasting…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating the Opposing Roles of gC1qR and cC1qR as Mechanisms for Inhibiting Cancer Pathogenesis

Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology

Objectives/Goals Current cancer treatment methods remain flawed, oftentimes lacking tumor specificity and causing undesirable side effects. Consequently, elucidating the mechanisms behind tu…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating the Patterns of Cross-Modal Perception in Converging Styles of Music

Behavioral & Social Sciences Second Award

Objectives/Goals The purpose of this research was to understand the patterns among cross-modal perceptions of music, that is, how people from different intellectual, artistic, and socioecono…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating Vegetation as a Natural Barrier to Reduce Tsunami Power

Earth & Planetary Sciences

Objectives/Goals Storm surges, created by high winds of storms, and tsunamis, generated by large disturbances in water, result in damage and flooding to coastlines if left unchecked. Current…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating Whether Varying Altitudes Affect Aerial Emission/Dispersion Rates of Ash Particulates in the Environment

Environmental Science

Objectives/Goals My objective was to determine whether varying altitudes (the mountains-2185 meters, the Central Valley of California-113 meters, and the coast-5 meters) affect the aerial em…

CSEF · 2014

Investigating Which Post Exercise Therapy Lowers an Equine's Heart Rate and Temperature the Fastest

Mammalian Biology

Objectives/Goals The objective of my scientific investigation on which post exercise therapy lowers and equine's heart rate and temperature the fastest was to determine which post exercise t…

CSEF · 2014

Investigation of Glucose and Sucrose Using the Enzyme Invertase

Chemistry

Objectives/Goals In my project, I was testing the glucose and sucrose concentrations of commonly eaten foods. Methods/Materials In the first part of my project, I tested the activity of inve…

CSEF · 2014

iPad vs. Text

Cognitive Science (Junior Division Only)

Objectives/Goals The objective of this science fair project was to determine which method of leaning is best; ipad or regular text. The amount of time to read a lesson and take a test on it…

CSEF · 2014

iPhone Microwave Emissions on 3G/4G: Is Faster Better?

Electronics & Electromagnetics

Objectives/Goals I noticed that at the top of my mobile phone display, was an icon that indicated a connection to 1x or 3G networks. I also noticed my brother's iPhone5, switched between LTE…

CSEF · 2014

Iron Fertilization in Relation to Oceanic pH

Environmental Science

Objectives/Goals Ocean acidification and effects of climate change are important areas of research due to global impact. Ocean acidification occurs primarily because the ocean is a sink for…

CSEF · 2014

Is a Dog Really Man's Best Friend?

Mammalian Biology

Objectives/Goals In our experiment we are going to determine if female dogs like a male or female human better and if male dogs like a male or female human as well. We are going to be doing…

CSEF · 2014

Is a Higher Priced Soccer Ball Worth the Money?

Product Science (Physical) (Junior Division Only) Fourth Award

Objectives/Goals Our project is to determine whether a more expensive soccer ball travels further and is more consistent than a less expensive soccer ball. We think the more expensive soccer…

CSEF · 2014

Is Darker Better?

Product Science (Biological) (Junior Division Only)

Objectives/Goals The objective is to determine which color tray will decrease raisin drying time without effecting raisin quality. Methods/Materials Obtained/picked approx 500lbs of Thompson…

CSEF · 2014

Is Do-It-Yourself Detergent As Good at Cleaning Laundry As a Store Bought Brand?

Product Science (Physical) (Junior Division Only) First Award

Objectives/Goals My objective was to determine if Do-It-Yourself Detergent (DIYD) could remove stains from white 100% cotton fabric as well as a store brought brand of detergent (Kirkland Si…

CSEF · 2014

I See Cantilevers Everywhere

Applied Mechanics & Structures

Objectives/Goals What affects how much a cantilever arm will bend? Specific test: How will changing the length of a cantilever arm affect how much the free end moves with the same weight? Hy…

CSEF · 2014

Is Global Warming Algae Forming? The Effect of Temperature on Spirulina Growth Rate

Microbiology (General)

Objectives/Goals The rising temperatures associated with global warming are a cause of great concern. Carbon dioxide is building up in the atmosphere. To reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmo…

CSEF · 2014

Is Green as Clean?

Product Science (Biological) (Junior Division Only)

Objectives/Goals The objective of my project is to find out if green disinfectants are as effective at killing bacteria as regular disinfectants. Methods/Materials Five different disinfectan…

CSEF · 2014

Is It Raining Trash? The Effect of Storm Drains on Ocean Pollution

Environmental Engineering (Junior Division Only) Second Award

Objectives/Goals The purpose of my project was to determine how the design of storm drain grates affects the amount of flooding and the amount of trash flowing into the ocean. Methods/Materi…

CSEF · 2014

Is It Warm in Here or Is It Just Me? Regulating Thermal Comfort with Personal Peltier Modules

Cognitive Science (Junior Division Only) First Award

Objectives/Goals Enormous amounts of energy are being used every day to heat buildings, vehicles, and other places that human beings occupy. Taking advantage of how humans perceive warmth, i…

CSEF · 2014

Is Magnetism Conserved?

Physics & Astronomy

Objectives/Goals For my project, I wanted to see if magnets are able to magnetize certain other objects without any effect on their own strength. I wanted to test this because I thought this…

CSEF · 2014

Is Nutri-Grain Berry Healthy?

Mammalian Biology

Objectives/Goals This experiment was performed to compare the effects of eating Nutri-Grain bars and fresh strawberries on blood pressure. Methods/Materials I took the volunteer's blood pres…

CSEF · 2014

Is Radiant Barrier a More Energy Efficent Alternative to Fiberglass Insulation?

Materials Science (Junior Division Only)

Objectives/Goals The purpose of our science project was to determine if relying on radiant barriers instead of the standard insulation used in home construction can result in homes that are…

CSEF · 2014

Is Sensitivity Heightened on the Dominant Side?

Mammalian Biology

Objectives/Goals The purpose of my project was to determine if a person#s dominant side was more sensitive than their non-dominant side. I believed that the dominant side would be more sensi…

CSEF · 2014

Is the Cosmic Ray Flux Greater at Higher Altitudes Than at Lower Altitudes?

Physics & Astronomy First Award

Objectives/Goals My objective was to to determine if the cosmic ray flux is greater at higher altitudes than at lower altitudes. My hypothesis was yes; I reasoned that at higher altitudes co…

CSEF · 2014

Is There a More Efficient Method to Make a Cheaper Gel Electrophoresis Kit and Is Gel Electrophoresis a Viable Way to Te

Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology

Objectives/Goals My goal for the kit was to make it cheap,normal-size, and easy to make and use.I predicted that an at home kit would be a viable way to test for breast cancer. Methods/Mater…

CSEF · 2014

Is There an Absolute Hot?

Physics & Astronomy

Objectives/Goals The objective is to determine whether or not the actual absolute hot temperature, if it exists, is confirmed by experimental data to occur at the theoretical absolute hot te…