High School, Physics Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 2)

Build a Marble Roller Coaster

STEM Activity

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64 reviews

How much energy does a roller coaster need to go through a loop without getting stuck? Build your own marble roller coaster in this project and find out! Read more

Measure the Frequency Response of a Paper Speaker

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Can you build a working speaker out of paper? How does a speaker's ability to play low or high-pitched notes depend on its size? Explore the science of sound in this project as you build and test your own speakers in order to answer these questions! Read more

Rocket Science: How High Can You Send a Payload?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Rockets are definitively an engineering challenge. These amazing gravity-defying machines have lifted test material, people, and even animals into space. Feel like building one yourself? In this science project, you will transform a water bottle into an aerodynamic bottle rocket with two compartments, one for the fuel and one for a payload. You will then test how well it performs when lifting mass vertically up into the air. Ready, set, soar! Read more

Stealthy Shapes: How to Make an Aircraft Invisible to Radar

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever dreamed about becoming invisible? Or about making something else invisible, like the mess all over your room? Invisibility may sound like the stuff of science fiction (remember Star Trek's "Cloaking Device"?), but in reality, military vehicles, like planes and ships, can be made less observable, or even invisible, to different detection methods—like radar, sonar, or infrared sensors—by using stealth technology. In this engineering science fair project, you'll find out… Read more

Using a Laser to Measure the Speed of Light in Gelatin

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Think it takes expensive, sophisticated equipment to measure the speed of light? Think again! Outfit yourself with a simple handheld laser pointer, a protractor, and gelatin, and you're ready to get started. Read more

Measuring the Speed of 'Light' with a Microwave Oven

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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

Build an 'Impossible' Wind-Powered Car

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Is it possible for an entirely wind-powered vehicle to travel directly downwind faster than the wind? This might seem counterintuitive or like it would violate the law of conservation of energy. After all, any good scientist knows that perpetual motion machines are impossible. However, as demonstrated by YouTubers Rick Cavallaro, Derek Muller (Veritasium), and Xyla Foxlin, you can take advantage of some tricky physics to make this vehicle work. Can you build—or even improve—your own… Read more

Solid Motor Rocket Propulsion

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What does it take to launch a robot to Mars or for a satellite to explore our outer solar system? In this project you will explore the physics of a rocket as you predict its performance, launch it, and measure the actual results. This is rocket science! Read more

2026 Ball Run Challenge for Grades 9-12

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

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Add a twist to a classic activity with this fun lesson plan. Your students will design and build a ball run for a ping pong ball using nothing but paper and tape. Their goal is to make the slowest ball run possible. How long can they make it take for the ball to go through their ball run? An optional variation is available if you would like to give students an extra challenge. The 2026 Engineering Challenge has ended. You can still do this challenge with students informally. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

High School - Science & Engineering Practices

Try the Mythbusters' "Phone Book Friction" Experiment at Home

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever heard that two phone books with the pages interleaved are impossible to pull apart? This might seem crazy, right? It is not that hard to slide a sheet of paper off the top of a stack of paper. How much friction can there really be between sheets of paper? In this experiment, you will use pads of sticky notes instead of phone books. How much weight can they support when you interleave the pages? Do you think you will be able to pull them apart by hand? The results might surprise… Read more

High School, Physics Projects, Lessons, Activities (73 results)

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