The list below gives a number of possible lab project topics for your consideration. If you already know your topic, you may reserve it now.

• How does surface area affect the evaporation rate of water at a constant temperature? (clock/stopwatch, Excel)
• Bubble-ology: Find a two- or three-component bubble solution. Determine the effect on one or more of the components on the size of the bubble produced or on the amount of time a bubble lasts. (clock/stopwatch, Excel)
• Battery experiments: Which type of battery lasts the longest? Of the same type, which brand is the best? What is the relationship between charging time and the time that charge will last under a load? Other ideas? Some battery chemistry should be included. (A variety of probes would work depending one what you are measuring: light-sensing, microphone, voltage probe, others, Excel)
• What happens to the temperature of a liquid when it evaporates? (temperature probe) What happens to the vapor pressure above a liquid as it evaporates? (pressure probe)
• What happens to the pressure of the air in a balloon while it inflates? (pressure probe)
• How do a number of variables (pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, etc.) change with the season, location, ambient temperature or water depth on area lakes? (Water on the Web data from sampling stations set up by the U of MN and supported by the NSF may yield ideas, Excel)
• Do water softeners change the concentration calcium ions in tap water? If so, how? (calcium ion probe) Nitrate ions? If so, how? (nitrate ion probe) Chloride ions? If so, how? (chloride ion probe)
• What happens to the pH of milk as it stands over a period of time with/without refrigeration? CAUTION: Smelly! (pH probe, temperature probe if desired)
• Does the percentage of fat in milk affect the density? How does the density of ice cream compare between brands (what are some factors affecting the density?)? (balances, Excel)
• Balloons filled with which gas will shrink the fastest (H₂, He, air, CO₂, SF₆)? (Excel, pressure probe if desired)
• Design a simple experiment that relates the pressure of a gas to its temperature. Use your data/graph to estimate the value of absolute zero with your data. (pressure and temperature probes)
• Design an experiment used to find the volume of empty space inside a pressure-sensing probe. (pressure probe)
• What mixture of antifreeze and water gives the highest boiling point or the lowest freezing point? (temperature probe)
• Is there a relationship between the color of a solution and the wavelength of maxiumum absorption or minimum absorption? (UV-visible spectrophotometer or Spectronic 20 spectrometer)
• Do compounds absorb or release heat when they dissolve in water? What happens to the temperature of water when various salts are dissolved? (temperature probe)
• How does concentration and/or temperature affect the rate of the iodine clock reaction? (Excel, temperature probe if desired)
• Does temperature affect the rate at which an Alka-Seltzer tablet generates CO₂ gas? Does pH? Does  grinding the tablet? (Excel, pressure probe perhaps)
• Along the same line--for a fixed mass of magnesium, does the concentration of HCl affect the rate at which H₂ is generated? Does temperature of the HCl? (Excel, temperature and/or pressure probe perhaps)
• What happens to the pH and color of a solution of KI as it is electrolyzed? Why? (pH probe, colorimeter probe)
• What happens to the pH or the concentration of _____ in an aquarium over a period of time? (many probes possible -- dissolved oxygen, nitrate ion, ammonia, chloride ion, pH)
• Does the amount of fish food in an aquarium affect the dissolved oxygen in an aquarium? Does the amount of decaying vegetation (such as leaves) affect the dissolved oxygen in a fixed amount of water? (dissolved oxygen probe)
• Does the water at the top of a container cool at the same rate as the water at the bottom of a container, when cooled to freezing? Does the water at the top of a container warm at the same rate as the water at the bottom of a container, when heated? Could this be extended to larger bodies of water? (temperature probes)
• What happens to the pH of a carbonated beverage over time after it is opened? (pH probe)
• Does shaking a can of soda cause the pressure to increase inside the can? (pressure probe) CAUTION: Avoid ruining the probe by getting liquid inside.
• How does pH affect the rate of a chemiluminescent reaction? (pH probe)
• How does pH affect the rate of the iodine clock reaction? (pH probe)
• Gram-for-gram, which substance will lower the freezing point of water the most? Sugar? Salt? Calcium chloride? Others? Which is most cost effective? Which substance will raise the boiling point the most? (temperature probes)
• Topic of your choice, with instructor approval. Many, many, many, many projects are possible.