Give It a Lift with a Lever
Did you know that you can lift an object that's heavier than you are? Just use a lever! In this science project you'll build a tabletop lever and measure how much effort it takes to lift an object using it.
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Build a Motorboat Powered by Surface Tension
Have you ever wondered why a duck can float on the water without getting wet? Or how a water strider can walk on water? If you observe carefully, you could find dozens of similar interesting phenomena that are all linked to the surface tension of water. Here is a project that will help you understand and measure the properties of water surface tension.
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The Physics of Follow-Through
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This project can apply to soccer, hockey, baseball and many other sports. What is the effect of stopping the kick/shot/swing at the moment of impact vs. following through? Think of a way to...
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What's the Fastest Way to Cool a Soda?
So you've just finished mowing the lawn on a hot summer day, and you'd like a cold, refreshing drink as a reward. You look in the fridge, and oops! it's empty. The sodas are still sitting in the cupboard, at room temperature. What's the fastest way to get that soda down to a cold, drinkable temperature with materials readily at hand?
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Supercooling Water and Snap Freezing
Can water remain liquid below its normal freezing point? If it does, that water is
supercool(-ed). This project shows you a method for supercooling water. You can test water from different sources to see whether or not it can be supercooled.
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How the Strength of a Magnet Varies with Temperature
Physicists sometimes study matter under extreme conditions. For example, think of the emptiness of interstellar space vs. the unimaginable crush of pressure at the center of a neutron star, or an object dipped in liquid nitrogen vs. the tiles on the space shuttle during re-entry. Here's an experiment on permanent magnets in "extreme kitchen" conditions that you can try at home.
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How Far Can You Kick (or Throw, or Hit) a Ball?
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What launch angle gives the longest horizontal distance? Make a giant protractor with cardboard to measure angles, or use a video camera to record your throws and analyze the launch angle. Try...
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Bouncing Balls: Measure the Rebound Rating
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The rebound rating is the ratio of bounce height to drop height. Do background research on the physics of "elastic" and "inelastic" collisions. Lots of possible variations: explore how the...
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Solid Motor Rocket Propulsion
What does it take to launch a satellite to explore Mars, or a mission to the moon? This project has several possible variations for exploring the physics of rockets. This
is rocket science!
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Forensics: How Does It Matter? Measure the Spatter!
Every criminal leaves behind evidence at the crime scene. The trick to catching the criminal is collecting all of the evidence and making sense of it. This is what the forensic expert does. In this science project you will be correlating the size of blood stains to the distance from which a body fell, but don't get too grossed out. You'll be doing it with water-filled balloons. If you like figuring out mysteries, this is the science project for you!
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Index of Physics Project Ideas |
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