Sports Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 5)

Popping an Ollie: How Skateboarders + Physics = A Really Cool Trick

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen a skateboarder jump over an obstacle or slide down a railing? It looks like they are defying the laws of physics when they perform these tricks. It looks like it, but that's not the case. Physics describes the motion of objects and it is a skateboarder's best friend! All of these tricks can be explained by physics. In this sports science fair project, you will learn how speed affects "popping an ollie." The ollie is a basic skateboarding trick, and it's the first step to more… Read more

Skiing and Friction: How Does Ski Wax Affect the Sliding Friction of Skis?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You can model this with an ice cube sliding down a plank: how high do you need to lift the end of the plank before the ice cube starts to slide? Try this with one side plain wood and the flip side waxed wood (use paraffin wax, candle wax or ski wax). Make sure both sides are equally smooth to start with. Do at least three trials. More advanced: using what you know about the forces acting on the ice cube, derive equations to calculate the coefficient of friction for each case. Variation: chill… Read more

Skipping Science: An Experiment in Jump Rope Lengths

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you know that the world record for the greatest number of jumps in a minute is more than 340? That's more than five jumps a second! How close do you think you can get to that number? If you are going to try to break the record, it might be important to figure out how jump rope length affects your success. Try your hand at this skipping science fair project and jump-start your chances for a jump rope record. If you have a smartphone available, you can use its accelerometer and a sensor app… Read more

Soccer: Geometry of Goal-Scoring

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Block off one-third of a soccer net with a cone, 5-gallon bucket or some other suitable object. Shoot into the smaller side from a set distance, but systematically varying the angle to the goal line. Take enough shots at each angle to get a reliable sample. How does success vary with angle? For a basic project: How do you think your success rate will vary with angle? Draw a conclusion from your experimental results. A bar graph showing success rate at different angles can help to… Read more

Speed Quest

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you like to watch the Olympics and see new world records get set? Have you ever wondered how fast you'd need to go to achieve that world record? Well, in this sports science fair project, you'll find out how to compute speeds needed to achieve world records. Not only that, but you'll learn what speed is, and how to measure it in almost anything that moves! So head for the track, you're on a search for speed! Read more

Stepping Science: Estimating Somebody’s Height from Their Walk

STEM Activity

1

2

3

4

5

6 reviews

Have you ever noticed you need to walk faster just to keep up with some people, or decrease your pace to walk with other people who are going slower? This is likely because of the difference in leg length between you and the person you are walking with. In this science activity, you’ll get to investigate just how much faster or slower different people walk, and see if you can use the relationship between a person’s walking pace and their height to estimate your own height. Read more

Sweaty Science: How Does Heart Rate Change with Exercise?

STEM Activity

1

2

3

4

5

11 reviews

Have you ever wondered how many times your heart beats in a year, or will beat throughout your life? Over an average lifetime, the human heart beats more than 2.5 billion times. For a person to keep their heart healthy, they should eat right, not smoke, and get regular exercise. In this science activity, you’ll measure your heart rate during different types of physical activities to find out which give your heart the best workout to help keep it fit. Read more

Tee Time: How Does Tee Height Affect Driving Distance?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you're an avid golfer, this might be a fun project for you. When you're setting up to tee off out on the course, how much attention do you pay to putting the tee in the ground? The height of the tee can affect both where in the swing the club makes contact and where on the clubface the ball makes contact. Are you placing your tees at the right height to get the most distance from your swing? Read more

The Physics of Baseball and Hit Charts

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In baseball, coaches use hit charts to track the results of every hit each player makes, giving a measure of the player's performance. Have you ever wondered what things affect where a baseball goes when a player hits it with a bat? In this project you will set up an experiment to hit a ping pong ball in a controlled manner using a toy catapult, then learn about the physics of baseball by making your own hit chart. Read more

The Physics of Cheating in Baseball

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do corked bats really hit the ball further? What about other materials? Here's a project to find out. Read more

Sports Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (71 results)

Explore Our Science Videos