Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Middle School, Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics Science Projects (Page 3)

Which Wing Design Creates the Greatest Lift?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever flown in an airplane, or looked up at one flying in the sky, and wondered how such a massive machine can stay in the air? Airplanes can stay in the air because their wings, also referred to as airfoils, generate lift. Engineers use devices called wind tunnels to experiment and test different wing shapes when they design new airplanes. Wind tunnels let engineers make careful measurements of the air flow around the wing, and measure the amount of lift it generates. If you can get… 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

What A Drag!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What makes some objects more streamlined than others? Find out which ordinary objects around your house are made to move smoothly through the water in this easy science fair project. Which objects will produce the most drag when pulled through the water? 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

Modifying a Car for Better Aerodynamics

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen those cool wind tunnel pictures of cars with streams of smoke blowing over them? You do not need access to a wind tunnel to do a car aerodynamics science project! In this project you will use cheap, readily available materials—tape and yarn—to visualize airflow over a car. You will examine how you can affect the airflow over the car by making changes, like adding or removing accessories or making body modifications out of cardboard and duct tape. Maybe you can… Read more

Buoyancy of Floating Cylinders

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

This science project presents an interesting puzzle. A disk of wood will float face-up; that is, with its circular cross-section parallel to the surface of the water. A long log of wood, however, floats on its side with the circular cross-section perpendicular to the surface of the water. If you think about it, disks and logs are both cylinders. Is there some intermediate length of cylinder that floats with the circular cross-section at a tilted angle? Try this experiment to find out! Read more

Does Weight Affect a Drone's Battery Life?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Drones—also called quadcopters or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—are an increasingly popular toy for hobbyists. Some companies even want to use them for business purposes, like delivering packages right to your doorstep! However, drones typically have a rather short battery life. Does the added weight of a package affect a drone's battery life? Try this project to find out! Read more

Study Bottle Rocket Performance with Electronic Sensors

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Rocket design and operation is a fascinating field and analyzing the flight path provides insight into the rocket's performance. In this project, you will take measurements of the flight path to evaluate how a change in the rocket design or launch procedure impacts the rocket's performance. Initially, while the bottle rocket expels water (or the rocket expels exhaust), the rocket gets a boost. This push is referred to as thrust and projects the rocket forward. Earth's gravity pulls the rocket… Read more

What Makes a Good Aerodynamic Design? Test Your Ideas with High-Performance Paper Gliders

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You have probably made plenty of regular paper airplanes simply by folding a piece of printer or notebook paper. Have you ever tried making a "high performance" paper glider? These gliders use a different construction technique that involves cutting multiple shapes out of thicker, stiffer paper and gluing them together (this process is called lamination). There are many resources online that can get you started with the art of making high performance paper gliders. See the references in the… Read more

The Paper Plate Hovercraft

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You can make a very simple hovercraft with a stiff, disposable plate-a pie plate should work well-and a balloon. Glue a square of cardboard in the center of the bottom of the plate. Make a small hole through the center of both of these layers. Enlarge the hole slightly with a pencil. Push a balloon through the hole so that the opening is on the front side of the plate, and rest of the balloon sticks out from the back. Blow up the balloon, then set the plate down (balloon side up). What… Read more

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Middle School, Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics Science Projects (34 results)

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