Third Grade, Physics Science Experiments (Page 6)

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

How Many Colors in a Rainbow?

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Have you seen a rainbow in the sky after a rain shower? How many colors were there? A rainbow is often described as having seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, but you might spot a rainbow and see fewer colors. Or you might see more than seven! It can be tricky to count the colors in a rainbow, because they all blend together so seamlessly. Want to see for yourself? In this activity you will explore the physics of light and create your own mini-rainbows. How many… Read more

Make a Homemade Compass

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Have you ever used a compass to help you figure out what direction to go? What about while on a camping trip — have you ever needed a compass to help you navigate your way through a forest? Magnetic compasses work based on Earth's magnetic field. In this science activity, you will get to make your own magnetic compass out of a sewing needle, piece of cork, and cup of water. How well do you think it will work? Get ready to find out! Read more

The Physics of Bottle Flipping

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The bottle flipping craze might be dying down, but it isn’t too late to investigate the physics of this internet sensation. Even if you’ve never heard of it, give this project a try – not only can you impress your friends with a fun new trick, you’ll be able to explain the science behind it! Read more

Waves in Slow Motion

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Have you ever noticed seagulls bobbing up and down on the ocean while surfers paddle forward to catch a wave? Maybe you remember floating on a lake, going up and down as a wave passed by, or the feeling of being swept ashore by a breaking wave. Water waves are fascinating. They come in all sizes, from a tiny ripple to monster waves that are ten meters high. You have seen them, but do you know what drives them, how they move across oceans and seas? In this activity, you will bring the… Read more

Balloon Magic with Bernoulli's Principle

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Have you ever seen pictures or videos of a roof being blown off a house during a hurricane or tornado? You might be surprised to hear that the roof is actually not pushed off by the strong winds but instead by the air inside the house! This can be explained by Bernoulli's principle, which states that fast-moving fluids or air, such as strong winds, have lower pressure than slow-moving air. In this activity you will demonstrate how balloons can be moved in a similar way. It is not quite as… Read more

How Fish Sink and Float

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Have you ever thought about why most fish never sink to the bottom of the ocean or float to the water's surface? How is it that they can stay so perfectly buoyant under water? You might be surprised to hear that most bony fish have a special organ to help them with that: a swim bladder. The swim bladder is a thin-walled sac located inside the body of the fish that is usually filled with gas. Besides helping the fish stay buoyant, it can also function as a sound producer and receptor or as an… Read more

Making A Candy Waterfall: Can Solids Flow Like Liquids?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What do sand, Skittles, and cereal have in common? They are all granular materials, which means they are made up of solid particles, but they can actually flow like liquid! Imagine pouring the sand out of a bucket or pouring the cereal out of a box— a lot like pouring water, right? In this physics science project, you will investigate how the size of granular materials affect how they flow. 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

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

Third Grade, Physics Science Experiments (223 results)

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