Parents play an important role in fostering enthusiasm for science in their children.
Doing science projects together at home can make a wonderful weekend or "day off"
activity. The following list of projects contains projects from our library of science
Project Ideas
that meet the following criteria:
- Use readily available materials.
- Can be completed in a few hours.
To find other projects you and your student would enjoy, browse the
complete library or use the
Topic Selection Wizard to see a list of recommendations that match up to your interests.
Using a Laser Pointer to Measure the Data Track Spacing on CDs and DVDs
Using a Laser Pointer to Measure the Data Track Spacing on CDs and DVDs
| Difficulty |
|
| Time Required |
Very Short (≤ 1 day) |
| Prerequisites |
None |
| Material Availability |
Readily available |
| Cost |
Low ($20 - $50) |
| Safety |
Adult supervision recommended. Even low-power lasers can cause permanent eye damage. Please carefully review and follow the Laser Safety Guide. |
You've probably noticed the colorful patterns "reflecting" from the shiny surface of a CD disk. What you are seeing is actually diffraction of white light, and the rainbows of color are
diffraction
patterns. In this project you'll learn about how diffraction patterns are generated, and you'll find out how you can use a laser pointer and a protractor to measure the microscopic spacing of data tracks on a CD.
Read more
Measuring the Speed of 'Light' with a Microwave Oven
Measuring the Speed of 'Light' with a Microwave Oven
| Difficulty |
|
| Time Required |
Very Short (≤ 1 day) |
| Prerequisites |
You'll need a microwave oven to do this project. You'll get the most out of this project if you've taken (or are currently taking) a course in high school physics. |
| Material Availability |
Readily available |
| Cost |
Very Low (under $20) |
| Safety |
Adult supervision recommended |
Did you know that you can measure the speed of light using a microwave oven, some egg white, and a ruler? Find out how with this cool kitchen science project thanks to Mr. Nick Hood, a science teacher in Fife, Scotland.
Read more
The Measure of Mercury: Analyzing Impact Craters on the Innermost Planet
The Measure of Mercury: Analyzing Impact Craters on the Innermost Planet
| Difficulty |
|
| Time Required |
Very Short (≤ 1 day) |
| Prerequisites |
Geometry: familiarity using sine, cosine, and tangent to solve right triangles |
| Material Availability |
Readily available |
| Cost |
Very Low (under $20) |
| Safety |
No issues |
Have you ever wanted to analyze data from a NASA spacecraft? In this science project you will use data from NASA's MESSENGER mission to measure the diameter and calculate the depth of impact craters on Mercury. You will then analyze that data for relationships between a crater's depth and diameter. This is your chance to
perform a science project as a NASA researcher would!
Read more
