Third Grade, Mechanical Engineering Science Experiments (68 results)
Fun science experiments to explore everything from kitchen chemistry to DIY mini drones. Easy to set up and perfect for home or school. Browse the collection and see what you want to try first!
If you're interested in object motion and enjoy building things or taking mechanical things apart to see how they work, then it sounds like you'd be interested in mechanical engineering.
|
Select a resource
Sort by
|
Try your hand at this engineering challenge. Can you build a "launcher" device to launch a ball as far as possible and a "receiver" to catch it? Building a receiver provides an extra twist to a traditional catapult project. Add to the challenge by using a limited set of materials to build your machine and calculate a score based on your throw distance and materials used.
Read more
STEM Activity
147 reviews
Is that a sailboat or a sail...car? Design and build a toy car powered by the wind in this fun engineering project!
Read more
Rubber band paddle boats are a fun bathtub or pool toy that you can build yourself. How do you make a boat that goes the fastest? Find out in this project as you build and test your own boat.
Read more
STEM Activity
155 reviews
You probably know what a catapult is. In the Middle Ages armies would use them to hurl stones at castle walls. But did you know about an even bigger type of medieval siege weapon called a trebuchet? Try this project to build a miniature version!
Read more
In this engineering challenge, you will build a device that can pick up a ping pong ball from a distance and return it to a start line. The farther away the ball is, and the fewer materials you use to build your device, the higher your score.
You can see how other students have tackled this and other annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenges.
Read more
STEM Activity
71 reviews
Wind energy is becoming more and more popular across the United States, maybe you have even seen a wind farm close to where you live! In 2015, approximately 7% of the electricity used in the U.S. was generated by wind, so who knows, when you switch on a light bulb in your house, that light might be coming from wind energy!
Wind energy is generated by wind turbines. These machines can look like giant pinwheels, and their job is to turn energy from the wind into mechanical or electrical energy.…
Read more
STEM Activity
44 reviews
Have you ever wondered how to create art with moving parts using nothing but cardboard, a few skewers, and some craft supplies? In this fun STEM activity, you will build an automaton, a machine that makes parts appear and disappear, move up and down, spin in circles, or all of these together. The instructions will show you how to build a moving caterpillar, but you can use your imagination to build any other animal or object you want!
Read more
STEM Activity
49 reviews
The egg-drop project is a classic and time-honored tradition in many science classes. The goal is usually to build a device that can protect an egg when dropped from a high location. This activity puts a twist on the classic project, motivated by real-world advances in space exploration. Can you build a reusable egg-drop lander that can survive repeated falls from the same height? Try this activity and find out
Read more
Can you build a volleyball machine? It will need one part to launch a ping pong ball over a net and another to return the ball. How many back-and-forth volleys can you get before the ball touches the ground? Looking for inspiration? You can see how other students have tackled this and other annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenges.
Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are available.
Read more
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
|
Explore Our Science Videos
Can a Sandcastle Support a Brick?
How to Make Slime
Make a Model to Explore the Distance from the Planets to the Sun