High School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 63)

Using a Laser Pointer to Measure the Data Track Spacing on CDs and DVDs

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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

Using Synthetic DNA as a Secret Barcode

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How would you secretly mark a bank robber during a robbery? What could you do to ensure that the ethically grown cotton you grew and shipped off for weaving and garment making was used to make the shipment of shirts you received weeks later? When we want to tag and track something, we often use a barcode. From grocery store foods to FedEx packages, barcodes are a way of tagging and identifying items. The fact that barcodes can be unique and are easy to read are key features. Not all things… Read more

Using the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory Satellite (SOHO) to Measure the Motion of a Coronal Mass Ejection

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The sun sometimes releases huge bursts of electrified gases into space. These bursts are called coronal mass ejections (or CMEs). When CMEs are directed towards Earth they can generate auroras, the spectacular atmospheric displays also known as "northern lights" (photo by Chris VenHaus, 2001). In this project you'll use images from the SOHO satellite to measure how fast CMEs move. Read more

Using Weather Balloon Data to Map Atmospheric Temperature

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Snow-capped mountains make a picturesque scene, especially in summertime when the peaks are in such contrast to the warmth below. This project shows you a way to see how temperature changes with altitude using data collected twice daily from weather balloons. Read more

Water Drops and Sparks! Experimenting with a Kelvin Electrostatic Generator

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Water is an interesting thing. We drink it, swim in it, and wash ourselves with it. We can get energy from water by damming it and sending it through a turbine. But did you know that we can use the natural electrical charges present in water and a Kelvin electrostatic generator to create sparks? You can even use a Kelvin electrostatic generator to temporarily light a bulb! Now that is one bright idea! Read more

Weathering the Windchill: How Does Wind Speed Affect How Quickly an Object Cools?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you heard the term windchill used before? Maybe on the TV weather forecast? The windchill factor describes what happens to an object (like your body) when it is cold and windy outside. As wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at a faster rate, driving down both skin temperature (which can cause frostbite) and eventually the internal body temperature (which, in extreme cases, can lead to death). In this science fair project, you will use a device to measure wind speed (an… Read more

What Material Makes the Most Resonant Soundboard?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you like music and musical instruments, here is a project that might resonate with you! This is a fun experiment to investigate materials that could be used to build acoustic musical instruments. You can use a music box mechanism and a sound level meter to see which materials make the best soundboards. Read more

What To Do About CO₂?

Lesson Plan Grade: 5th-12th

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Where does CO₂ come from and how does excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affect the ocean and aquatic life? In this lesson students are introduced to the carbon cycle and explore pH and acidification with hands-on experiments. They then connect their experimental data with real-world data to evaluate claims about carbon dioxide and ocean acidification. Finally, students are introduced to how different companies and research groups are using green chemistry to build carbon capture… Read more

What's the Best Way to Disable a Drone?

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Drones are small, fast, and maneuverable - this can make them very hard to knock down! Check out this Mark Rober video where he explores both how professional defense companies and some backyard YouTube engineers tackle the problem of knocking drones out of the sky. Can you take this engineering challenge on yourself? What methods can you devise to take down a drone? Which one works the best? Drones can be expensive, and you probably do not want to risk damaging a $1,000 drone for your science… Read more

What's the Fastest Way to Sort a List?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Imagine that you have a list of names of all the people in your class. Someone asks you to put them in alphabetical order. How would you go about doing it? Would you first go through the entire list and look for all the "A" names? Then go through it again and look for all the "B" names, and so on? Do you think going through the list over and over again for each letter would be inefficient? What if you had hundreds, thousands, or even millions of names? How would you ever alphabetize them… Read more

High School Projects, Lessons, Activities (849 results)

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