From cell phones to social media, computer science is a part of your daily life. Everything from traffic lights to medical devices requires both computer hardware and software these days. Creative problem solvers are using computer science to tackle social problems, improve agriculture, make great entertainment, and start exciting new companies. What could you create and innovate with a bit of tinkering and programming? Try your hand at one of these computer science projects to learn more about computers, program something interesting, or learn how to defend the cyber world. Whether you already know something about programming and computers or not, we have just the right project for you.
Did you know that you can tell how much information is on a CD-R without even using a computer? Find out how in this "reflective" experiment.
Read more
Have you ever played a computer game in which a cartoon character, like a dog or a cat, moves or turns when you click on it? Have you ever wondered how characters know how far to move or how far to turn? In this computer science project, you will learn how with a simple (and free) program called Scratch, which will let you write your own computer program that tells a cartoon kitty how to draw shapes.
Read more
How fast are computers? How quickly do you think they can do 100 million arithmetic problems? Try this science project to discover an easy way to measure how fast computers have become and whether or not your computer is a math whiz.
Read more
CompSci_p011
+ More Details
- Less Details
Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Requires computer with web and Internet access. Optional procedures require C compiler or Python 3.
When you delete a file, by accident or on purpose, is the information really gone? Can you get it back? If you accidentally deleted your five-page report for school, you are hoping it is not gone. On the other hand, if you do not want someone to get their hands on the goofy and unflattering pictures you and your best friend took while staying up late the other night, you probably hope it is gone for good! It might be nice to know for sure either way. Try this project to find out.
Read more
CompSci_p061
+ More Details
- Less Details
Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
You should already be comfortable using a computer.
Material Availability
Requires a computer with a hard-disk drive and an adult helper who is comfortable using the computer.
Have you ever suffered from poor Wi-Fi reception for your smartphone, tablet, or laptop? Certain materials can actually block a Wi-Fi signal; do you think that could be part of your problem? In this science project, you will do an experiment to find out which materials cause the biggest drop in signal strength from a wireless router.
Read more
CompSci_p047
+ More Details
- Less Details
Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
This science project requires a wireless router and a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a Wi-Fi connection. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.
