Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I need help finding project that is related to biology and physics! Pleaaasssseee help!!:(

Hannayasin,

Let me be the first to welcome you to Science Buddies. I'm sure we can help you find a topic that will interest you and satisfy any required criteria.

I have a couple of question to clarify your request. 1) Is this a single project that must satisfy both a physics and biology area of study or 2 efforts, 1 in physics and 1 in biology? 2) What sort of topics are you interested in (i.e. aerospace, materials, human or animal physiology, etc...)?

I look forward to your reply.

In the mean time, Science Buddies has a great resource for project ideas @ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... l?From=Tab

The topic selection wizard can even help you narrow your search by asking questions about your interests.

I have a thought for a project, but I'll wait for an answere to my question first.

Again, welcome. Reply to this post and I and/or another expert will help you refine your search for just the right project.

- theborg

hi again! thanks so much for replying! this is a single project that needs to include physics and biology related topics inside. im interested in any topic so it doesnt matter. can u pleasse tell me your thoought of a projject? thasnks soo much!!!:)

hi again! thanks so much for replying! this is a single project that needs to include physics and biology related topics inside. im interested in any topic so it doesnt matter. can u pleasse tell me your thoought of a projject? thasnks soo much!!!:)

Ok. A large field of study that often bridges the gap between biology and physics is called Biomechanics. It deals with how biological organisms are designed and how that affects thier ability to perform different tasks. There is plenty of projects of this type in the field of sports science, which the science buddies project ideas section has a category of the same name that may further help you refine your choices. One of note that jumped off the screen at me was "The Biomechanics of Pitching" at the following link:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p053.shtml

My idea for a project is more of an impact study and may be too far on the physics side and not enough on the biology side. You'd have to check with your teacher to ensure it meets the appropriate criteria, but here it goes. Something along the lines of "preventing injury through the use of protective equipment". We all know that helmets, sholder pads, gloves and the like help protect agains injury, but how much protection do they provide and against what sort of impacts? To simplify, i'd pick a certain body part, say the shin bone or the skull and determine at what point is a life or limb threatining injuy sustained against different impacts (i.e. weight loading, blunt force, penetrating force, etc...) with and without various protective equipment. Determine if the size, age, strength of the victim make a difference? How about the effects of shape of and materials used in the protective gear?

Another couple of project ideas are: 1) The science of flight: how do birds and insect wings enable flight. I believe there is a project of this type on science buddies, but i was unable to locate the link (if I do, I will repost). 2) Biomimicry: How the biology of a whale can be used to improve the aerodynamics of a whirly-bird @ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p015.shtml

These of course are just a few ideas. If none of the above interest you, search the internet for Biomechanics and Sports Science for even more ideas on this very extensive field of study.

I hope this helps. Good luck! I will watch this post for any further questions and/or advice that can be provided.

Hello, Hanna!

theborg has posted some great tips and possible experiments, which you should definitely look into. However, if you are still contemplating your list of ideas and have not yet chosen anything, perhaps you should consider finding a heart rate with a pulse plethysmograph.

A plethysmograph is a pretty nifty tool because it measures change in volume, especially in organs. For instance, it can be used to tell if there is an increase of blood volume in your wrists. Recording heart rates surely makes up the biological component of a project. As for the physics behind the measurements, you should be familiar with volts and willing to either build or buy some sensors/amplifiers. (You should also research and read up on such concepts with resources such as your textbook and the Internet, if you really want to go in-depth with this project.)

If you want to read more about this particular experiment, visit http://www.picotech.com/experiments/cal ... index.html.

And like theborg said, if you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Hi! Thanks for both. Of you replies I liked the project ideas but I was wondering if u had and idea Of on that is like straight forward and interesting for example a girl is does charging an iPod with an onion work? That. Was a really creative idea and it fits both biology and physics do u know wat I mean like something creative like that if yo have any ideas please please post sorry to bother!:( thanks so much!!!

Hi! Thanks for both. Of you replies I liked the project ideas but I was wondering if u had and idea Of on that is like straight forward and interesting for example a girl is does charging an iPod with an onion work? That. Was a really creative idea and it fits both biology and physics do u know wat I mean like something creative like that if yo have any ideas please please post sorry to bother!:( thanks so much!!!

All of these can be great ideas. The key to remember is picking something that is a science project instead of an engineering project. These two categories are similar, but distinctly different. If you follow the attached link, it will take you to a great description of the scientific method and the difference to the engineering process.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... thod.shtml

Hope you are having luck narrowing down your choices.