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 15001–15030

CSEF · 2004

Counterfeit Attack!

Chemistry

Objectives/Goals The objective of this experiment is to explore jadeite and antique jade counterfeit methods. My hypothesis is that one can create a copy of an authentic jadeite or antique j…

CSEF · 2004

Creating a Culture of Fear in America

Behavioral Sciences

Objectives/Goals The American public is bombarded with information from a variety of sources, including newpapers magazines, television, and radio. The media tends to report a story with suc…

CSEF · 2004

C The Juice: Temperature and Vitamin C

Chemistry

Objectives/Goals People are seeking to get the best health benefits and research shows fruit juices are high in Vitamin C. Will the Vitamin C content of fruit juices be affected by temperatu…

CSEF · 2004

Danger: High Voltage Shocking Solutions

Electricity & Electronics

Objectives/Goals I tried to figure out which electrolytic solution would produce the longest sparks when used in a bottle capacitor for a Tesla coil.I hypothesized baking soda would work the…

CSEF · 2004

Darcy's Law and Underground Water Flow

Earth Sciences/ Planetary Sciences/ Physical Environments

Objectives/Goals The purpose of my project is to calculate the flow rate of underground water using Darcy's formula. I also want to find the relation between the flow rate and head differenc…

CSEF · 2004

Dead Spots in the Ocean: HNLC Areas' Restriction to Phytoplankton's Uptake of CO(2)

Environmental Engineering

Objectives/Goals A current solutions to global warming is to fertilize HNLC (High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll) ocean areas lacking iron with iron to increase CO2 absorption from phytoplankton.…

CSEF · 2004

Demolishing Dental Bacteria

Microbiology

Objectives/Goals The objective is to determine which type of dental hygiene (manual tooth brush, rotary tooth brush, mouthwash, or dental floss) reduces the most number and variety of dental…

CSEF · 2004

Demons in the Dirt

Zoology

Objectives/Goals My project was to determine if humidity has an effect on antlion predation. My hypothesis was that a higher humidiy would increase the number of ants an antlion would eat. M…

CSEF · 2004

Design, Analysis, and Optimization of Solid Fuel Rocket Engines

Aerodynamics/ Hydrodynamics

Objectives/Goals Increasing rocket engine efficiency requires maximizing the total impulse generated and tailoring thrust production to the mass of the rocket. By controlling the design elem…

CSEF · 2004

Determining if Oral Bacteria Can Be Transported by Culex pipen

Environmental Science (Junior Division Only)

Objectives/Goals The goal of my project is to determine if culex pipen (mosquito specie), is able to transport oral bacteria (bacillus). Methods/Materials Bacillus was obtained from my mouth…

CSEF · 2004

Determining if the Application of a Sun Protection Factor to Fabric Can Increase Its Ability to Block UV Radiation

Materials Science (Junior Division Only)

Objectives/Goals My goal was to try to find a way to make my fathers work clothing safer. My father is a farmer who spends a lot of time in the sun, and has already been a victim of skin can…

CSEF · 2004

Determining the Effects of Air Pollutants on the Water Cycle, and Subsequent Seed Germination

Environmental Science (Junior Division Only)

Objectives/Goals The objective of my project is to find out if airborne pollutants effect our water cycle. I'll then test these affected water samples on seed germination. Methods/Materials…

CSEF · 2004

Determining the Effects of Nutrient Concentrations on Hydroponic Lettuce

Plant Biology

Objectives/Goals My project was to determine the effects of different concentrations of fertilizer on hydroponically grown lettuce. Methods/Materials Three separate tanks were constructed of…

CSEF · 2004

Determining the Effects of Soil Additives on Soil Stability: Three-Year Study

Earth Sciences/ Planetary Sciences/ Physical Environments

Objectives/Goals My project's goal was to determine if soil additives better stabilizes a building when it is shaken. My hypothesis stated that sand (base soil) combined with stones would wo…

CSEF · 2004

Determining the Effects of Various Animal Hair and Temperature Variations on Cricket Behavior

Zoology

Objectives/Goals My objective was to learn if the crickets were attracted to certine types of hairs in different temperatures. I wanted to see which hairs the crickets was attracted to in wa…

CSEF · 2004

Determining the Effects Polymers Have in Reducing the Toxicity of Contaminated Soil

Environmental Engineering

Objectives/Goals The objective of my project is to determine the efficacy of water-absorbing polymers in absorbing liquid contaminants in soil. Methods/Materials Diazinon, used motor oil, an…

CSEF · 2004

Determining the Habitat Selection (Moist vs. Dry) of Armadillidium vulgare through Taxis or Kinesis

Zoology

Objectives/Goals The purpose of this experiment is to determine if the Armadillidium vulgare (pill bug) shows taxis (movement due to stimulus) or kinesis (random movement) when given the opt…

CSEF · 2004

Determining Which Spice Works Best as a Barrier Against Ants

Zoology

Objectives/Goals The purpose of my project is to investigate the effects that spices will have on ants. The reason I am doing this investigation is to derermine if spices work as a better ba…

CSEF · 2004

Development of a Daily-Use Sunscreen Soap

Chemistry

Objectives/Goals The objective was to develop a bar soap (glycerin) with the active sunscreen ingredient octisalate (octyl salicylate). The sunscreen could be used on a daily basis and provi…

CSEF · 2004

Development of Conservation of Liquid in Preschool Children

Behavioral Sciences

Objectives/Goals The objective of this project is to determine whether children are beginning to develop a sense of conservation of liquid during the age range of 3, 4 and 5 years. Methods/M…

CSEF · 2004

Diabetes and Exercise

Mammalian Biology

Objectives/Goals The goal of this project is to determine the effect of exercise on the blood glucose levels of people with Type 1 diabetes. When people eat carbohydrates, they are turned in…

CSEF · 2004

Digestion Is the Question

Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology

Objectives/Goals For my project, I recreated the digestive system and digestive enzymes. I wanted to see if starch could break down and combine with glucose. If this does happen then it prov…

CSEF · 2004

DigiSonic Batman: He's Watching You!

Electricity & Electronics

Objectives/Goals My project explores the feasibility of using 5 kHz sound pulses and twin microphones to determine both distance and location of target objects. The application is for autono…

CSEF · 2004

Direct Solar Pool Heater

Physics & Astronomy

Objectives/Goals My objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of heating a pool using a new invention called Direct Solar Pool Heater (DSPH). It is my first hypothesis that a pool of water…

CSEF · 2004

Discourse on Asymmetrical Capacitors

Electricity & Electronics

Objectives/Goals The goal of my project was to test three different shapes (square, isosceles triangle, equilateral triangle) of asymmetrical capacitors to see which produces the most thrust…

CSEF · 2004

Discovery of a New Natural Dye in My Own Backyard: Ipomoea indica

Chemistry

Objectives/Goals Since I knit and spin wool for a hobby, my goal was to find a natural dye, that has not yet been discovered, to dye wool. After testing several flowers in my backyard,I chos…

CSEF · 2004

DMSO Inhibits the Induction of Adipogenesis in 3T3L1 Cells

Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology

Objectives/Goals The hormone receptor, PPAR, functions to regulate the differentiation of adipocytes (fat cells). This receptor functions as part of a heterodimer with another receptor, RXR.…

CSEF · 2004

Do Acoustic Tiles Really Block Sound?

Physics & Astronomy

Objectives/Goals With this experiment I tried to ascertain whether or not acoustic tiles really blocked out sound waves as they advertised. Methods/Materials The materials I tested were: Pin…

CSEF · 2004

Do Bacteria Like Gasses?

Microbiology

Objectives/Goals The objective of this project was to determine whether aerobic bacterial growth is influenced by various gaseous environments. I believe that aerobic bacteria will grow the…

CSEF · 2004

Do Birds Respond to Different Colored Bird Seed?

Zoology

Objectives/Goals The title of my project is #Do Birds Respond to Different Colored Bird Seed?# The purpose of my project was to see if birds were affected by color, more specifically if bird…