Materials science is a fascinating area of research that is often at the cutting edge of science and engineering. It involves both developing new materials and improving on existing ones, and has important applications both for improving daily life and for advancing other fields of research.
A few examples of materials science at work include scientists who study semiconductors are working on ways to improve solar cells-making them more efficient, longer-lasting and less expensive-with the potential for providing an alternative source for electricity. In the field of bioengineering, researchers are working on biocompatible materials for many applications to treat injury or disease such as improving prosthetic joints and limbs or providing scaffold material to regenerate tissue using the body's own cells. Materials scientists have also developed composite materials for construction that conserve wood while providing greater strength.
If these materials science topics sound interesting to you, then you should check out the Project Ideas below:
Testing the stiffness, strength, and other properties of materials such as wood, metal, and wire
Analyzing and comparing different kinds of cleaning or filtering products (for instance, the most effective antibacterial solution)
Testing the flammability of different textiles, such as fabrics or construction materials
Investigating viscosity or lubricating properties of fluids
Here's a practical engineering challenge: you need to build an enclosure for your dogs, using material that they can't chew through. It's going to be a lot of work to build, so you want to do it right. What material should you choose for the fencing? This project uses the scientific method to evaluate materials.
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Ever try to tear a telephone book in half? Even though you can easily rip one or a few pages to shreds, the entire phone book has strength in numbers and holds together. This project is an introduction to measuring and comparing the strength of materials. Does spaghetti get extra strength if you bundle it together, or does strength simply increase proportionally with the number of strands? If you're interested in materials testing, get cracking!
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How effective are different sunscreen products at blocking harmful UV radiation from sunlight? This project shows you how to use a UV detector to find out.
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Do you ever go camping with your family and roast hot dogs and marshmallows over a campfire? If you want your campfire to burn long into the evening, what is the best wood to use? Do research on...
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It's easy to forget that metals are everywhere and in nearly everything. They are a part of our lives in so many ways that we hardly notice them. But just stop and think about it. We use metal spoons to eat and cook our food. Cars, bikes, and planes are composed of metals. Metals are in our furniture and part of your school supplies. Some people even have metal in the dental work in their mouths. Their strength and dependence is obviously very important. But what are metals? In this science fair project, not only will you learn what a metal is, but you'll learn a way to make metals stronger!
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The different species of wood used in construction offer a variety of challenges based on density, porosity, oils in the wood, flexibility, elasticity, etc. The intended use, e.g., structural or...
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Here's a project idea for all of you bakers out there. What happens if you try your favorite muffin recipe with different types of flour (e.g., white, whole wheat, rye, soy, etc.)? Think of ways...
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Does adhesive tape hang tight at different temperatures? Measure the adhesive strength of tape at both low and high temperatures. To raise the temperature, we suggest using a blow dryer at both low...
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Is an I-beam as strong as a solid beam of the same size? What if you include weight in the comparison: which beam has the greater strength-to-weight ratio? Would an I-beam be stronger than a solid rectangular beam of the same weight? What about other structural shapes (e.g., T-beams, U-beams)? In this project you can find out by setting up a test stand, putting on your safety goggles and measuring how much stress these building components can handle before they snap.
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