Top athletes and coaches use a whole lot of science and engineering to improve performance and increase the chances of winning. Technologies like better tennis rackets, sleeker running and swimming outfits, and aerodynamic soccer balls, mean that current athletes are breaking world records left and right. Add to that better nutrition and science-based training regimes and you have an era of amazing athletes! Explore one of our sports science projects to see how science and engineering impact your favorite sport.
Do you ever feel like you need to move your legs faster than your parents do just to keep up with them? This could be because of the difference in leg length between you and your parents. How many more steps do you need to take compared to your parents to walk down the block? Can you use a walking test to determine how tall a person is? This science project will help you find out! You can even use your phone and Google's Science Journal app to record the steps and determine the pace.
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Sports_p002
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Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Requires adult supervision when seeking volunteers
Did you know that the United States jump rope record (as of 2017) for the greatest number of jumps in a minute is 372? That's more than six 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 it to measure…
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Mike Powell of the United States currently holds the world record for the long jump at 8.95 meters, which is almost 30 feet! How did he jump so far? In this experiment, learn how a long jumper uses momentum from running to jump farther than the competition.
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"Use it or lose it!" Sure, we all know physical exercise is important to keeping our bodies fit. But how important is physical exercise to your brain? In other words, is there any connection between an active body and increased brain power?
This is an easy project where you can test the effect of exercise on a critical brain function: memory.
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Are you a piano player or a video gamer? Then you might have a quick reaction time that can come in handy while playing sports. Find out how to measure your reaction time and compare it to your friends and family with this fun experiment.
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Did you know that throwing, kicking, and punting a football all involve the science of projectile motion? A star NFL® quarterback, kicker, and punter each need to have a very good understanding of how a football moves through the air in order to help them win games. In this science project, you will set up a rubber band-powered catapult to represent a field goal kicker, and study how changing the distance from the goalposts affects how hard it is to accurately kick a field goal.
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Sports_p059
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Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
This science project requires a kit available from our partner
.
See the Materials section for details.
Cost
Average ($40 - $80)
Safety
Never launch projectiles at people, animals, or anything fragile. Be careful not to get your fingers caught in moving parts of the catapult.
Playing basketball can be hard work. Players not only constantly run around the court, but just dribbling the basketball takes a lot of effort, too. Why is that? It has to do with how the basketball bounces. When the ball hits the court, its bounce actually loses momentum by transferring some of its energy into a different form. This means that to keep the ball bouncing, players must continually put more energy into the ball. In this sports science project, you will determine how high a…
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Sports_p037
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Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.
It's fun to go swimming! To feel the power of your body as you launch yourself into the water. But did you know that swimming isn't just about skill and athleticism? The human body consists of skin, contours, and curves. How the water moves along your body and the clothing you are wearing determines how fast you can go. In this science fair project, you will investigate the effects of a force called drag. You will compare the time it takes to swim 25 meters in a swimsuit versus swimming the…
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Sports_p052
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
You need to be an excellent swimmer and have access to a swimming pool that is at least 25 meters in length. Do not perform this science fair project if you are not in good health. Get permission from your parents or guardians to do this science fair project.
Material Availability
This science fair project requires access to a swimming pool during a time when it is not crowded.
Cost
Low ($20 - $50)
Safety
Minor injury is possible. This science fair project requires adult supervision in a special facility. Lifeguards must be available.
The rebound rating is the ratio of the height the ball bounces to, divided by the height the ball was dropped from. Use the rebound rating to measure the bounciness of new tennis balls vs. balls that have been used for 10, 20, 50, and 100 games. Another idea to explore: does it matter what type of court the ball is used on? (See: Goodstein, 1999, 63-64.)
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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…
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Sports_p055
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
You, or someone you know, must already own a skateboard and safety gear, and know how to skate to perform the ollie trick. You must also have access to a video camera (it should include a timer if you decide to try one of the variations). You should perform the tests in a skateboard park or in a large area where it is legal and safe to skateboard.
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Injury is possible. Adult supervision is required. The person performing the ollie must wear a safety helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads.
