New Hampshire Science and Engineering Exposition (NHSEE)

The categories and descriptions for the Open Competition are used with permission of the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair

Behavioral Science: Concerned with observable, tangible, and measurable data regarding behavior activities. Other topics in this category are psychology, educational testing, animal behavior, learning and archaeology.

Biochemistry: The study of chemical substances occurring in living organisms and the reactions and methods for identifying these substances. Other topics in this category are molecular biology, molecular genetics, enzymes, photosynthesis, blood chemistry, protein chemistry and hormones.

Biology: The science of life, including the study of the development, structure, and behavior of living organisms. Other topics in this category are botany, zoology, plant science, hydroponics, medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, nutrition, dermatology, veterinary medicine, microbiology, genetics, physiology, anatomy and invertebrate biology.

Chemistry: A science that treats the composition of substances, their structure, their behavior, reactions, analysis and synthesis. Other topics in this category include physical organic, inorganic, materials, plastics, fuels, pesticides, metallurgy, and soil chemistry.

Computers: A study of computer construction, programming, languages, techniques and general operations.

Computational and Informatics Science (COIS): The development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, medical, environmental, behavioral, social, and other scientific systems.

Earth & Space Science: Earth Science is the study of weather, climate, local rock formations, mineral resources, soils, natural vegetation, and animal life. Other topics in this category are geology, geophysics, physical oceanography, meteorology, seismology, mineralogy and topography. Astronomy/Space Science is the science regarding the celestial bodies and the observation and interpretation of the radiation received in the vicinity of the earth from the component parts of the universe. Other topics in this category include optical astronomy, radio astronomy, astrophysics, astrometry and astrophotography.

Engineering: Applied science concerned with utilizing products of earth, properties of matter, sources of power in nature, and physical forces for supplying human needs in the form of structures, machines, manufactured products, precision instruments, the means of lighting, heating, refrigeration, communication, transportation, sanitation, public safety and other productive work. Other categories are civil, mechanical, aeronautical, chemical, electrical, photographic, sound, automotive, marine, materials, ocean, biomedical, geothermal and solar.

Environmental Science: The study of pollution sources (air, water and land) and the effects of pollution on the environment, the study of ecology, the relationships of organisms and their environments.

Mathematics: That science which treats the exact relationships existing between quantities or magnitudes and operations, and of the methods by which, in accordance with these relations, quantities sought are deductible from others known or supposed. Topics may include calculus, geometry, abstract algebra, number theory, statistics, complex analysis and probability.

Physics & Electronics: Physics is a natural science covering matter, energy, and their mutual relations that do not involve change in composition. Topics covered by physics are solid-state theory, optics, acoustics, particle, nuclear, atomic, plasma, thermodynamics, semi-conductors, magnetism, quantum mechanics, biophysics and mechanics. Electronics is the study, control and application of the conduction of electricity through gases or a vacuum or through conducting or semi-conducting materials. Other topics in this category include electronic phenomena, devices and systems.