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:
Getting Critical Over Colloids
What is a colloid? If you have made Oobleck out of corn starch and water, then you know that a colloid is a mixture that acts like a solid and a liquid at the same time! What is the critical factor to making a colloidal material? Will different sources of starch change the recipe?
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Take the Sally Ride TOYchallenge
Working as a toy designer sounds like the coolest job ever, but you may be surprised how much brain power it takes. In this project you can design an entry to the Sally Ride TOYchallenge that teaches, demonstrates, or tests a scientific concept.
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Are Laminates Stronger?
If you love to hit the half pipe with your snowboard or skateboard, then you have tested the strength and durability of laminates. Laminates are sandwiches of different materials that are glued together in layers to give strength and flexibility to an object. In this experiment, you can test if laminating wood can make it stronger and able to support a heavier load. How much weight can it take before it breaks?
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How Does Packaging Affect the Ripening of Fruit?
Why do different types of fruits come packaged in different ways? In this project, you will experiment with different ways of packaging fruit to see if it has an effect on the freshness of the fruit. Will a different kind of packaging allow the fruit to stay fresh longer?
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Coke® & Mentos® - Nucleation Goes Nuclear!
You have seen it on You Tube
TM and David Letterman - the exploding Coke® and Mentos® experiment? But what is it that makes the reaction happen? In this experiment you will see if tiny dimples called nucleation sites have anything to do with it.
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Wave Blockers
What do the radio, TV, radio controlled cars, and cell phones all have in common? They all use invisible waves to transmit information. Find out which materials block radio waves, and which materials allow radio waves to pass through by doing this experiment.
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Are You Gellin'? ®
Chances are, you have several materials around your house made of gelatinized materials. Gels are used in all kinds of products and materials: pudding, diapers, insoles, packaging, ice cream, toothpaste, and many more. In this project, find out how gels are made and how they can be adjusted from firm to soft by changing the ingredients.
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Which Metal Is the Most Resistant to Corrosion?
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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Strength in Numbers?
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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Testing Sunscreen Effectiveness
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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Index of Materials Science Project Ideas |
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