This science project has not been around the block several times like many have. It is a fresh idea and has won awards at science fairs. Not only that, it can truly give you important information about the safety of your house.

This project will tell about lead poisoning and will show items that test positive for lead. We first tried this project on cans purchased at various oriental food markets. These markets carry imported cans – some of which are sealed with lead. Fortunately for the food industry, none of the cans contained lead. (Lead cans have a thick, prominent seal down the side.) Unfortunately for us, we had no experiment with lead containing cans.

We switched gears and chose to test items in the house. The results were surprising and a bit frightening. We purchased home lead testing kits similar to the ones found at http://www.leadinspector.com/. They look like small cardboard tubes with cotton on the end. You squeeze the tube to release the testing chemical and then rub the tip on whatever you are testing.

For the experiment, we went through the house and tested fishing equipment, children’s jewelry, paint, picture frames and more. There was an antique picture frame with led and of course, the fishing lures had lead. We also found the weights that kept the live plants on the bottom of our fish tank had lead – so those came out right away.

The most frightening thing we found were lead pipes under our kitchen sink. Fortunately, the water department in our city tests water for free. They actually dropped a test kit off at our house, we took a sample and then they picked it up. Although the pipes were lead, there was no lead leaking into our water supply.

The science project display gave information about lead and lead poisoning. We attached objects that tested both negative and positive, as well as an unused test strip and one that was used and positive. This science project won an award, an A grade and helped us to find dangerous lead in our home.

Are you looking for a good science project that is both fun and easy? We won third place with this interesting science experiment. In this project, you turn salt water in to fresh water within a day, teaching vaporization, evaporation and condensation. The accompanying poster can depict shipwrecked sailors in need of fresh water, making the project both educational and entertaining as well.

Pour two cups of water in to a large bowl. Add three teaspoons of table salt to the water and stir. Now, place a tea cup in the middle of the bowl of water. Make sure the water level in the bowl is below the top of the tea cup. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and secure it with a large rubber band for a nice tight seal. Place a rock or similar weight on top of the plastic, directly over the tea cup. The will enable the condensation to drip down in to the tea cup. Take a picture of your experiment before the condensation begins!

Now, carefully place your bowl in direct sunlight. Do not let the salt water to spill in to the tea cup! If it is too cold outside for evaporation to occur, bring your bowl in and place it on a heater, clothes dryer or other warm and safe source. Check your bowl the next day and take a picture of it for your presentation. If there is a lot of condensation on the plastic, gently tap the weight on top of the plastic, causing the condensation to flow downwards and in to the tea cup.

Carefully remove the plastic wrap and get ready for the taste test! First, taste the water in the large bowl. Salty! With a different spoon, taste the water in the tea cup. Amazingly, the water is fresh - not a single trace of salt!

This experiement demonstrates a few things. When you add salt (solute) to water (solvent) they become a solution. The solar (or other) heat causes the water to evaporate in to a gas. Since the salt is heavier than the water, the salt remains in the bottom of the bowl. The evaporated water then cools, turning back into its original form, resulting in condensation on top of the plastic. This fresh water then runs down the plastic and drips in to the tea cup.