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High School, Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics Science Projects (19 results)

You've seen for yourself, or in videos, planes flying, rockets hurdling towards space, boats racing through the water and submarines exploring the depths of the ocean. Have you ever stopped and thought about the aerodynamics and hydrodynamics involved in their operation? There is a lot of interesting science that goes into how they work!

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Aerodynamics and Bridge Design
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Research the famous collapse of the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge. What lessons were learned about the potentially damaging effects of wind on bridges? What structures stabilize a bridge against wind forces? Build models and use a wind tunnel to test your hypothesis. Read more
Aerodynamics and Ice Hockey
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Does the force of drag have an effect on the distance the puck will travel? Think of a way to launch the puck with a reproducible force, and examine the effect of launching the puck in different orientations on the distance it travels. For more information on the physics, see Haché, 2002. Read more
Aerodynamics of Air Hockey
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
If you have an air hockey table, you know that the puck floats on a thin cushion of air when the table is turned on. With little friction, the puck can travel very fast. How much lift force is created by the air? Add small amounts of weight to the puck and see when it no longer floats to measure the lift force. How many air holes (on average) support the puck? How much force is generated by each air hole? Will a puck with a larger surface area, supported by more air holes (on average),… Read more
Build an RC Boat
Science Fair Project Idea
Engineering Design Process
Do you like playing with radio-controlled (RC) toys like cars, planes, and boats? What if you could build and customize your own? In this engineering project, you will learn how to build your own RC boat using an Arduino and a plastic food storage container. Read more
Efficient Propeller Design
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
How does a helicopter generate enough lift to fly? How does a speedboat get moving fast enough to pull someone on water skis? Here's a project on designing propellers to do the job. Read more
Helicopter Liftoff: How Does the Speed of the Rotor Affect the Amount of Lift?
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Helicopters are fascinating to watch. The spinning rotor blades on top of the helicopter generate lift, allowing it to take off vertically. They can land vertically, too, allowing them to set down in small spaces, such as hospital helipads or on a ship at sea. In this aerodynamics science fair project, you will fly a remote-controlled helicopter and measure how the rate of the rotor's rotation changes as the helicopter hovers and flies up or down. Read more
How Does the Number of Parachutes Affect Terminal Velocity?
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Have you ever wondered how astronauts land safely back on Earth? Many spaceships use a small crew capsule with multiple large parachutes to bring the astronauts down to a gentle landing either on the ground or in the ocean. What happens if one or more of the parachutes fails to deploy? Can the astronauts still land safely? Find out as you explore the physics of falling with parachutes in this project.  Read more
How to Control a DIY Mini Drone with an Arduino™
Science Fair Project Idea
Engineering Design Process
Most drones fly with a mix of human input and autonomous control based on feedback from electronic sensors. This allows the drone to fly up and down when the human operator presses a joystick on a controller, but automatically hover at a fixed distance above the ground when the operator lets go of the joystick. In this project, you will explore drone programming with an Arduino. What types of inputs and sensors can you make your drone respond to? What behaviors and responses can you program… Read more
PID Controller Tuning for a Drone
Science Fair Project Idea
Engineering Design Process
Note: to do this project you will need the DIY Mini Drone Kit, available from our partner Home Science Tools®. An Arduino must be purchased separately. The Electronics Kit for Arduino, available from our partner Home Science Tools®, contains the additional parts you will need, including an ultrasonic sensor. The program in the DIY Mini Drone: Arduino™ Altitude Control project uses a proportional controller to control the drone's altitude. A potentiometer is connected to one… Read more
Riding on Air—Build a Real Hovercraft
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Looking for an exciting new mode of transportation? In this science fair project, you will build a working hovercraft that will glide over surfaces on a cushion of air. And it's simpler to build than you might think! Read more
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